Hair Health
Normal, healthy hair goes through a natural growth and loss cycle. As this cycle occurs, most people lose about 50 to 100 hairs a day. If you are losing significantly more strands than this — which is often apparent by hair coming out in the shower or being left in your hairbrush — the health of your hair may be suffering. While there are several possible causes of hair loss, experts state that hair is strongly influenced by nutrition. Thus, you can experience excessive shedding if you have certain nutrient deficiencies.
B Vitamins and Hair
The B vitamins — commonly called B complex vitamins — are integral to healthy, strong hair. Because the body cannot store or manufacture B vitamins, they all must be obtained via diet or supplements, including B6. Vitamin B6 is found in chicken, turkey, tuna, salmon, shrimp, milk and cheese, among other foods. Plant-based dietary sources of B6 include lentils, spinach, brown rice, sunflower seeds, wheat flour and carrots. Vitamin B6 is also available in multivitamins and in separate B vitamin supplements.
Zinc and Hair
Zinc is another nutrient that helps maintain healthy hair. If your diet is deficient of zinc, you may lose excessive hair and notice that the hair you keep is duller and more difficult to control. Like vitamin B6, zinc can be obtained in many animal foods, such as meat, poultry, cheese and seafood. Vegetarian sources of protein include whole grains, legumes, sunflower seeds and pumpkin.
Recommendations
If you suffer from excessive hair loss, consult your physician for evaluation and advice. Certain health conditions other than B6 and zinc deficiencies — such as thyroid disorder, extreme weight loss and hormone imbalances — can contribute to hair loss. Your physician may want to rule out these other potential causes before discussing nutrient supplementation or a better diet as a way to combat hair loss. Before trying any vitamin or mineral supplement for hair loss, obtain your doctor’s approval.
