Dieting 🍲 & Hairloss🦱

A healthy diet is one of the most important parts of having a vibrant head of hair…and that means that a poor diet is also one of the major contributors to hair loss, in addition to factors like genetics, age, and environment. You can address this by keeping an eye on the substance and quality of your diet as well.

Hair follicles are one of the most metabolically active tissues. Hair growth may get impacted by manipulation in calorie and protein intake. Nutritional deficiencies affect both hair growth as well as hair structure (1).

Telogen Effluvium, occurring due to the change in the number of hair follicles, is an effect of rapid weight loss and decreased calorie intake (2).

Hair loss is also experienced due to some micronutrient deficiencies. These nutrient deficiencies may arise due to genetic factors, medical conditions, and/or dietary practices (1) such as omitting various food groups and staying in larger calorie deficit states for prolonged times.

 

Common nutrient deficiencies that cause hair fall -

- The niacin deficiency causes diffuse alopecia that decreased hair density. Niacin is nothing but Vitamin B3 which is generally important for maintaining good health.  It can be found naturally in many foods, including meat, green vegetables, eggs, poultry, and fish. (3)

- Loss of scalp hair, eyebrows, and lightening of hair is observed in those suffering from a deficiency of essential fatty acids such as Omega-3 fatty acids. (4)

- Iron deficiency is a well-known cause of hair loss, and the risk factor is greater in vegetarians and vegans due to lower consumption of heme iron which primarily comes from hemoglobin and myoglobin in animal-sourced foods. (1)

- Zinc deficiency is also correlated where its role in the hedgehog signaling pathway affects hair follicle morphogenesis. The possibility of suffering from Zinc deficiency is higher in vegetarians due to the shortage of zinc bioavailability in vegetables as compared to meat.

- Alopecia, which is bald patches, is also observed in biotin deficiency.

Conclusion

- Eat adequate protein and calories

- Include a variety of food groups such as dairy, fruits, and vegetables in your diet to get a good amount of micronutrients

- Supplements like a standard multivitamin tablet and fish oil might prove to be beneficial

References:

1. Guo, E. L., & Katta, R. (2017). Diet and hair loss: effects of nutrient deficiency and supplement use. Dermatology practical & conceptual, 7(1),

2. Mubki T, Rudnicka L, Olszewska M, Shapiro J. Evaluation and diagnosis of the hair loss patient: part I. History and clinical examination. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2014;71(3):415.e1–e415.e15.

3. Spivak JL, Jackson DL. Pellagra: an analysis of 18 patients and a review of the literature. Johns Hopkins Med J. 1977;140(6):295–309.

4. Goldberg LJ, Lenzy Y. Nutrition and hair. Clin Dermatol. 2010;28(4):412–419.