Foods that Cause Hair Loss: A Guide to Eating for Healthier Hair
You are what you eat.
Not only does that apply to your body, but your hair too.
Yes. There are some foods that can affect your invaluable hair follicles and those beautiful and shiny hair locks.
After genetics, Nutrient deficiency is the most common cause of hair loss.
A 2020 study shows that people suffering from hair fall have low serum Ferritin and Vitamin D levels.
Healthy hair is a standard benchmark of your overall body health, and it can be pretty distressing to see your hair everywhere.
Keep reading to learn more about the foods that cause hair loss.
Foods That Cause Hair Loss
The food you eat may damage or do wonders for your hair.
We always overlook what we put in our mouths, and hair has to pay the price.
If you feel your hair is thinning, here are the foods you must avoid.
Dairy
We have always heard that dairy products are a great source of protein and are good for our health.
To some extent, it is true.
However, it is important to note that dairy products have a considerable amount of fat.
This fat increases testosterone levels in the body, which is then converted into Dihydrotestosterone, responsible for hair loss.
Carbonated drinks
The most consumed beverage around the globe is carbonated drink.
Recent studies have shown that carbonated drink interacts with Insulin in your body, making it less responsive to sugar.
This leads to high sugar levels in the bloodstream affecting blood circulation.
Additionally, this lowers your nutrient supply to hair follicles resulting in hair loss.
Greasy food
While your body certainly does not agree with greasy food, your hair also has some adverse effects from consuming a high-fat food.
Your scalp releases an oily substance that keeps your hair moisturized.
Due to excessive greasy food consumption, that substance also becomes greasy and makes your hair oily.
This affects your hair follicle growth and results in hair fall.
Fish
Fishes like swordfish and certain types of tuna are excellent sources of protein.
But these are also rich in Mercury, one of the most common reasons for thinning hair.
Unlike Mercury, Zinc is beneficial for hair growth.
Mercury interacts with it causing Zinc deficiency.
Zinc deficiency causes hair to thin and makes it brittle.
Sugar
There is no denying that everyone loves to have desserts after a good meal.
Now it is true that sugar intake is important, but only to some extent.
High sugar level causes poor blood circulation, which makes it hard for your body to send blood all the way up to hair follicles.
Additionally, nutrients in your blood can not reach your scalp, causing more damage to your hair.
Food allergies causing hair loss
Food allergies can affect people in many different ways, hair loss being a potential effect.
Several food allergies can lead to a hormonal and nutrient imbalance that results in thinning of hair.
One such food allergy is the allergy to nuts, especially peanuts.
Now it does not affect some people who have a severe allergic reaction to nuts and need medical attention right away.
There is a possibility that you are allergic to nuts but are not aware of them.
This happens if you have a delayed allergic reaction.
During this reaction, your body increases your immune response causing scalp inflammation.
This can lead to constricted blood flow to your scalp, leading to hair loss.
Besides nuts, chocolate, shellfish, and wheat can also cause delayed allergic reactions.
Thus, if you are experiencing hair thinning, consider speaking to your doctor to get allergy tests.
What diet causes hair loss
Although genetics is the primary factor causing hair fall, Nutrient deficiency also contributes to reduced hair health.
Since there are approximately 100,000 hair follicles on the head and 90% of those are in a growing phase, they need all the nutrients they can get to grow.
But given the nature of restrictive or extreme diets that cut down the entire food groups, it results in nutrient deficiency responsible for hair loss.
Keep reading to learn more about those diets that may cause protein, vitamin, and mineral deficiency.
Crash diet
A crash diet is a short-time period diet for rapid weight loss.
It restricts the intake of Carbohydrates to extremely low levels and has an imbalanced nutrient composition.
Besides the several health risks, nutrient deficiency due to a crash diet is the most concerning side effect.
Since our hair system responds very quickly to body changes, reduced nutrients may cause Telogen Effluvium.
This link between nutrient deficiency and hair loss has been studied and documented.
Restrictive diet
A restrictive diet makes you cut down the entire food group from your diet for a more extended period.
Not only do you eat less during the diet, but you also do not get the required nutrients for weeks.
From scientific studies and examinations, it has been proved that Nutrients like Zinc, Iron, Vitamins, and Biotin play an important role in keeping hair follicles from damaging.
Thus, their deficiency can lead to Telogen Effluvium, a type of hair loss.
But the good thing is Telogen Effluvium is reversible if you start taking the proper diet with the required nutrients, and your hair may grow back.
To know more about hair loss treatments, read A Complete Guide to Vitamins for Hair Loss and Hair Health.
In last words
In conclusion, it is essential to keep note of what we are eating and if it is affecting our body in some way.
Speak with your doctor about your diet and if you are experiencing a noticeable hair fall.
As mentioned in the article, some food allergies you might not know about may damage your hair.
So it is recommended you take allergy tests or talk with your doctor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
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