Because of its rapid growth, hair is very sensitive to internal or external changes that may affect our body.

Hair loss is often the first indicator to a developing internal disturbance.

Often the growth & condition of our hair is directly affected by what we eat or almost more importantly don’t eat.

Thinning hair may indicate the onset of a disorder such as diabetes or a thyroid gland disturbance.

With low iron, zinc, vitamin C deficiency, the hair is very often dry, brittle and lacking body, this may also alter the texture and natural colour.

Let’s look at some of the important factors in improving the health of your scalp…

Iron

Trichologists have noted that a high percentage of the patients they see present with low iron levels. This may be due to a vegetarian diet with little iron-rich foods and a history of heavy periods,It may be worth while to find iron in a liquid form and ensure it is taken in combination with vitamin C to aid in the absorption.

Proteins account for about 97% of the structure of our hair, and 15-20% of our protein intake is utilised for skin and hair replacement. It is important to ensure that the average daily diet contains at least 30% protein in various forms.

Fussy eaters

Young children will often have only two or three types of food that they’ll readily eat, potentially leaving them vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies in other areas. Most kids seem to avoid things that are green, they may eat some fruit but the correct balance for healthy development is hard to enforce as food is so often used as a reward.

Research studies have shown that if we go more than four hours without eating, the energy levels to our hair follicles is decreased, and the formation of hair protein cells is affected.

What you need…

Zinc is an essential element required for a number of our body’s biochemical processes including the control of blood sugar levels and immune system function. A zinc deficiency may be caused by poor diet, absorption problems of the bowel, or the excessive use of alcohol or diuretics may interfere with zinc absorption. Low zinc will result in dry, brittle hair weak nails and some hair loss.

Chromium is essential for the maintenance of normal blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Diffuse hair loss, diabetes-like symptoms, and fatigue may indicate a lack of chromium. People whose dietary intake is high in processed foods will commonly be deficient in chromium.

Scaling, flaky scalps that are also red and itchy can be the result of a diet that has too much fat or sugar content. These conditions are usually aggravated by stress, smoking or excessive alcohol use.

Good food guide

It has been noted that the liver plays a pivotal role in healthy hair and skin so a good morning cleanser of hot water, a few drops of lemon juice & some ginger first thing upon rising will help to cleanse the system for the day.

Breakfast: The most crucial meal of the day for our hair as follicle energy levels are at their lowest point. Some form of “complete” protein such as meat eggs and milk all provide complete protein in varying quantities. Also fresh fruit will help to hydrate both the hair & skin. Some people substitute food with coffee which is a diuretic and may lead to a lowering of estrogen levels in women, whilst the tannin contained in tea is known to decrease nutritional iron status.

Lunch: often overlooked and never that regular but still no less important. What the body requires is consistent rhythm and skipping lunch or binging one day and starving the next will not help any thinning hair or problem scalp issues. Salads, easy to digest, foods like soups or canned fish will ensure plenty of energy to last through the afternoon.

​Dinner: We have got used the social conditioning that dinner represents getting together and celebrating or the bringing together of all the family at the dinner table. With the abundance or reality T.V. cooking shows, we are all hooked into this need to impress with at least 3 courses with wine to keep up appearances. What is better for the body is to eat lighter at night as this assists with better digestion, weight issues, obesity and heart conditions.

And so… ultimately the body, one way or another, whether it be our hair, our skin, the way we feel or changing body shape and condition will tell us when we need more or we need less food. The hair is an excellent barometer of our inner state so we must heed the early warning system it provides for us.