Food poisoning is life threatening. If you believe you have it, it is always important to seek out help for your emergency room right away. It is very easy to dehydrate from this condition. But, that is not all you can suffer with. Some people – both men and women – can also suffer from hair loss. How in the world does hair loss and food poisoning go hand in hand? Though it is not a common situation or one you can expect to happen every time you get food poisoning, it could happen to you. Here is what you need to know about it.
Consider a Paris Story
In the last year, an incident occurred in a Saint Louis Hospital in Paris. There, doctors reported a unique incident. Two women came in with food poisoning. According to the reports, they ate a plant that stems from the cucurbit family. They experienced hair loss as a result of eating this plant. This family of plants is not uncommon – it includes plants you may eat often including pumpkin, melons, cucumbers, and squash. To be clear, most of these vegetables are not anything you need to worry about – there is no epidemic to worry about. You can continue to consume these foods without risk of your hair falling out.
The doctors reported the women’s illness and the resulting alopecia (thinning hair). The note the women came in on different occasions and where not related. The first woman suffered from vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea. These are all common signs of food poisoning. She suffered the reaction after consuming a bowl of pumpkin soup, which she reported was bitter. Other members of her family reported having an upset stomach as well, though there is no indication these individuals suffered any type of hair loss. In fact, it took nearly a week for the woman to begin to experience the significant hair loss. The hair loss impacted both the head on her hair and other body areas.
Another case involved a woman who suffered what seemed like food poisoning. She was vomiting about an hour after consuming her meal. Her meal, as well, contained squash. The squash had a bitter taste. As a result, other people consuming it with this woman did not finish their portion. In this situation, it took about three weeks for the woman to report hair loss. It was found she lost hair in her pubic region as well as her head and armpits.
The cases were reported by the Journal of the American Medical Association. You can learn more about their findings as well.
What Is the Connection?
How does this happen? What was found is that the squash both women consumed contained a toxin in it. The toxin, called cucurbitacin, creates a very bitter taste in the food. This was ingested by the women and, over time, it created a reaction in the body. The food poisoning was also related to the toxin. Overall, both women lost some of their hair as a result of consuming it.
Growers tend to develop plants in the squash family to have a more mild taste. However, some very natural components to these plants can include this toxin. Yet, even mild forms of the vegetables can still have some low-level presence of cucurbitacin in them. Someone who may be highly sensitive could become at risk for suffering this same time out of outcome.
Does Hair Grow Back?
In the case of the two women who suffered hair loss from the food poisoning, it was clear the impact was temporary. Over a period of a few months, the women both started to see hair regrow in the areas it was lost. This would normally begin to happen after the toxin is removed from the body fully (done through the body’s natural ability to rid itself of waste and toxins). Then, the hair growth cycle would allow for the hair to continue to grow.
While it is not likely for most people to suffer hair loss from eating pumpkins or squash, it is important to know this risk exists. It could impact you at some point in the future.
Contact the hair specialists at Unique Hair Concepts to learn more.
