hair today gone tomorrow

October 14 2008, 11:20am

So last week I mentioned that omega-3 oils really help with my dry skin which I've noticed get worse when I'm stressed. Everybody reacts differently to stress and if I'm stressed for a long period of time it's my hair that really suffers. Many moons ago I was in the horrid situation of writing up my thesis  whilst working full time. To any PhD students out there, don't do it (be poor and write up, the job will come). Anyway my hair fell out in clumps. I found it everywhere and would wake up in the morning to find my pillow covered with a matt of dark brown fuzziness. It got to the point where I thought I'd be a bald doctor. I even made my Dad promise he'd buy me a real hair wig for Christmas (sorry Dad).

During that period I started to look for ways to prevent my hair loss and  make it grow again. So I started thinking about the nutrition that hair needs. Many people think that health hair starts with an expensive shampoo, but it actually starts with what you eat.  At the base of each hair follicle is  the root which is nourished by something called a "papilla" (connective tissue with nerve fibres and capillaries). And just like skin the root of the hair needs a supply of nutrients, blood and oxygen. A healthy balanced with plenty of fresh fruit and veg, whole grains, protein and water will help with healthy hair growth. There are a few key nutrients however that will help with the nourishing the hair.

Hair is about 97% of the  protein keratin. So it's important that you get the right types of protein in your diet. Not all proteins are equal in that some are made up of essential amino acids, so called because the body can't make them on its own. Animal proteins like meat, eggs and dairy have these essential amino acids. These are sometimes called complete proteins. Non-animal proteins found in grains, beans and pulses, nuts and seeds are incomplete. The great thing is that by combining certain incomplete porteins you can get essential amino acids in one meal. Here are a few ways of doing this -

grains and beans and pulses:  innocent veg pot, baked beans and toast, rice and beans, peanut butter on brown bread

grains and dairy: yoghurt and museli, oats with milk (porridge)

seeds and beans and pulses: hummus (chickpeas and sesame paste)

seeds and diary: sunflower seeds on cottage cheese

The B-vitamin complex, especially folate, biotin and vitamin B6 and B12 are also important for healthy hair growth. These foods have these B-vitamins -

Folate :avocados, asparagus, atrichokes, oranges, brocolli, brussel sprouts, spinach, peas, soyabeans, chickpeas, lentils, turkey

Biotin: cauliflower, carrots, bananas, cereals, yeast, liver , salmon

Vitamin B6:bananas, lentils, beef, pork, chicken, salmon

Vitamin B12:beef, lamb, veal, liver, fish, milk, egg yolls, cottage cheese

And last but by no means least iron. Haemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells. Iron is found in haemoglobin and can help to deliver oxygen to your hair.  Iron-rich proteins are a no brainer for healthy hair. Animal protein contains haem iron and is easily absorbed by the body. Non-haem iron is found in plant proteins like lentils, beans and tofu. If you're vegetarian combine these foods with vitamin C foods as this will help with the non-haem iron absorption e.g.

innocent orange juice/smoothie with a fortfied cereal

innocent veg pot

brocolli with tofu stir-fry

stewed tomatoes and baked beans

So almost 4 years later my hair's back to about 90% of it's thickness which is such a relief. Through personal experience I've found that healthy hair really does start from the inside. All those expensive shampoos and conditioners can only do so much. So next time you sit down to beans on toast, an innocent veg pot, a smoothie or our orange juice just think about the nutrition that's going straight to your head.

I'd love to hair what you think (sorry couldn't help myself)

Bye for now

dr shilps

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