Proper Diet Is Important to Combat Stress and Stop Hair Thinning




Too much stress, both physical and emotional, is linked to hair loss. Since our modern lifestyles do not really promote tranquility, learning how to manage stress is an important part of staying healthy and preventing premature aging, including such unpleasant manifestation of it as wrinkled skin, greying hair and baldness. Stress can be successfully combated by applying simple measures of relaxation – balancing your work with rest, getting enough sleep, engaging in yoga and meditation practices, listening to calming music, pampering yourself with an occasional massage and herbal bath, or taking regular walks in a natural environment. However, adopting a proper, nutrient-rich diet can be your best defence against tension, depression, mood swings, and other stress-induced conditions and diseases, including hair thinning.


A big contributor to stress in our culture is an overconsumption of caffeinated beverages, including coffee and coke. Someone who drinks daily about three to four cups of coffee, or other caffeine-containing beverages, is severely over-stimulating his or her nervous system, which can lead to insomnia, agitation, irregular heartbeat, constant tension and other unpleasant symptoms. Since caffeine is not only a potent stimulant but also a very addictive substance, many people find it hard to quit consuming caffeinated beverages. However, those prone to nervousness, depression, unstable blood sugar, overactive adrenal gland, moodiness and excessive hair shedding should try to limit, or quit altogether, their consumption of coffee and similar drinks, including strong tea. Avoiding additional stimulants can become your first important step to normalize the work of the nervous system. Good alternatives to caffeinated beverages are herbal teas, such as chamomile, lemon balm or hibiscus; traditional lacto-fermented beverages made from grains and dairy, such as kvass, yogurt drinks, kefir, or home-fermented ginger ale; an occasional glass of health-promoting red wine; or just old-fashioned plain water, filtered or mineral, with a squeeze of lemon or with some amounts of other fruit juice added. Calming, nutrient-dense beverages will contribute not only to your overall health but also to great looks of your hair!

Certain minerals, especially zinc, sulphur and iron, play a key role in ample hair growth and in keeping your skin and hair well-nourished and disease-resistant. Zink and iron deficiencies are particularly linked to poor, thinning hair. Most important minerals can be found in fresh animal products, especially red meats, egg yolks, ocean-caught fish, fish eggs and animal organs, such as liver and heart. Various “fortified” products, as well as mineral supplements, mostly contain synthetic or inorganic ingredients, which are hard to absorb and which are even linked to adverse effects. Therefore, it is best to derive your nutrients from natural food sources.

For proper mineral absorption, your diet should also include plenty of good-quality, traditional fats, such as natural butter, lard, coconut oil, or cold-pressed olive oil. They would also provide you with naturally-occurring fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, which play a vital role in supporting a growth of thick, healthy hair.

It is estimated that roughly half of all middle-aged women living in the industrialized world – the category which is most prone to hair loss – are deficient in iron, zinc, iodine and vitamins D and A. Therefore, it would be a good idea to watch your daily nutrient intake and ensure that you eat adequate amounts of fresh animal products. To meet your protein, vitamin and mineral requirements, the diet should be rich in traditional foods, including butter, eggs, meats and fish. About a half-pound of animal protein with the fat attached is a bare daily minimum. Try to eat chicken or beef liver, as well as traditional bone broths that are full of easily absorbed minerals and electrolytes, at least once a week.

Sufficient levels of iodine, another important trace mineral that is involved in supporting healthy-looking, rich hair, can be derived from unrefined sea salt, especially Celtic sea salt, small amounts of kelp, and seafood of all sort, including clams, shrimps and deep-water fish. An inadequate dietary supply of iodine can trigger hypothyroidism – a condition associated with hair loss, weight gain, chills, lack of energy, and depression.

For those who believe that even a healthy diet should be supported with additional supplements, we can recommend Nourkrin – a side-effect free, new “hair beauty” pill that features vitamin C, silica and protein-rich marine extracts. Although an expensive supplement, it can be helpful for boosting hair heath in those whose nutrition is deficient in these important compounds. A six-month long clinical trial has shown that Nourkrin helped restore hair density in some subjects better than many patented medications, including Finasteride.

Lada Brown

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Posted on June 11, 2008 
Filed Under Hair Loss, Hair Loss Treatments

Comments

2 Responses to “Proper Diet Is Important to Combat Stress and Stop Hair Thinning”

  1. robnutrients on June 12th, 2008 4:28 pm

    If you take the fruits and green vegetables then your hair fall will be reduce. Fruits take which is having the vitamins A, D, E and K these very helpful. Thank you for giving this information.

  2. superlada on June 13th, 2008 1:16 am

    Unfortunately, a diet high in fruits will not supply your hair follicles with sufficient amounts of nutrients. Preformed vitamin A is contained ONLY in rich animal products, such as liver, natural butter, or egg yolks. Vitamin D you won’t find in fruits or veggies, either. To obtain sufficient quantities of this vitamin from food sources, you have to eat herring, eggs and lard, or supplement with cod liver oil. Vitamin E is most plentiful in nuts and seeds, such as almonds or hazelnuts, as well as in extra-virgin olive oil. Vitamin K, especially its most important form K2, is found in red and black caviar, natto and aged cheeses.

    Lada Brown

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