Dieters beware ... of hair loss?

Sep 2005
WASHINGTON (myDNA News)


Dieters across the nation are beginning to realize there could actually be a price to pay for losing weight ... their hair.

A little known secret the dieting industry has tried its best to keep under the rug is that dieting, among other things, can actually contribute to hair-loss in both men and women.

By definition, a diet deprives the body of at least some of the nutrients it is used to receiving on a daily basis. By going without these excess nutrients, dieters are able to lose weight.

However, it could also be this change in nutritional regiment that causes hair-lines to recede along with the waist-line.

It has been common knowledge for many that iron deficiencies can lead to hair loss. However, sudden changes in levels of magnesium, zinc, essential fatty acids, protein, and vitamins A, B, and D, could also lead to hair-loss.

Wilma Bergfeld, head of the Cleveland Clinic's department of dermatology, says this data should not discourage individuals from going on a diet.

It should, however, deter them from pursuing a 'fad' diet, or quick weight-loss scheme. Frequently the fad or quick weight loss plan involves the avoidance of entire food groups which may result in nutritional deficiencies.

Typically, the hair loss begins when individuals lose upwards of 20 pounds in a relatively short period of time and can result from vegetarian, low-fat or high protein diets. Bergfeld remarks, "We see it all the time," she continues, "If you start eating only one thing and you're not well balanced, you get into trouble."

Bergeld stresses the best way to lose weight is a reduced-calorie plan, in which an individual will still receive a balance of all different types of nutrients.

This diet should also be extended over an elongated period of time in order to reduce the chances of hair-loss as well as increase the chances of the weight disappearing on a permanent basis.