No doubt you’ve heard the saying, you are what you eat. Eating a healthy and balanced diet should lead to better overall health. But what about your hair? How does food impact hair health, and are there any foods you should avoid if you want to stop hair loss?
It’s no surprise to find there are foods you should steer clear of in this scenario. Let’s check out some of them below, so you can see whether improving your diet could have a promising effect on hair loss prevention.
Could Dairy Cause You Any Problems?
Milk proteins have a positive role to play in maintaining the health of your hair. However, there’s a caveat with this. Many dairy products contain fat, and this can boost your testosterone levels. Yes, women do have testosterone, it’s just at much lower levels than men do. You may see where we’re going with this.
Testosterone produces DHT – a hormone that can cause hormonal hair loss. So, if you are having a lot of dairy products, your testosterone levels – and in turn DHT levels – could spike. DHT is often connected to male balding, but women can suffer too, so be aware of this and watch your dairy intake if you suffer from thinning hair or hair loss.
Sugar’s Not Sweet for Hair Care
Are you surprised to find sugar on this list? Sugar is problematic in lots of ways, and it’s an addictive substance we find in lots of prepackaged and processed foods. Your testosterone levels are adversely affected by sugar, but that’s not the only issue. Sugar can also raise inflammation in the body, and this in turn can cause poor circulation. When you consider how poor circulation may affect your scalp, it’s not difficult to see that your hair might suffer.
Aspartame Is Not the Ideal Sugar Replacement
At this point, you’re likely thinking about how to remove – or at least reduce – the instance of sugar in your diet. Artificial sweeteners would be the perfect choice, right?
Well, not quite.
It depends which sweeteners you go for, although adjusting your tastes to remove sweeteners altogether is the best move. Aspartame may lead to hair loss if you have lots of it. So, if you’re going to switch out sugary drinks for artificially sweetened ones, keep them to a minimum.
There’s Something Fishy Going On
When it comes to healthy foods, you can’t get much better than fish. It’s low in calories, there are many healthy ways you can prepare and cook it, and it’s low in fat (depending on preparation, of course).
However, you should be aware that some fish are known to have high levels of mercury in them. Tuna and mackerel have been found to have high levels – and since we’re writing about hair loss prevention, you can guess that mercury isn’t good for hanging onto your hair.
It’s not so much mercury itself that causes the problem – it’s the fact that it reduces the levels of zinc in your body (the same thing can happen with alcohol by the way). This in turn may lead to hair loss, as zinc is one of the essential nutrients needed to boost hair growth. As with all foods, tuna fish and mackerel in moderation is fine, although you may want to avoid it altogether if you’re suffering from hair loss and you’re looking for hair loss solutions.
Could a Food Diary Help?
Absolutely – it’s hard to remember what you had yesterday much less last week. If you are experiencing hair loss and you’re wondering whether swapping out certain foods might help, a food diary will help you figure out whether anything is hindering your progress. Cut out one thing at a time to see whether you notice any difference with your hair and give it a few weeks to see whether any changes crop up.
It's also worth asking your stylist for advice and remembering to take good care of your hair at all times. It’s often better to make lots of small changes that all add up to healthier hair over time, and overhauling your diet can form part of this approach.
To learn more, contact the team at Unique Hair Concepts for a private in center consultation.
