Nutrition Facts - Diet And Nutrition - Free Diet Plans » A Women’s Diet Could Lead to More Than Weight Loss

A Women’s Diet Could Lead to More Than Weight Loss

November 9th, 2005

By Denise Dador

HEALTH NEWS - You’ve heard the saying ‘you are what you eat’. But did you know it holds true even when it comes to managing your mane? We have a warning for dieters as you try to shed those pounds, beware of shedding your hair.
Dermatologists say they’re seeing more and more dieters with thinning tresses, whether they’ve lost nine pounds or ninety.

Dr. Michael Reed, Dermatologist sees a lot of patients with this problem. He said, “I see patients all day long, quite hysterical, who suddenly notice or gradually notice that too much hair is coming out.”

You can lose three to four hundred hairs a day if you aren’t careful. And over time…according to Dr. Reed, it can cause half the hair to be lost on the head.

And it can happen with all kinds of diets, and it can happen whether you lose weight gradually or rapidly.

Doctor reed says hair is sensitive and needs nutrients like protein and iron. “Hair also needs essential B vitamins; it also needs essential fatty acids, and it also needs adequate minerals in order to grow properly,” said Dr. Reed.

If you don’t eat a balanced diet and exercise daily, hair will be shocked, it will go into resting phase and it will come out prematurely says Dr. Reed.

Elisa Zied with the American Dietetic Association says a healthy weight loss plan is the key to happy hair. She said, “[A diet] that incorporates small portions of all the key food groups.” This includes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean protein sources.

Elsa says fish it a great source of Omega-3 fats and protein. She says those are nutrients that are very important for hair health.

Also good for hair health is a basic multivitamin. And Doctor Reed likes to add one more supplement. Biotin, which is a B vitamin that hair really likes.

Doctor Reed says it will take at least six months to see results.

Doctor Reed stresses exercise is key to healthy hair since it increases the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the skin.

One note: if hair loss runs in your family, be extra careful. Diet related hair loss can unmask another serious problem - male and female pattern baldness. Doctor Reed says if you’re predisposed to baldness and you lose your hair, it may never grow back.

Source: abclocal.go.com

Entry Filed under: General Nutrition, Nutrition News