hair lossA healthy diet usually leads to healthy hair — and just about everyone knows that too much sugar and high-fat junk food can have just the opposite effect. But some of the foods we’ve all been taught to think of as healthful can also cause hair to thin split and even total hair loss.

How Do Foods Affect Hair Loss?

Hair and nails are composed of strands of protein, and their thickness and strength depends on the “fuel” that nourishes the whole body. A nutritious diet that provides enough protein, vitamins and minerals to keep the body healthy should produce thick, shiny hair that stays where it’s supposed to.

But just as stress and illness can cause hair loss, even healthy foods can trigger allergic reactions that have the same effect. Although allergic reactions can be sudden and even life threatening, they can also develop slowly, causing symptoms that aren’t easily traced to a particular food, such as fatigue, headaches and body aches — and hair loss. It’s possible to be allergic to just about any food, but common triggers include “healthy” foods such as grains, dairy and nuts.

Dairy Products: Good For You — Not For Your Hair?

Milk and other dairy products are often high on the list of healthy foods due to their high content of protein, calcium and vitamin D. But most are also high in lactose, a “milk sugar” that, like other sugars, can contribute to hair loss. These products also tend to be highly acidic, which can create conditions for thinning, unstable hair.

Nuts and Seeds: Healthy Fats, But Watch the Selenium

Nuts and seeds of all kinds are good sources of protein and heart-healthy oils. They’re also rich in selenium, an essential mineral that has a tricky relationship with hair health. Selenium nourishes hair, but eating too many foods with high-selenium content, such as Brazil nuts and sunflower seeds, can cause hair loss, especially if you’re also taking a supplement containing selenium.

Vitamin A: An Overload Harms Hair

Vitamin A is essential for health, so consuming foods such as yellow and orange vegetables; liver and fish can help the immune system and the heart. But it’s also a fat-soluble vitamin that’s stored in the tissues, so eating a lot of these foods, especially if you’re taking a vitamin A supplement, can lead to toxic levels that affect your hair.

The hair loss caused by dietary factors is usually temporary and resolves itself once the offending foods are eliminated or reduced. Healthy hair depends on a healthy diet — but too much of a good thing can undo all those benefits.

Taking care of you is vital to staying healthy but sometimes hair loss is unavoidable. If you’re suffering from thinning hair or hair loss Genesis II can help. We invite you to meet with a professional Genesis II hair loss specialist to determine which hair restoration procedure is right for you. To schedule a free hair loss evaluation and consultation call us at (315) 458-1074 or to contact us via email click here.

 

Photo Credit: Michael Stern Via Flickr Creative Commons