Healthy Diet and Hair Loss

Balanced diet is vital for healthy growth of hair follicles and hair shafts. Each hair shaft arises from a single hair follicle.



Base of the hair follicles contains bulb like structure, multiplication in the bulb pushes the cells upward that eventually come out the hair follicle in the form of hair shaft.

Thus, a hair is the result of gradual and continuous multiplication of hair cells. It is obvious and a matter of fact that replication of cells requires nutrients.

As a rule of thumb, replication of cells depends on the nutrients and cellular capacity to accommodate it. Each cell divides when the capacity of a cell exceeds the limit to accommodate extra food or nutritional ingredients.

Therefore, hair growth is a continuous chain of replication of hair cells and replication is made possible with the efficient amount of nutrients available for the cells.

As efficient supply of nutrients results in healthy growth and continuous replication of cells, lack of nutrients causes shrinkage of cells and hair follicles. Shrinkage of hair follicle is the leading cause of hair loss and baldness. If it is not treated initially, it may aggravate and lead to complete baldness.

Essential Dietary Substance for Healthy Follicular Growth:
Zinc, vitamin E, iron, protein are the essential and vital dietary substances. Zinc is considered as a building block taking part in healthy growth of hair. Lack of zinc can lead to complete baldness even though you are taking all dietary substances except zinc. Most doctors prescribe zinc as topical supplement that penetrates rapidly into the roots of hair shafts.

Vitamin E is an effective antioxidant that removes free radicals from the blood. Free radicals harm the body in two different ways, first they damage the epithelial tissues and second they react with nutrients before they are absorbed by the cells. Even though, you are taking all nutrients regularly, they will be damaged by free radicals. Thus, hair follicles are made up of epithelial cells, which are damaged and deprived of nutrients due to accumulation of hair follicles. Vitamin E is necessary for the removal and discharge of toxins and free radicals.

Iron is a building block of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin takes part in oxygen absorption for supplying to cells. Deficiency of iron is most common in pregnant and breast feeding women.

Proteins repair damaged tissues. Epithelial tissues usually regenerate or replace themselves after each two day period, but it depends upon the location of and environment of epithelial tissues that they encounter. Regular growth and repairing of epithelial cells require proteins.

Conclusion:
It is pertinent to say that your body is what you eat in your daily life. A balanced diet consists of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. Your body needs all these nutrients in proper amount.