by Lisa Drayer
Obtain Your Omega-3s
Your body needs quality fats to grow hair, since about 3 percent of the shaft is made up of lipids. In addition, fats are needed to build the cell membranes in the skin of your scalp and for the natural oil that keeps your scalp and hair from drying out.
As you saw in the last chapter, a deficiency of essential fatty acids can cause problems like eczema and dermatitis.
BEAUTY MYTH
Mayonnaise Makes Hair Sleek and Glossy
You would think the ingredients in mayonnaise—including eggs, lemon juice, and oil—would help condition hair. However, applying mayonnaise directly to your hair is just a messy, smelly process that is not worth the unconfirmed benefits. No scientific evidence exists to justify using this sandwich staple for sleek hair; it just leaves your hair feeling heavy and is difficult to rinse out. Treating your hair with mayonnaise is effective only if you have head lice, since mayonnaise suffocates them. For healthy, shiny hair, consume a well-balanced diet that is high in omega-3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fats, found in nuts, avocados, and olive oil. Quality fats will help you maintain healthy, glowing skin and shiny, soft hair from the inside out—with no smelly, sticky residue!
These conditions can affect your scalp and give you dandruff. A lack of essential fatty acids can also make your hair dry, brittle, and slow growing.
You are probably getting enough omega-6 fatty acids in your diet already, but you may have what's called a subclinical deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids. Among my Top 10 Beauty Foods, salmon, walnuts, and spinach contain omega-3 fatty acids. Other sources include mackerel, herring, sardines, trout, flax, hemp seeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, soybeans, and whole grain products.
Water Is Wondrous for Hair
About 12 to 15 percent of hair is water. As you already know from Chapter 2, it's important to drink plenty of clean water for its beauty benefits and for the proper functioning of every system in the body. Every cell, and every hair follicle, needs water. Water is also needed to transport amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to your scalp, keeping the surface of the skin healthy.
Fiber for Toxin-Free Tresses
As you read in Chapter 1, dietary fiber helps make sure food moves through the intestinal tract in a timely manner. This prevents undigested food from hanging around in the intestines for too long, a problem that can prevent nutrients from being absorbed, leading to dull, dry hair.
Dietary fiber also plays a role in eliminating toxins from the body. When food does not exit the body quickly, toxins can build up in the gut. Some skin-care experts believe toxins contribute to scalp and hair problems. Toxins like heavy metals are absorbed into the hair and excreted, which is why hair analysis is used to look for mercury, aluminum, iron, copper, cadmium, lead, arsenic, and nickel.
To be on the safe side, aim for at least 20 to 25 grams of fiber each day. An added bonus is that fiber takes the edge off appetite, which helps you stay slim.
Valuable Vitamins for Strong, Shiny Strands
Many commercial vitamin and mineral preparations claim they will accelerate hair growth, make hair stronger and longer, help prevent hair loss, and so on. If you are eating a balanced diet, these products should not be necessary. In some cases they might even throw off the natural balance among the nutrients found in the food you eat. Following are some vitamins considered important to a healthy scalp and rich, luxuriant locks.
BETA-CAROTENE/VITAMIN A
Vitamin A plays a vital role in the growth and health of cells and tissues throughout the body, including the cells of the scalp and hair. A fat-soluble antioxidant, vitamin A also helps produce and protect the sebum (oil) in the scalp, and a deficiency can cause dandruff. Ironically, an excess of vitamin A (due to supplements) causes hair loss. My favorite way to get enough vitamin A is to consume plenty of beta-carotene, since the body can then synthesize all the vitamin A it needs. Among my Top 10 Beauty Foods, you'll find significant amounts of beta-carotene in sweet potatoes, spinach, kiwi, and tomatoes. You can also add beta-carotene to your diet with foods like pumpkin, carrots, chilies, mangoes, cantaloupe, and apricots. Among my Top 10 Beauty Foods, preformed vitamin A can be found in oysters, yogurt, and salmon. (For more information on vitamin A, see Chapter 7.)
VITAMIN B COMPLEX
Without vitamin B, hair growth slows and the hair shafts produced are weak and brittle. Some B vitamins are believed to help prevent hair loss, some are thought to assist with the production of keratin, and others are said to boost circulation to the scalp. Vitamin B6 helps create melanin, which gives hair its color. A major player in commercial hair products is biotin (B7), perhaps because a bona fide deficiency of this vitamin causes hair loss. On the other hand, studies have not demonstrated that people who already have adequate levels of biotin will benefit from ingesting even more. Some shampoos now contain biotin, but it is not certain this ingredient has any useful effect. Vitamins B6, B12, and folate (B9) all help to form red blood cells, which bring oxygen to the hair and allow it to grow at a healthy rate. As you have learned already, the B vitamins work together, so a deficiency of any one of them can affect the proper functioning of the whole group. Different foods have different amounts of each B vitamin, so eat a varied diet to obtain all of them. Among my Top 10 Beauty Foods, the best source of thiamine (B1) and biotin (B7) is walnuts, the best source of riboflavin (B2) and pantothenic acid (B5) is yogurt, the best source of niacin (B3) is wild salmon, the best source of folate (B9) is spinach, and the best source of cobalamin (B12)—which is available only from animal sources—is oysters. Spinach, walnuts, and salmon are all good sources of pyridoxine (B6).
BEAUTY MYTH
Lemon Juice Will Lighten Your Hair
True or false? This beauty myth is actually partly true. If you put lemon juice in your hair and stay inside, nothing will happen, even if you use a hair dryer. To get the lightening effect of lemons, work a generous amount of lemon juice into your hair, then go outside in the sun. The UV light will lighten your hair. When lemon juice is applied to your hair, the citric acid in the lemon juice opens up the cuticle. Once the cuticle is open, the hair becomes more sensitive to changes such as sunlight. The combination of the acid in the lemon juice, the oxygen in the air, and the UV rays from the sun results in a bleaching process. The lemon juice acts as a catalyst, so you will see your hair lighten faster. This reaction is called acid-catalyzed oxidation.
VITAMIN C
A nutrient superhero, vitamin C is essential to fabulous hair and a healthy scalp. It aids circulation to the skin and maintains the capillaries that support the hair follicles. If you are not eating abundant amounts of vitamin C–rich foods every day, you may not have enough to take care of your lovely locks. In fact, a deficiency of vitamin C can cause hair breakage. Among my Top 10 Beauty Foods, significant amounts of vitamin C are found in blueberries, kiwi, sweet potatoes, spinach, and tomatoes. Vitamin C is also found in foods like peppers, oranges, strawberries, lemons, and broccoli. (For more information on vitamin C, see Chapter 1.)
VITAMIN E
Because it is a fat-soluble antioxidant, vitamin E protects the scalp's natural oils. Vitamin E also works well with other antioxidants to protect lipid membranes. This vitamin has also been reported to improve scalp circulation. Among my Top 10 Beauty Foods, vitamin E can be found in blueberries, kiwifruit, spinach, tomatoes, and walnuts. Other good sources of vitamin E include wheat germ, sunflower seeds, safflower and sunflower oils, almonds, peaches, prunes, cabbage, asparagus, and avocados. (For more information on vitamin E, see Chapter 3.)
Must-Have Minerals for Lovely, Lustrous Locks
Good things come in small packages. If you've ever opened a blue gift box from Tiffany and Co., you know that a very big box is great . . . but a small box is better!
For fabulous hair, you need certain minerals in tiny amounts. These trace minerals affect everything from the growth rate of your hair to its color and texture—and the ideal way to obtain them is by eating
the variety of whole, natural foods included in my Beauty Diet.
IRON
Iron plays a role in hair health because it helps red blood cells carry oxygen to the hair follicles. While anemia is sometimes an undiagnosed cause of hair loss in women, even if you are not clinically anemic, you can experience hair loss simply from not getting enough iron in your diet. It has been well established that women with alopecia (hair loss and baldness) often have low levels of iron in their blood. For these women, supplementary iron helps hair growth. Iron deficiency can also leave you with lusterless, dry, brittle hair. Among my Top 10 Beauty Foods, the best sources of iron are oysters, spinach, and tomatoes. Other animal sources of iron include clams, lean beef, turkey, duck, lamb, chicken, pork, shrimp, and eggs. Good plant sources of iron include soybeans, lentils, beans, and bran. (For more information on iron, see the end of this chapter.) Plant foods contain nonheme iron, which is not as well absorbed as the heme iron in chicken, fish, and lean beef; however, you can enhance your body's ability to absorb nonheme iron by consuming vitamin C in the same meal.
BEYOND THE BEAUTY DIET
The Lifestyle for Lovely, Luxuriant Locks
Follow these guidelines for thick, gorgeous, captivating hair:
Get some exercise. Take some time to exercise daily, if only for a few minutes. Exercise improves the blood flow to your scalp, which hastens the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to hair follicles, which leads to healthier hair.
Avoid rapid weight loss. A harsh truth is that dieting can make your hair fall out! Crash diets often lack proper nutrition, and rapid weight loss in itself is a stress on the body and can also trigger metabolism changes that affect hair growth. If you lose more than 10 percent of your body weight over a couple of months (e.g., more than 15 pounds if you weighed 150), you can lose hair. Additionally, nutritional deficiencies can contribute to increased hair shedding by weakening hair shafts that cause breakage to the hair and slow regrowth.
Avoid low-protein diets. Hair is 97 percent protein. If you are vegan, make sure you are getting enough protein. Diets that are based on eating mostly rice or mostly fruits do not provide enough protein for beautiful hair.
If you smoke, quit now. Smoking creates free radicals, fills your blood with toxins, and interferes with your body's ability to deliver fresh nutrients to your scalp and hair follicles.
Don't stress! Stress is closely linked to hair loss. Chronic stress interferes with abundant blood circulation in the scalp, which restricts the amount of oxygen and nutrients that reaches your hair follicles. Severe stress—either physical or emotional—causes large numbers of hairs to stop growing and to shift into a resting phase. Two to three months later, all the resting hairs begin falling out. The good news is that eventually this hair grows back.
COPPER
In addition to playing a role in the structure of hair shafts, copper is important to the color of your hair. Because copper is essential to the formation of hemoglobin, it also is involved in bringing oxygen to your hair follicles. If you follow my Beauty Diet, you will not need to worry about your copper intake. A deficiency usually comes either from genetic problems or from taking zinc supplements, which can inhibit the absorption of copper in the body.
SELENIUM
Any discussion of healthy hair has to include selenium, because this trace mineral is important to the scalp. Selenium helps keep skin supple and elastic by preventing cellular damage from free radicals. Ironically, too much selenium (selenosis) can cause hair loss. Among my Top 10 Beauty Foods, you'll find significant amounts of selenium in salmon and oysters. Brazil nuts are an extraordinarily good source of selenium. Other selenium-rich foods include tuna, crab, whole wheat bread, wheat germ, garlic, eggs, and brown rice. (For more information on selenium, see Chapter 2.)
SILICON
This element is found in abundance in our environment, although as we continue to deplete minerals from the soil, our consumption of silicon has declined. In the human body, silicon is found in high concentrations in skin and hair. It is important to the health of your scalp, plus it helps strengthen your hair. High-fiber diets contain lots of silicon, which is widely distributed in whole grains. Silicon is also found in bananas, root vegetables, rice, soybeans, and many other foods.
SULFUR
This trace mineral matters because it is present in cysteine, an amino acid that is crucial to hair growth. This means sulfur helps your body create longer, stronger hair. Sulfur is readily available in a wide variety foods, including eggs, meat, fish, dairy products, onions, and garlic.
ZINC
We know zinc is important to terrific tresses and a healthy scalp because low levels of zinc can cause hair loss and even a loss of eyelashes. A zinc deficiency can also cause the scalp to become dry and flaky. As an antioxidant, zinc helps guard against free-radical damage to your scalp (and elsewhere). Many people are deficient in zinc, but taking zinc supplements can throw off your body's natural balance between zinc and copper. Among my Top 10 Beauty Foods, oysters are an extraordinarily good source of zinc, and yogurt is also helpful. Other foods that contain zinc include seafood, beef, lamb, eggs, whole grains, and nuts. (For more information on zinc, see Chapter 3.)
Nutritional Strategies for Taming Dull, Dry, Brittle, Frizzy Hair
If you have healthy, straight, shining hair like Demi Moore or Heidi Klum, congratulations—you're the exception, not the rule! Most women have to use various tips and tricks to persuade their hair to behave.
Unhealthy hair is dull and dry, with breakage and split ends. Hair that lacks moisture is lightweight, which makes it unmanageable and flyaway. Short, broken strands escape any attempt to control them. If your hair is curly as well as frizzy, you could have a cloud of fuzzy hair instead of gleaming strands. If you suffer from dry, frizzy hair, be sure to check out my Beauty Diet Rx for nutritional solutions to bad hair days.
Gray Hair: Love It or Leave It?
When my friend Rachel discovered her first gray hair, she shrieked—then immediately got her tweezers and plucked
THE BEAUTY DIET RX
For Dry, Brittle Hair
If you are eating an adequate diet, you are probably getting a sufficient amount of protein, plus enough of the trace minerals like copper, sulfur, selenium, and silicon. In addition to following the lifestyle for lovely locks and the maintenance tips for healthy hair discussed in this chapter, you'll want to do the following:
Get plenty of iron for building strong hair shafts.
Drink lots of water to help keep your hair hydrated from the inside out.
Consume more omega-3 fatty acids. Your scalp needs quality fats to produce the sebum that keeps your hair under control.
Include beta-carotene-rich foods in your diet. From beta-carotene, your body can synthesize vitamin A to keep your scalp healthy.
Consume plenty of B vitamins, which help keep hair from becoming weak and brittle. They all work together, so eat many different foods to make sure you get enough of each.
Consume lots of vitamin C–rich foods.
Focus on foods rich in zinc to keep your scalp healthy and to help hair growth.
Include vitamin E–rich foods in your diet to protect the lipids in your scalp from free-radical damage.
it out. This approach is working for the time being, but the time will come when Rachel—and the rest of us!—will have to decide whether or not to go gray. She may choose to embrace her gray hair as a sign of her wisdom and experience, or she may say "To heck with that idea!"
The best way to avoid gray hair is to pick parents who have genes for long-lasting hair color. Every person is programmed to develop gray (nonpigmented) hair by a certain age, and no amount of nutritional intervention can change that. However, there are some conditions that can cause hair to turn gray earlier, or more rapidly, than normal. Correcting those processes can help you keep your natural color longer.
THE BEAUTY DIET RX
For Gray Hair
Correct any underlyin
g health conditions, such as thyroid disorders, that could be making your hair gray. Your hair may grow back in its normal color after you are well.
Correct any digestive problems you may have, which could be interfering with your ability to absorb nutrients.
Include an adequate amount of protein in your diet to support the color and texture of your hair.
Consume an adequate amount of vitamin B12 (see Chapter 2).
If you smoke, stop.
Relax! Chronic stress will age you, and your hair, prematurely.
When we are young, cells called melanocytes produce the pigment that gives our hair its color. Gray hair is caused by a decrease in the functioning of the melanocytes. This is often associated with age but can occur for other reasons. Thyroid disorders may make hair turn gray early, and smoking and stress have been linked to prematurely gray hair.
A link between nutrition and gray hair is vitamin B12. A deficiency of B12 can cause gray hair. It's unlikely for most Americans to have a B vitamin deficiency due to a poor diet (though vegans need to supplement their diet with B12), but it can happen if you have problems absorbing nutrients, such as older adults with decreased stomach acid or those with gastrointestinal disorders.
Nutrition to Fight Hair Loss
Today women can be beautiful with or without hair on their heads. When Robin Roberts of the TV show "Good Morning America" lost her hair due to chemotherapy, she walked the runway at an Isaac Mizrahi fashion show completely bald—and she looked sensational doing it!