Many people don’t think much about the health of their hair — that is, until it starts thinning or shedding excessively. If you’re noticing a significant increase in the amount of hair strands lost (50–100) per day, you might take comfort in the fact that you are in good company: Hair loss affects about 35 million men and 21 million women in the United States alone.
This equates to two-thirds of the male population that will experience noticeable hair loss by the age of 35, and that number jumps to 85 per cent by the time they reach the age of 50.
Hair loss can occur for a variety of reasons. One permanent cause is genetics, but most people don’t realise that there are other causes and which may result to temporary or reversible types of hair loss. Temporary hair loss may be caused by extreme stress, severe illness or childbirth; but the cause that is most easily treatable is a change in diet.
Hair needs many vitamins and nutrients to stay healthy. Among them are protein, iron, omega-3 fatty acids, zinc and vitamin A, but not too much; excess vitamin A can actually cause hair loss, according to researchers.
If you think diet may be the cause of your hair-related woes, try adding some of these hair-healthy foods to your recipes:
• Beans – Great source of iron, zinc and biotin
• Almonds, pecans and cashews – Rich in zinc
• Dark leafy greens (such as spinach, broccoli and Swiss chard) – Contain vitamins A and C, which your body needs to produce sebum (to condition hair)
• Carrots – Another good source of vitamin A
• Walnuts and salmon – Both rich in omega-3 fatty acids
• Brazil nuts – High in selenium (promotes scalp health)
