How Sugar Affects Hair Quality
Sugar affects hair quality and our hair plays a paramount role in enhancing our physical appearances and also protecting us. We all love the beautiful and well-groomed hair. Don’t we?
For this reason, a lot of people invest lots of money in grooming their hair. They do so by trying hard to get the best quality hair products such as conditioners, shampoos, and hair treatments. Therefore, many people are not even aware that their diet plays a great role in determining the quality of their hair.
The quantity of sugar in one’s body can actually influence the quality of his or her hair. This relationship, after all, is inversely proportional because the more sugar one consumes, the more he or she loses hair. According to research by an iconic Finnish study in the year 2000, people who are more resistant to insulin were more likely to lose their hair. Other studies have also produced similar results that correlate with the fact that what you eat can determine whether or not you will lose your hair.
Scientific findings on sugar and Hair loss
Results from a study conducted by a Finnish researcher in the year 2000 reveals that men who were suffering health issues associated with excess sugar such as high blood pressure, obesity and insulin resistance had higher chances of becoming bald. It, therefore, implies that one’s diet, specifically unhealthy foods that consists of much sugar can cause hair loss.
Similarly, in the year 2003, a group of researchers, still in Finland decided to examine women with hair loss to determine if sugar also affects their hair quality. Lo and behold, their results revealed that women who had a high resistance to insulin are apparently at greater risk of developing a hair loss condition known as Androgenic Alopecia (AGA).
More so, results of three separate studies in 2009 from Taiwan, Turkey, and Mexico equally correlates the fact that men with insulin resistance are more likely to be bald. Nonetheless, according to all three studies, it was discovered that carbohydrates and sugar were the greatest factors that contributed to insulin resistance in both men and women.
Scientific facts backing sugar and hair loss link
Science hasn’t yet given a clear reason why diets which are very rich in sugar and carbohydrates are capable of causing hair loss or baldness in both men and women. Researchers even went ahead to determine if one could reverse balding through healthy eating but the results revealed that other factors equally have to come into play to achieve that.
In as much as there is no evidence that healthy eating can reverse balding, there is proof that healthy eating can stop further hair loss. This assertion was supported by Karsten Anderson’s research in 1928. Findings from the explorer’s study which examined the role carbohydrates and sugars play in balding revealed that avoiding sugars and carbohydrates could stop further balding. Karsten himself was part of the experiment, and although he was balding
before the start of the research, he didn’t lose any extra hair by the time the study was concluded after eating meat solely for a long period.
Another school of thought that demonstrates the link between hair loss and sugar is the absence of protein, essential minerals and vitamins that are essential for the proper growth of hair in sugar concentrated diets. Such vitamins and minerals include Vitamin E, D, iron, copper, magnesium, and selenium, etc. Excess sugar in the body is an indication that you lack vital minerals and vitamins. The reason is simply explained by the fact that, proteins, vitamins, and minerals are not present in sugar concentrated diets.
Some theories also have it that what people eat affect their hormone levels. Thus, diets which are high in sugars, carbohydrates as well as other inflammatory causing foods may result in hormonal imbalances that may prevent hair from growing as it should be.
More so, high levels of DHT contributes to hair loss. DHT is actually a harsher form of testosterone that is responsible for the development of pubic hair. This same hormone is responsible for puberty in boys and the enlargement of the prostate in older men. High levels of DTH contributes to hair loss because unhealthy diets high in sugars and chemicals while lacking certain vital nutrients makes it difficult for the body to control the production of DTH.
Some symptoms of sugar-related hair loss
We will simply highlight some symptoms of sugar related hair loss so that you can be on the watch once you notice any of them. They include but are not limited to the following points;
- Premature and sudden change of hair color to white or gray
- Hair starts falling in the androgenic pattern typically starts with hair
thinning at the top of the hair or along the hair line. - Hair strands becoming thinner
- Hair breakage from the roots
How to prevent sugar related hair loss
Your hair can indicate and determine your overall quality of health. As we have seen above, hair loss is not necessarily a sign of aging, but it’s sometimes a sign of health problems associated with the quality of one’s diet. Of course, your diet is a function of your lifestyle and choice too, and that’s why there are steps to take to prevent sugar related hair loss. Remember that you are what you eat, thus, if you want to avoid balding, then you have to take certain precautions. Now, let’s look at some of the things you need to do to stop or
prevent sugar related hair loss.
1.) Limit your intake of sugar – If you are already suffering from any of the sugar related hair loss symptoms we earlier discussed, then you should consider limiting your intake sugars such as all forms of glucose, fructose, dextrose, and sucrose. You can do so by avoiding sugary foods and equally restricting the amount of natural sugars you consume in
fruits. For instance, you can limit yourself to two small fruits a day or a glass of fruit juice. By controlling the quantity of sugar you consume, you avoid provoking insulin-related elements in your blood sugar that are capable of causing hair loss.
2.) Avoid junk foods – Most junk foods contain a lot of sugar and carbohydrates which research has proven to be disastrous to hair. However, protein, on the other hand, nourishes
hair and enhances its quality. Thus, to protect sugar related hair loss, you should diss junk foods and instead replace them with healthy protein from various organic sources. Natural proteins can be obtained from vegetables, almond, non-oily fish and hemp seeds, etc.
3.) Do not eat a lot of high glycerin foods – High glycerin foods are food substances that are converted to sugars once they hit your digestive system. High glycerin foods are therefore mostly starchy foods such as rice, potatoes as well as certain refined grains. Thus, you should avoid them since they end up converting to sugar which has been known to cause
balding as well as Androgenic Alopecia.
4.) Consume fats with omega 3 oils – Fats that contain omega 3 oils are healthy and essential for hair growth. The reason is that these healthy fats give hair its tensile strength. Common sources of omega 3 oils are olive oil, coconut oil as well as fish oils like cod liver oil.
5.) Consider bio-identical hormone therapy – If you are a woman, you may consider undergoing bio-identical hormone therapy. This therapy is simply a treatment that involves supplementing your hormones. Of course, you need to consult your doctor first before starting it since it’s administered by physicians and naturopaths.
6.) Blocking DTH – We had already seen earlier that DTH is a harsher and stronger form of testosterone that causes hair loss. It causes hair loss by removing hair from the top of the head and replacing it in other parts of the body. This explains why many older people have less hair on their head but more body hair. However, DTH can be blocked by taking a variety of supplements such as green tea, phytosterol and saw palmetto.
7.) Consume enough vitamins – Research has revealed that certain vitamins such as iron, copper, selenium, vitamin E, vitamin D, and magnesium are essential for hair growth. You,
therefore, need to choose foods that are high in these vitamins to strengthen your hair. Thus, you have to eat a lot of vegetables such as spinach, as well as almonds, lobsters, etc.
Habits that contribute to sugar related hair loss
Although many studies have revealed that sugar and insulin resistance triggers
balding and hair loss, the same researchers also agreed that there were other
contributing factors to hair loss in addition to sugar. The following conditions
or items can also trigger hair loss.
- You are eating unhealthily by consuming mostly diets that are rich
in carbohydrates and sugars - You are an alcohol addict
- You are suffering from either obesity, overweight or type 1 of type
2 diabetes - You consume coffee a lot
- You are suffering from dandruff
- You go through a lot of stress
