Macronutrients for hair growth…
...and hair loss!
Most people with androgenetic alopecia do some research into this condition and so already know that certain micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, etc) can help hair growth to some extent. But, what about macronutrients? These foods (proteins, fats and carbohydrates) are the mainstay of our diet. So what effect do they have on the health of your hair?
This is a very important question because, in countries like Japan, where they are now adopting a Western diet, the incidence of androgenetic alopecia is rapidly increasing and catching up with the typical numbers found in countries like the UK and US.
Historically, Asians suffer androgenetic alopecia much less than Caucasians. But it's no coincidence that, as they change to the junk-food way of life enjoyed (suffered?) by the West, so too are the conditions and diseases that we suffer, becoming more and more widespread there too.
So here's a quick look at the vital things you need to know about the foods you eat and the effect they can have on your hair…
Protein
Protein is extremely important for healthy hair growth (hair is almost entirely composed of a protein called keratin). But there should be no risk of insufficient protein consumption for most people.
Although some people suffer from digestive problems which can lead to poor absorption and utilisation of the proteins they eat, the fact that hair grows quite prolifically throughout the rest of the body proves that there is still sufficient protein consumption for basically everyone. And this includes vegetarians.
Your body can use any type of protein to manufacture the keratin it needs to grow hair. When you digest protein, it gets broken down into its component parts (amino acids). Your body then reassembles these amino acids to produce the many different types of protein it needs to function.
So there's no particular type of protein-rich food or quantity that you have to eat in order to grow healthy hair.
Fats
It's well known that the hormone DHT is directly linked to androgenetic alopecia.
So it's important to realize that, if you regularly consume high levels of saturated fat (butter, cheese, cream, red meat, etc) your DHT levels can very easily increase. That's because saturated fat will raise the level of LDL cholesterol which then gets converted into DHT.
LDL is the "bad" type of cholesterol; HDL is the "good" type.
The polyunsaturated fat Omega 3 will decrease LDL cholesterol and DHT levels, and increase HDL cholesterol levels.
DHT also controls the production of sebum (which causes greasy hair). This means that your sebum levels can give you an indication of how high your DHT levels are (i.e., hair that gets greasy very quickly indicates high DHT levels).
Here's a very basic pathway that shows you how the fat you eat can produce DHT and sebum:
Carbohydrates
Eat loads of sugar and your insulin levels will go through the roof! And a high concentration of insulin can then cause levels of a substance called SHBG to decrease. SHBG helps bind (lock up) testosterone in the blood and, therein, reduce DHT production.
So, straight away, it's easy to see how sugar can be detrimental to hair growth.
But that's not all…
When carbohydrates are fully digested, they form simple sugars which get released into the blood. Refined grains (like white rice and white flour) will get digested much quicker than unrefined grains (e.g., brown rice and wholegrain flour). This means that refined grains will also raise insulin levels much faster and higher as well.
If you consume more calories than your body needs, it can convert any excess into saturated fat and form LDL cholesterol. And, as explained in "Fats" above, this can be bad news for your hair!
Finally, if you keep consuming junk food in excess, you could eventually develop diabetes (a condition that has been linked to androgenetic alopecia).
So, there's plenty of information there for you to chew over. And plenty of good reasons why you should start eating healthy food if you're not already doing so.
Summary - Recipe for hair growth success?
If you consume plenty of Omega 3 from oily fish (perhaps salmon three or four times/week) and cut right down on the junk food (including sugar, refined grains and saturated fat) then you will help both your hair and your health in general. Olive oil (which does not increase cholesterol levels) can be used as a substitute for butter, and flax seed (linseed), pumpkin seeds and walnuts can provide some Omega 3 for vegetarians.
There's no doubt that the excess consumption of saturated fats and sugars can hinder hair growth - by increasing DHT production, saturated fats will accelerate the skull expansion and hair loss process.
It's all good food for thought!
Bon appetit!
You can learn more about the link between insulin and hair loss here:
http://www.top-hair-loss-remedy.com/hair-loss.html#hormones-and-skull-expansion
Note: if your email provider does not support html, just copy and paste the link above into your browser address bar.
Next issue: Alliums – What are they? And how do they help hair grow?
See you next week,
Paul Taylor
P.S. This newsletter runs in a continuous sequence. This means that any issue you might have missed will cycle back round again in about 15 weeks.
Copyright © Paul Taylor 2011
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