How The Food You Eat Can Impact The Health Of Your Hair
Nutrition plays a huge role in the health, mobility and capabilities of our bodies. It’s natural that the food we consume impacts the health of our hair cells, skin cells and so much more, too. Nutritional and vitamin deficiencies are one of the key reasons you might be experiencing hair loss. Before you consider more dramatic treatments such as a hair transplant, you might consult your diet first. This is where you might look:
Vegetarian and Vegan Diets
Whether you have adopted a vegan or vegetarian diet for your health or for the wellbeing of the planet, it needs to be handled properly to ensure your body doesn’t start to suffer or lack in nutrients. It is safe to have a completely meat-free diet, but when transitioning from a meat-eaters diet to a more sustainable alternative, you might consider weaning rather than a cold turkey approach.
This could protect your hair follicles from going into shock, which can cause hair to appear to fall out. The hair has actually just entered another stage in reaction to the change in diet and does not count as ‘loss’, rather it’s called ‘shedding’.
Some vegetarian and vegan diets also lack in iron, vitamin A and vitamin C. Vitamin A is crucial for the growth and replenishment for healthy cells, including hair cells. If you notice that your hair is brittle and breaks easily, you might be lacking in vitamin A. This is a common problem with those who switch to a vegetarian diet. Ensuring you maintain a healthy, balanced and nutritious diet when you make any kind of change is the key to protecting your hair.
Ketogenic Diets
Ketogenic, or just keto, diets are extremely popular for weight loss. It prioritises good fats, whilst minimising carbohydrates. This is because carbs convert into glucose which is also a kind of fat. Glucose is crucial for brain power and maintaining weight. For most, switching to this diet will be a huge shock to the system, but when it comes to hair it’s important to ensure you are consuming enough protein in your keto diet. Failing to do so can impact the skin, hair and nails because it builds amino acids that establishes keratin.
Neglecting Vitamin B
Vitamin B is a crucial for hair production, as well as your skin’s resilience and the production of new cells. Many weight loss diets avoid carbohydrates or grains and rices. These are often the key sources of B vitamins, meaning that cutting them out can put the health of your hair at risk.
Ensure you maintain the quality of your hair and postpone loss by incorporating more brown rices, eggs and different types of beans into your diet. Although it might stray from a strict diet, they are all quite healthy and provide a good dose of different vitamins in the B category, including B12. This deficiency is also common for vegans, also. If you notice ongoing hair loss and believe it to be vitamin B levels, you can bolster your intake with over the counter supplements.
If you do notice serious shedding, like finding clumps on your pillow or as you wash your hair, it’s s sign that something is wrong. You should speak to your doctor, as it might be the first sign of a greater issue that they can address. They may also be able to provide specific advice about changing your diet, too.
