Both men and women want hair that is strong, healthy, and lustrous. Using pricey hair care products is not the only way to achieve beautiful hair. Like healthy skin, healthy hair is a sign of a well-fed body. Your diet decisions have the power to harm or benefit your hair.
We already know that stress and pollution are bad for our hair, but we don’t realize that some foods may also be a factor in hair loss and thinning. While stress and genetics are frequently blamed for hair issues, a person’s diet is a surprising additional factor. It’s true to say that eating poorly can worsen hair conditions or hasten hair loss. Let’s look at foods you should avoid to protect your hair.
Foods with a high glycemic index
The foods that raise insulin levels are those with a high glycemic index. High GI foods include things like refined flour, bread, and sugar. These foods can cause hormonal imbalances, a rise in insulin, and an increase in androgens, which bind to hair follicles and cause hair loss.
Fast food
Junk food is frequently loaded with saturated and monounsaturated fats, leading to hair loss and obesity, and cardiovascular diseases. A diet high in SFAs and MUFAs can raise testosterone levels, which may also raise DHT hormone levels. Androgen DHT has been linked to alopecia. Eating greasy foods can make your scalp smooth, clog your pores, and shrink your hair follicles.
Consuming foods high in processed sugar
Sugar that has been processed has many adverse effects on the body, 5one of which is deteriorating hair and nail quality. A high sugar diet raises blood glucose levels, which forces the body to produce more insulin. This further causes a rise in androgens, or male sex hormones, which may cause the hair follicles to contract and ultimately cause early baldness.
Low protein diet
Keratin, a protein, is the fundamental component of hair. You are therefore more likely to experience hair loss if you consume insufficient protein. A good source of protein can be lean meat. Lentils, spinach, beans, and tofu are options for vegetarians looking for protein.
Diet soda
Diet sodas contain aspartame, an artificial sweetener that can harm hair follicles. It is best to avoid diet sodas altogether if you have recently started experiencing hair loss.
Fish
High mercury levels can cause sudden hair loss. Fish is the most frequent source of mercury exposure because overfishing and climate change have increased the amount of methyl-mercury in fish over the past few decades. Mercury is abundant in sea-water fish like swordfish, mackerel, shark, and some types of tuna.
Whites of raw eggs Although eggs are great for hair, they shouldn’t be eaten raw. Biotin, a vitamin that helps produce keratin, can become deficient in raw egg whites. Avidin, a substance in raw egg whites, combines with biotin to prevent intestinal absorption.