Variegate porphyria, abbreviated VP, is an inherited disorder of haem production — the pathway that builds the haem in haemoglobin — caused by a faulty enzyme. Attacks can bring severe abdominal pain, neurological symptoms, and, distinctively, skin that blisters and scars on exposure to sunlight, because accumulated porphyrins react to light. Certain drugs, alcohol, fasting, and hormonal changes trigger attacks, so management means avoiding triggers as much as treating symptoms. In nutrition contexts it appears as a reminder that sunlight sensitivity has metabolic causes beyond sunburn, and that fasting — sometimes undertaken for dieting — is dangerous for susceptible people. It is most common in populations with founder effects, notably South Africans of Dutch descent.