Correlation between gastrointestinal symptoms and adherence to traditional Persian medicine dietary recommendations in patients with vitiligo; a cross-sectional study

Amir Mohammad Jaladat; Ehsan Amiri-Ardekani; Pariya Sadat Ramezani; Mohadese Boroughani; Morteza Emami Alorizi; Mohammad Mahdi Parvizi

doi:10.1515/jcim-2020-0192

Correlation between gastrointestinal symptoms and adherence to traditional Persian medicine dietary recommendations in patients with vitiligo; a cross-sectional study

J Complement Integr Med. 2021 Apr 5;18(4):813-820. doi: 10.1515/jcim-2020-0192.

Authors

Amir Mohammad Jaladat^{1

2}, Ehsan Amiri-Ardekani^{3

4

5}, Pariya Sadat Ramezani³, Mohadese Boroughani^{3

4

5}, Morteza Emami Alorizi^{1

2}, Mohammad Mahdi Parvizi⁶

Affiliations

¹ Research Center for Traditional Medicine and History of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
² Department of Persian Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
³ Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
⁴ Department of Phytopharmaceuticals (Traditional Pharmacy), Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
⁵ Student Association of Indigenous Knowledge, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
⁶ Molecular Dermatology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.

PMID: 33818030
DOI: 10.1515/jcim-2020-0192

Abstract

Objectives: Vitiligo is a chronic disease associated with the depigmentation of regions of the skin secondary to structural or functional damage to melanocytes. This damage results from interactions between the immune system and oxidative stress. In traditional Persian medicine (TPM), the concept of 'Barass' or 'Pissi' encompasses a group of skin diseases including vitiligo, for which there has been an emphasis on the preventive and therapeutic role of dietary modifications.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 200 vitiligo patients and 200 controls were enrolled with a random sampling method. The participants included patients with vitiligo referred to the Dermatology Clinic of Shahid Faghihi Hospital (Shiraz, Iran), with the control group being comprised individuals who referred to this clinic for cosmetic purposes. Questionnaires comparing the severity of gastrointestinal symptoms and the rate of adherence to TPM dietary recommendations were filled by all participants. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 24.0.

Results: The case group was significantly less adherent to TPM recommendations than the control group (8.25 ± 27.16 vs. 31.8 ± 10.47; p<0.001). However, there was no significant difference between both groups in the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) scores (14.09 ± 14.84 vs. 12.62 ± 11.71; p = 0.105). In the case group, the level of adherence to the recommendations of TPM was significantly lower among patients with lower education levels (R=-0.194; p=0.017). Furthermore, there was a significant negative relationship between the length of the disease and adherence to TPM dietary recommendations (R=-0.247; p=0.002).

Conclusions: In this study, the level of adherence to TPM recommendations was significantly lower among patients with vitiligo than the control group. Hence, further studies are suggested to identify the probable role of dietary habits in the pathogenesis of vitiligo.

Keywords: dietary recommendation; digestive disorders; traditional medicine; vitiligo.

MeSH terms

Cross-Sectional Studies
Diet
Feeding Behavior
Humans
Medicine, Traditional
Vitiligo* / drug therapy