Foods That May Contribute to Hair Loss

Hair loss in men and women may be due to different factors. Women's hair loss may be due to a gastrointestinal (GI) tract problem. To help correct a sluggish GI tract, women may want to increase their intake of low-fat yogurt with active acidophilus cultures. These helpful bacteria will help to speed the GI tract and, in turn, improve the overall health of hair. Men may benefit from a low-fat diet. Hair loss is tied to elevated testosterone levels, and meat and fat in the diet act to raise these levels even more. By reducing fat and meat intake, men may be able to lower their hormone levels and thus slow the hair loss cycle caused by hormones.

Sugar and Hair Loss

• Too much sugar or foods that turn to sugar once ingested causes glycation, which is the breaking down of proteins. This causes the cellular aging process to speed up, and that often means developing a dry scalp and losing hair.
  
  

  Alcohol and Hair Loss

  The proper amount of zinc in the body is essential to hair growth. Too much alcohol may deplete the body's reserves of zinc, which in turn may cause hair loss.

• Fatty Foods and Hair Loss

• Prior to World War II, Japanese men rarely experienced male pattern baldness. However, after the war, when the Japanese diet incorporated many of the fatty foods in the Western culture, more Japanese men started losing their hair. Although a certain amount of fat is essential to give hair a healthy sheen, too much fatty food may replace the protein that is essential to hair growth.

High-Protein Diet and Hair Loss

• The typical high-protein diet includes a vast amount of animal protein, which when eaten in large amounts may leach the body of other essential nutrients, such as calcium and fluids. It may also cause the arteries to become filled with plaque, and this prevents the cells in the scalp from receiving the proper nutrients needed for healthy hair growth.
  
  

  Salt and Hair Loss

  • Too much salt may damage the blood and may create hypertension or high blood pressure. This in turn could cause a problem since healthy blood flow to the scalp is essential for a healthy head of hair.
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