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Vitamins and Hair Loss
Vitamins and minerals play a vital role in the function of the body, the use of certain vitamins can most certainly play a major part in helping to maintain a healthy head of hair.
Introduction
The human body is an amazingly complex and wonderful machine,
but it cannot function without a supply of food. The nutrients
in food are needed for energy, movement, heat, growth, repair,
hair growth and sometimes reproduction. The body needs to be
able to digest the foods it takes in so that it can be used in
various ways.
There are six basic types of nutrients and two basic
non-nutrients found in food. The six nutrients are carbohydrate,
fat, protein, vitamins, minerals, trace elements; the two
non-nutrients are fibre and water.
Generally speaking most foods contain several nutrients, in varying amounts. Carrots, for instance, contain a little protein, a trace of fat, some carbohydrate, a good deal of water, a little sugar, fibre, and a selection of vitamins and minerals such as potassium, sodium, calcium, iron, zinc, vitamins B6, C and E, folic acid, biotin and pantothenic acid, etc.
We need a combination of all the above nutrients to maintain a normal and healthy body.
Para-Aminobenzoic Acid
(PABA) as this vitamin is commonly known is one of the lesser known members of the B complex family, has been shown to be an anti-grey hair vitamin.
In tests in black animals that were feed with a diet deficient of PABA, they developed grey hair, when the animals were reintroduced to the vitamin, normal hair colour was restored.
Research on humans with grey hair being given 200mg of PABA
after each meal produced results that showed that a study of the
hair afterwards resulted in a seventy per cent result of the
hair returning to its original colour.
Other research claims
that PABA combined with folic acid also helps restore hair to
its original colour.
Deficiency of PABA, Biotin, Folic Acid and Pantothenic Acid appears to affect hair colour.
Hair colour can normally be
restored with a diet rich in the B vitamins and in the few cases
where colour is not restored the hair will improve in quality
and strength of growth.
PABA and the B vitamins are found in foods such as liver,
kidney, whole grain and yeast. The richest source being liver.
Inositol
Inositol is also a member of the B vitamin group. It is a
compound occurring in the brain, muscles, liver, kidney and
eyes.
In laboratory animals, a diet lacking Inositol produced
baldness, but when the vitamin was added to the food of these
animals, the hair grew back again.
It was also observed that
male animals lost hair twice as fast as female animals.
The
result of this experiment would suggest that males require a
higher Inositol intake than females. An Inositol deficient diet
can also cause eczema, a form of skin irritation.
One doctor in a series of experiments prescribed Inositol
together with other sources of B vitamins to all his balding
patients.
In almost all case's hair loss was arrested, in some
case's hair growth was noticeable in as little as one month. In
one case hair recovery was total and not one bald spot remained.
Inositol, also appears to reduce the amount of cholesterol in
the blood.
Biotin
Biotin often called vitamin H, is yet another B complex
component. Biotin is a proven hair growth vitamin and a
preventative to excessive hair loss. It appears to metabolise
fatty acids.
Fatty acids are a valuable growth factor in
numerous processes in the body including the hair. Biotin is
also seen as an aid in preventing hair turning grey.
Biotin is found in egg yolks. Raw egg whites actually hinder
effectiveness, but when the albumen (egg white) is cooked, the
culprit - a substance called avidin is destroyed by heat.
Biotin
is also present in liver, milk, yeast and kidney.
Balding men might find that a Biotin supplement may keep their
hair longer.
Zinc
In laboratory tests animals fed with a zinc supplement showed
signs of more hair growth, as opposed to loss of hair in animals
that were deprived of zinc in their feed. It was discovered that
there was a change in the hair protein structure when zinc was
deficient in the diet.
Severe zinc deficiency in humans has been shown to produce
baldness and scalp problems that were reversed when zinc was
returned to the diet.
Zinc has also been shown to stop hair turning grey.
One doctor
taking zinc for a year reversed the grey hairs which returned to
their original colour.
Zinc can be depleted by high stress levels. For a good source of
zinc, wheat germ is the best, other sources are brewer's yeast,
pumpkin seeds, oysters and mussels, shrimps and egg yolks.
One delightful effect of zinc is that it has long been regarded
as an aphrodisiac, and as such it can be very beneficial for
your sex life, which is not a bad side effect to have.
Protein
Protein is a basic ingredient in many hair shampoos and
conditioners and is also the major ingredient of hair itself,
which is at least ninety per cent protein.
Whilst this should
not necessarily be the main ingredient in your diet, its
importance should not be ignored.
In controlled tests volunteers, supplementing their diets with
protein in the form of 14g of gelatine daily, found it increased
the thickness of individual hair strands by as much as 45 per
cent in only two months.
Diet can influence both hair growth and quality and gelatine has
exhibited one of the highest specific dynamic effects of any
food or supplement.
Given that a strong hair is a healthy hair, the study noted that
the gelatine induced increases in the diet constituted an
improvement in the mechanical properties of the hair, including
strength.
When the volunteers stopped eating the gelatine, their
hair returned to its original diameter within six months.
Vitamin E
A Canadian physician who started going grey was able to reverse
the process by taking 800iu of vitamin E in capsule form daily.
At the age of 68 after some 15 years of taking vitamin E he
still has a healthy head of thick black hair, and is the envy of
men half his age.
Vitamin E has also been shown to retard the ageing process.
It
has been suggested that grey hair is a symptom of body
degeneration so a supplement of vitamin E can only be beneficial
whether you have grey hair or not.
The best natural sources of vitamin E are wheat germ, Soya
beans, broccoli, brussel sprouts, spinach and eggs.
Choline
Choline is a B vitamin like nutrient that's useful in counter
acting the effects of stress.
Recently scientists in America
were able to induce toxic levels of stress in baby animals by
limiting the amount of choline in their diets.
Choline supplements prescribed to balding patients produced
significant results to prove choline's worth in hair loss.
Lecithin is a very good source of choline, at it also supplies
inositol, a B complex vitamin with a particular affinity with
choline, these two vitamins work together well.
Foods rich in choline are egg yolks, yeast, liver and wheat
germ.
Vitamin A
A deficiency of Vitamin A will cause dry hair and rough skin.
Vitamin A is stored in the liver and if large doses (50,000 -
100,000 iu daily) are taken for a prolonged period the liver
cannot store the A vitamin, and it can build up in the body to
give unpleasant side effects which include nausea, headaches,
hair loss, drowsiness and weight loss.
The R.D.A. for vitamin A is 2,500 iu.
Pantothenic Acid
Pantothenic Acid also known as Calcium Pantothenate is
considered to be important to the health of the skin and scalp.
Pantothenic acid is necessary for the well being of every body
cell and neither carbohydrate nor fat can be changed into energy
without it.
This nutrient is also important for the functioning of the
adrenal glands that produce much of the male sex hormones.
Volunteers who were feed on a diet deficient of pantothenic acid
showed increased vulnerability to infection and adrenal levels
dropped, blood pressure also dropped and constipation developed.
Animals lacking this nutrient in their diet became grey haired
and the follicles started to waste away.
This supplement is most often found in B complex formulas.
This nutrient is obtained from liver, kidney, egg yolks, whole
grains, milk and potatoes.
Cider Vinegar
Hair loss can sometimes be a result of poor metabolism.
Many
case histories show that as a result of a few teaspoonfuls of
cider vinegar each day for several months, hair loss has stopped
and the remaining hair has grown healthier and thicker.
One
reason for thinning hair is a deficiency of minerals salts, so
it is easy to understand why mineral-rich cider vinegar can
help.
Cider vinegar will not work the same way for everyone. A few
people may be allergic to it and others may not be affected at
all. But for many people, cider vinegar opens up a wonderful new
chapter in life.
Cider vinegar may be taken in a glass of water first thing in
the morning or just before meals. One of the side effects can be
weight loss which is an added bonus.
Seven Wonders "Hair Food" Cocktail
The following drink contains Protein, Choline, Inositol, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin E and Zinc:
The seven
ingredients' nutritionists most often recommend for growing
healthy hair.
8 Fl oz Plain Yoghurt
8 Fl oz Orange Juice
3 Tablespoons Wheat Germ
3 Tablespoons Brewers Yeast
1 Tablespoon Lecithin Crystals
1 Teaspoon Vitamin C Crystals
1 Raw Egg Yolk
1 Tablespoon Unflavored Gelatine Powder
Honey to Taste (optional)
Combine all the ingredients and blend until smooth.
If a blender
is not available put all the ingredients into a jar with a lid
and shake vigorously.
This tonic makes a quick and nutritious breakfast and will work
wonders for your hair.
This cocktail should help just about everyone, and you will
certainly notice a difference to your hair once you try it.
Another recommended regime for hair loss which has proved to be
very effective is a supplement of the Amino Acids, Zinc and
Vitamin C.
This supplement is particularly good for people who
go on crash diets and find a problem with hair loss, or problems
which are less obvious such as women who are losing hair as a
result of birth control pills and subsequent vitamin and mineral
deficiencies.
Hair loss supplement
A daily vitamin and mineral supplement
B Complex
Pantothenic Acid
Folic Acid
P.A.B.A.
Vitamin A
Zinc
A daily supplement of the above will help produce healthy hair
and helps restore grey hair to its original colour.
0ne multi- vitamin formula 1000mg and 500mg magnesium taken daily
can have a great effect on hair growth.
There is no
guarantee but many people have reported a definite reduction of
hair loss with this regime.
Another combination that has produced excellent results with
some people is a daily supplement of choline and inositol,
1000mg of each daily.
The Amino Acid L Tyrosine is also recommended for helping hair
regain its natural colour.
While there are a number of supplements which can be beneficial,
it is important for the diet to improve and take precedence over
supplements alone.
That said there are enormous benefits to be
derived from using vitamins, many food products today have been
treated with chemicals during the growing process.
When anyone is embarking on a course of vitamins or minerals
they should be aware that results will not happen overnight.
Vitamins are not some magic potion that is suddenly going to
cure hair loss overnight. They may not do anything for some
people but for others they will achieve excellent results with
noticeable differences in hair growth and in the slowing down of
hair loss.
Results will usually take from about three to four months before
the body actually reacts to the effects brought about by the
vitamins.
Vitamins should always be taken as directed on the bottle and
not more than the stated dosage.
An extra helping of a vitamin
does not make it work twice as much, besides which it can be
dangerous overdosing on certain vitamins.
When taking vitamins you may find that you have to take them after a meal otherwise they may cause a stomach upset.