Diet’s Impact on Hormones and Hair Loss
Diet’s Impact on Hormones and Hair Loss By: Forks Over Knives Can foods help you keep a healthy head of hair? It is a fascinating area of research—and one that is by no means finished. Let me share what we know. WHAT CAUSES HAIR LOSS? Common age-related hair loss is influenced by genes, of course. In some families, baldness runs up and down the family tree. But the process is entirely dependent on hormones, as was dramatically demonstrated by Yale University’s James B. Hamilton in 1942. Hamilton showed that men who, for whatever reason, had been castrated before puberty never lost their hair. Even if every last male in their family had gone bald, it did not happen to them. Without testosterone, the genes for hair loss did not express themselves. Hamilton also found that when men who were losing their hair were castrated (for medical reasons having nothing to do with hair loss), their hair loss suddenly stopped. If castrated men were then given supplemental testosterone, hair loss kicked in. If the testosterone treatments were stopped, hair loss stopped, too. Here is what is going on: In the hair follicles, testosterone is converted to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is the baldness trigger. In genetically susceptible individuals, it causes hair follicles to gradually shrink the size (length and diameter) of the hairs they produce until finally they stop producing hair altogether. Some parts of the scalp—especially the front and crown—are particularly sensitive to DHT, while others—the sides and back of the head—resist it. And on the face and chest, DHT has the opposite effect. It stimulates follicles to produce thick, curly hair. The conversion of testosterone to DHT can be blocked by finasteride, a drug marketed under the brand name Propecia. Rogaine (minoxidil) works differently. It is used topically to keep follicles functioning normally. FOODS AND HAIR RETENTION So, how do foods fit into this? For starters, researchers noticed that baldness was less common among Asians than in whites. But as Asian countries began to Westernize their diets, baldness was one of the conditions that appeared to be increasingly common. Japan is a case in point. As its diet became Westernized in the latter half of the 20th century, many aspects of health changed. Although most of the attention went to the massive rise in breast cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, dermatologists also noted that baldness became more common. The same phenomenon was observed in Korea. Doctors in a dermatology clinic found that baldness seemed to be striking earlier and more often. A traditional Asian diet is based mainly on plant-based foods, rather than meats and dairy products, and tends to be very modest in fat. A low-fat, plant-based diet encourages your body to build more SHBG—sex hormone–binding globulin. SHBG reins in testosterone and keeps it inactive until it is needed. That’s good. You will have more than enough testosterone for your daily needs, without the excesses that could affect your scalp. One more thing: In 2009, researchers compared 80 young men with progressive hair loss to 80 men without hair loss. The balding men were more likely to have insulin resistance. Other studies found the same thing: Insulin resistance is linked to hair loss in both men and women. This means that the cells of the body (especially the muscles and liver) have become unresponsive to insulin, as a result of the buildup of fat inside the cells. In turn, insulin resistance causes metabolic changes that affect your whole body. It can impair blood circulation to the follicles and contribute to the loss of the follicles’ ability to produce hair. This can happen to women, too. Women with polycystic ovary syndrome, in particular, have higher levels of testosterone than usual and often have insulin resistance. Many have thinning hair. There are other causes of hair loss, too. Thyroid disease and various medications can cause hair loss. KEEPING HEALTHY SKIN AND HAIR To maintain healthy skin and hair, I would encourage you to: Avoid animal products. Avoid adding oils in cooking, and favor oil-free foods at restaurants. Avoid oily foods (e.g., peanut butter, avocados) until you know how they affect you. Avoid added sugars. In anecdotal reports, for whatever reason, sugary foods seem to make hair lifeless. Have adequate protein from plant sources. Beans and bean products, such as tofu, tempeh, and soymilk, give you plenty of protein without the negatives of dairy products or meat. Anecdotally, some people have found that having extra plant protein helps keep their hair fuller. Have plenty of vegetables and fruits. Their antioxidants will help protect your skin. Protect your skin from excess sun exposure. Although hormone shifts can have profound effects on your skin and hair, a healthful diet can be powerful, too. See what healthful foods can do for how you look, in addition to how you feel. Eat right to Balance Hair Loss and Come in so We can Help Balance that Wonky Fade!
3 Unexpected Ways Meditation Can Give You Better Hair & Skin
3 Unexpected Ways Meditation Can Give You Better Hair & Skin By: DoYou I was shocked when my meditation teacher revealed her age. It was in a classroom full of dozens of people and out of her mouth came a number that was 15 years older than where I had placed her. There is no doubt that part of my misperception was due to her vibrant energy, but I have to admit, another part was purely due to her appearance. Her skin literally radiated. Aside from the crow’s feet around her eyes – indicative of the amount of time she spent smiling – the wrinkles you would have found on the faces of other women her age were absent. Her hair was dark, thick and shiny. She was over 60 years old. 1. Your Skin and Hair Respond to Your Levels of Stress. Anyone who has lived through puberty knows that when your hormones are out of balance, your skin will showcase this with vivid displays of acne, hives, dry flakes, and/or excessive irritation. Likewise, those who have lived through (or watched a loved one live through) pregnancy knows that drastic hormonal changes can also cause significant hair loss. Meditation studies show a significant positive impact on our endocrine systems. Specifically, the practice is effective for lowering levels of the stress-response hormone cortisol (in one study, after spending just four days practicing mindfulness meditation, the average participant’s level of cortisol had dropped by 20%). Additionally, “long-term” practice (defined in one particular study as 12 minutes a day for 8 weeks) reverses stress-related aging patterns by reducing triggers to the inflammatory genes associated with age-related wrinkle production. 2. Meditation Increases Circulation to Your Head. The better the blood flow in our heads, necks and faces, the better our skin and hair will appear. Improved circulation will carry higher levels of oxygen through our bloodstream to nourish our skin and hair cells. When circulation is strong, it is more capable of flushing cellular debris and ridding wastes from our bodies. One study showed that practicing meditation for 30 minutes a day for 5 days significantly increased cerebral blood flow in the left frontal lobes of participants. As an added bonus, increased activity (via increased blood flow) in this area also correlated with improved attention span, better ability to self-regulate emotions, and increased instances of positive moods. 3. When Your Breathing Improves, More Toxins Are Released in Your Breath than Through Sweating. Our bodies rid themselves of toxins in four ways: breathing, sweating, urination and defecation. I never realized, until I started practicing yogic breathwork (pranayama), just how central breathing was to this quartet. According to Gay Hendricks PhD, “The human body is designed to discharge 70% of its toxins through breathing.” Meditation improves our awareness of our own breath and slows down the rate at which we breathe, leading to deeper breaths. In fact, experienced meditators have been shown to have slower respiration rates outside of their meditation practice as well as during their practice. This slower breath rate leads to increased discharge of wastes through the respiratory cycle. You could argue that committing to a meditation practice for the sake of appearances misses the mark, and on the surface, it does. There are so many other reasons to explore meditation – spiritual growth, cultivating compassion for others, and refining your mental focus to name a few. But appearances play a role in revealing that there is something undeniably powerful about the practice of meditation. If having better skin and hair health is what motivates you to practice meditation, good on ya! You are stepping into a practice that will transform you on the outside, as well as the inside. Image credit: Andrea Taylor NOW THAT YOU KNOW, COME ON IN AND WE’LL LET YOU MEDITATE YOUR WAY THROUGH A HAIRCUT 🙂
Is Vegan Shampoo Better for Your Hair?
Is Vegan Shampoo Better for Your Hair? Vegan shampoo isn’t inherently better for your mane. Much like vegan food (newsflash: the KFC Quorn fillet burger is not a health food) it’s more to do with the priorities of the company who made it, use it and promote it. Though, if you buy from brand that uses natural ingredients, it’s going to leave your strands in better shape that a cheap mass market alternative. Although it isn’t true for all products (beware brands who are jumping on the vegan bandwagon without considering the rest of their ethics!), if you find a good vegan brand that genuinely cares about their product then it’s more likely to be better for your hair, because “it’ll contain natural ingredients that benefit the hair’s structure rather than just sitting on the surface or worse, coating the hair and making it dull”, says Karine Jackson, owner of a Vegan hair salon in London. Most cheap hair care products ultimately sit on the hair like mascara rather than fortifying the hair and scalp health. It may look alright, but over time it limits your hairs ability to absorb the good stuff. But, ultimately: ‘The main advantage of vegan hair care is the impact on the environment. What goes down the drain ends up in the ocean, therefore affecting sea life, as well as impacting the longevity of bees’ existence, which is detrimental to our eco system.’ Point being? Naturally-sourced ingredients, used by a consciously ethical vegan brand, are better for the planet than traditional formulas. Read More about Vegan Hair Products. And come into the Mug Shoppe to check out some of our vegan and natural products that can help with hair health and even hair growth, for those concerned with hair loss!