By Renee Adair
Good nutrition is vital for your body as a whole including your hair. Your hair follicles produce new cells faster than any other part of your body, so taking adequate amounts of vitamins, proteins and minerals is essential for normal hair growth and healthy hair. A vitamin deficiency can cause hair loss. Unfortunately, a beautiful head of hair is not considered to be a survival necessity by your body which makes it first on the list of functions your body will eliminate in order to deliver nutrition to the more vital parts. Since your hair demands a high concentration of nutrition and at the same time is low on the scale of physiological priority, this means that your hair is extremely sensitive to your general health and eating habits.
Of course, the easiest way to ensure adequate nutrition for your hair is to properly nourish and maintain the health of your entire body. Eating a balanced diet which includes protein, vitamins and minerals in the correct proportions will help to ensure that your hair loss is not caused by a vitamin deficiency. During periods of stress or at times when your diet does not adequately provide enough nutrients for your hair, vitamins and mineral supplements are available as a way to supplement your food and provide nourishment to your body as well as your hair.
Which vitamins and nutrients are essential to hair growth and healthy hair? Protein is the most important since the hair is made of protein keratin. Adequate levels of protein are required to maintain normal production of hair, but taking an excessive amount of protein will not help your hair to grow. Instead, your body will use the excess protein to supply organs that are vital to your body before it will supply any nutrition to your hair. Your hair will accept only what it needs but no more.
Vitamins are complex organic substances essential to sustaining human life. Organic substances occur naturally in plants and animals. Vitamin A, the B-complex family of vitamins, and vitamin C are essential to hair production and health, but taking too much of these vitamins can exacerbate your hair loss condition and cause more problems with the health of your hair. Vitamin A is essential to prevent blockage of the hair follicle, but too much of this vitamin can also cause hair loss. Deficiency of any of the family of B vitamins can result in dandruff problems and lack of pigment, as well as other hair and scalp problems. Lack of riboflavin or vitamin B-2 may cause the sebaceous glands to become enlarged causing more damage to the hair follicles. Lack of Vitamin C can cause patchy hair loss resulting from a lack of blood flow to the capillaries that supply blood to hair follicles.
Minerals in trace amounts are essential to the health of the human body, including the hair. Minerals are inorganic and are found in rocks and soil as well as in all living organisms. Iron is the mineral necessary to transport oxygen throughout the body, but is often deficient in the average persons diet. A severe shortage of iron or the inability to assimilate iron will result in anemia, which will cause a slowing of hair growth. Sulphur is involved in the chemical bonding of the hair and gives the hair protein its strength. Inadequate amounts of sulphur will weaken the hair strands. Copper compounds aid in forming keratin which gives the hair its texture. Copper also helps to manufacture pigments which produce color in the hair. Zinc is necessary for keratin synthesis, as are calcium, chromium, cobalt, molybdenum, nickel and selenium.
Good nutrition is vital for your body as a whole including your hair. Your hair follicles produce new cells faster than any other part of your body, so taking adequate amounts of vitamins, proteins and minerals is essential for normal hair growth and healthy hair. A vitamin deficiency can cause hair loss. Unfortunately, a beautiful head of hair is not considered to be a survival necessity by your body which makes it first on the list of functions your body will eliminate in order to deliver nutrition to the more vital parts. Since your hair demands a high concentration of nutrition and at the same time is low on the scale of physiological priority, this means that your hair is extremely sensitive to your general health and eating habits.
Of course, the easiest way to ensure adequate nutrition for your hair is to properly nourish and maintain the health of your entire body. Eating a balanced diet which includes protein, vitamins and minerals in the correct proportions will help to ensure that your hair loss is not caused by a vitamin deficiency. During periods of stress or at times when your diet does not adequately provide enough nutrients for your hair, vitamins and mineral supplements are available as a way to supplement your food and provide nourishment to your body as well as your hair.
Which vitamins and nutrients are essential to hair growth and healthy hair? Protein is the most important since the hair is made of protein keratin. Adequate levels of protein are required to maintain normal production of hair, but taking an excessive amount of protein will not help your hair to grow. Instead, your body will use the excess protein to supply organs that are vital to your body before it will supply any nutrition to your hair. Your hair will accept only what it needs but no more.
Vitamins are complex organic substances essential to sustaining human life. Organic substances occur naturally in plants and animals. Vitamin A, the B-complex family of vitamins, and vitamin C are essential to hair production and health, but taking too much of these vitamins can exacerbate your hair loss condition and cause more problems with the health of your hair. Vitamin A is essential to prevent blockage of the hair follicle, but too much of this vitamin can also cause hair loss. Deficiency of any of the family of B vitamins can result in dandruff problems and lack of pigment, as well as other hair and scalp problems. Lack of riboflavin or vitamin B-2 may cause the sebaceous glands to become enlarged causing more damage to the hair follicles. Lack of Vitamin C can cause patchy hair loss resulting from a lack of blood flow to the capillaries that supply blood to hair follicles.
Minerals in trace amounts are essential to the health of the human body, including the hair. Minerals are inorganic and are found in rocks and soil as well as in all living organisms. Iron is the mineral necessary to transport oxygen throughout the body, but is often deficient in the average persons diet. A severe shortage of iron or the inability to assimilate iron will result in anemia, which will cause a slowing of hair growth. Sulphur is involved in the chemical bonding of the hair and gives the hair protein its strength. Inadequate amounts of sulphur will weaken the hair strands. Copper compounds aid in forming keratin which gives the hair its texture. Copper also helps to manufacture pigments which produce color in the hair. Zinc is necessary for keratin synthesis, as are calcium, chromium, cobalt, molybdenum, nickel and selenium.
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