Top Nutrients To Help Prevent Hair Loss

Hair loss is common in both men and women, and it is definitely unattractive and even embarrassing. While genetics plays the biggest role, there are many other contributing factors to why people lose hair, such as deficiency in some essential nutrient, hormonal imbalance, or underactive thyroid gland.

There are ways to treat this problem, but it all depends on the cause. Here are the most common reasons why one might be seeing less hair on their head.

1. Physical Stress

Any kind of physical stress, a car accident, a severe illness, or a surgery, can lead to temporary hair loss known as telogen effluvium.

2. Pregnancy

Pregnancy is one of those cases when a physical stress can cause hair loss. Pregnancy- related hair loss is more common after the delivery than during the actual pregnancy.

3. Too Much Vitamin A

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, overdoing medications or supplements that contain vitamin A can trigger hair loss.

4. Lack of Protein

Lack of protein in your diet may basically shut down hair growth, as reported by the American Academy of Dermatology.

5. Male Pattern Baldness

Two out of three men experience hair loss by the age of sixty due to the male pattern baldness, a combination of male sex hormones and genes.

6. Heredity

The female version of male pattern baldness is the andogenic alopecia. According to Dr. Glashofer, “If you come from a family where women started to have hair loss at a certain age, then you might be more prone to it.”

7. Anemia

One in ten women aged 20-49 suffers from anemia caused by an iron deficiency.  Hair loss is one of the most common side effects of this condition.

8. Vitamin B Deficiency

Low levels of vitamin B have been shown to be one of the leading causes of hair loss.  The good news is that this is one of those correctible causes, though.

As you can see, most of the causes are related to some nutrient deficiency.  This is not surprising at all, given that a wide range of essential vitamins and minerals are needed for the growth of a healthy hair.  Here are the nutrients your hair needs a continuous supply of to stay healthy and strong:

The hair is made up of 100 percent protein, so make sure you have enough protein in your diet to keep your hair healthy.  Lack of protein causes your hair to be brittle, weak, and dry. In some cases, it may result in hair loss, too.

Protein Rich Foods:  Turkey, fish, chicken, legumes, and nuts.

As already discussed earlier, hair loss is one of the major symptoms of anemia. When your iron levels are low, anemia develops, resulting in hair loss. Therefore, you need to eat plenty of iron-rich foods in order to prevent this problem.

Iron Rich Foods: Peas, beans, raisins, spinach, seafood, and apricots.

These fats keep both the hair and the scalp hydrated, which in turn keeps the hair strong, healthy, and beautiful.

Omega-3 Rich Foods: Pumpkin seeds, avocado, walnuts, herring, trout, mackerel, salmon, and sardines.

Zinc is known to affect the hormones in the body by promoting their balance, which in turn helps prevent hair loss. On the other hand, selenium regulates the thyroid, which regulates other hormones at the same time.

Zinc and Selenium Rich Foods: Beef, oysters, and whole grains.

Source: www.health.com