Ali, a healthy 22-year-old, has everything going for him. He is handsome with thick dark brown hair, well-built, bright, hard-working and an achiever.
At one point, he became so challenged by his work that he pushed things too far. He dropped his daily exercise program and gradually began omitting meals; in other words he neglected his health. He lost weight quickly which was obvious to everyone except himself. Because he had no body fat to shed, in eight weeks he lost the bulk of the muscles he had built over the previous years. He became weaker and lost energy and appetite as well as his zest for life. What shocked him — and pushed him into taking action — was his hair beginning to fall out. Luckily this alarmed him enough to consult a physician who prescribed protein, multivitamins, essential fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6), and a balanced diet and lifestyle to supplement his deficiencies. The doctor strongly advised stress reduction, describing the condition as stress shock induced by malnutrition.
Yes, stress and malnutrition do affect your mental and physical health in many ways. Stress is a factor that promotes hair loss. Excessive worry and anxiety affect the blood-production function, resulting in nutrient malabsorption.
Apart from falling and graying hair, worrying accelerates the ageing process by damaging the pancreas and its enzymatic production. With poor nutrient assimilation, the blood becomes weaker and so does the body’s nutrient distribution. As a result of a weakened condition, cell regeneration is impeded, leading to early ageing. So the more you worry and fret about your hair or anything else, the more likely you are to lose hair. To find a solution, examine your daily diet for quality rather than quantity.
Insufficient protein in the body leads to body tissue deterioration, weak muscles and a drop in energy in addition to hair loss. It also contributes to a decline in mental concentration and emotional instability. Of course the immune responses begin to suffer too, resulting in infections and allergic reactions.
Because polyunsaturated oils contain essential fatty acids such as omega-3 and omega-6, they promote mental and physical health in addition to thick hair and youthful skin. An imbalance in these fatty acids can lead to dry hair, scaly skin and brittle nails as well as liver problems, a tendency to infection, inflammation, infertility, irritability and even retarded growth. Essential fatty acids are available in cold pressed oils of nuts (walnut, almond, pine) and seeds (pumpkin, flax, sesame). These oils should not be heated excessively as they will easily become rancid and harmful to health. Thus it is better not to expose polyunsaturated oils to heat, oxygen and light as they can easily become damaged. On the other hand, whole nuts and seeds have a longer shelf life, but they should be eaten in small quantities as they are very fatty and are difficult to digest.
Sometimes insufficient calcium absorption, due to an inadequate body supply of supporting minerals (magnesium) and vitamin D (sunshine), can lead to unusual hair loss. A wholesome diet should contain calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, copper, selenium, iodine, chromium, boron, silicon, other minerals and vitamins which are available in chlorophyll (leafy greens, wheat grass), grains, legumes, and seaweeds (hijiki, wakame). The daily consumption of any of the kelp family, hijiki, arame, or wakame contributes to the growth of glossy hair, a clear complexion and wrinkle-free skin.
Meanwhile, you should keep away from excess sugar and stimulants (coffee, tea, chocolate) as they aggravate hair loss. Indulgence in sweet food and drink increases acidity in the blood, destroys the B vitamins and depletes the body of minerals, resulting in many health disorders including the falling out of hair.
It is important to remember that your hair is part of your body, and in order to regain thick shiny hair and prevent future hair loss, review your lifestyle, including a healthy diet, daily activity and stress reduction. This is something Ali overlooked when he became too involved in his work. The best nutrition should contain the nutrients mentioned above plus plenty of water to ensure the proper functioning of all your body organs, not only your hair.
A tip for those of you who have a problem with premature gray hair, Chinese medicine recommends eating black sesame seeds. It should be eaten in moderation due its high laxative properties. The fruit, mulberry (toot in Arabic), which is used as a tonic to treat blood deficiency, is also effective for prematurely graying hair. There is no harm in including both in your diet and each is full of nutrients.
(Mariam Alireza is a holistic science specialist. Send comments to [email protected].)
