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                      Hair Thinning? Your Nutrition Could Be To Blame

                      Published by Dr. Mark Rosenberg

                      Hair loss and thinning can occur as you get older, but it’s not really your age causing it – it’s more often the common nutritional deficiencies that can occur as you get older.  And they can be remedied.  Let me tell you how…

                      Hair Loss Culprits: Common Vitamin/Mineral Deficiencies

                      As you get older, if you’re not getting enough of the correct vitamins and minerals your body needs to stay healthy, one of the first places these deficiencies show up is in your hair, nails and skin.  That’s because your hair and nails are an extension of your skin. Your skin houses and feeds the hair follicles and nail beds, via numerous blood capillaries, that your hair and nails grow out of. If the blood that feeds your hair is missing key nutrients, your hair follicle shrinks and becomes weaker, producing a thinner strand of hair or nails that easily peel and break.

                      In getting older, certain metabolic processes start to slow down.  You may not be absorbing nutrients correctly which a probiotic can help. You may also be trying to avoid the weight gain that can come with a slower metabolism so you may have cut down on vitamin/mineral rich foods.  If you’re not taking a supplement to replace those nutrients, the result can be hair thinning and/or loss, or weak, dull hair that’s lost its body and sheen and doesn’t grow much.

                      Add to that, stress and/or other illnesses can also rob the life from your hair and cause it to thin or even fall out. Stress burns hair-essential B vitamins and iron out of your body. It can also shock your hair follicle faster/longer into the shedding phase where it sheds more than it re-grows. Stopping the stress reaction is crucial to restoring a normal cycle.

                      Untreated thyroid disease can also be a culprit in hair thinning/loss.  In fact, vitamin/mineral deficiencies can also contribute to creating both of these conditions as well. Yet, these conditions can be treated and you can halt the attack on your hair.  Stress can be managed in a number of ways through exercise, meditation, getting enough magnesium and B12, getting more sleep, and possibly even using prescription relaxants for a short while, if necessary. After getting stress under control, hair can start to regrow normally again, usually within 3-6 months.

                      Similarly, thyroid disease can be treated by taking replacement thyroid medication and supporting with certain nutrients like selenium and Vitamin D. After getting the condition under control, hair usually starts to become stronger, have a healthier sheen and texture, and grow better.

                      Restoring certain essential nutrients to your diet can also revitalize your hair – help it grow back stronger and revive its natural body and sheen.  To be sure that you’re getting all of the nutrients that support your hair (as well as your nails and skin), I’ve included them here for you:

                      1.  Vitamin A.  This powerful antioxidant fights oxidative damage in skin, hair and nails.  Older people generally do not even get the daily requirement if they’ve cut out orange/yellow vegetables from their diet or they’re not taking a good vitamin supplement.

                      2.  The B Vitamins. B vitamins drive your metabolism and support your nervous system as well as your hair, nails and skin.  Older people typically do not absorb enough B vitamins through their intestines, especially B12, which can add to stress levels and hair loss.  I recommend either a B-complex supplement every day, or making sure your multiple vitamin contains the full array of B’s.

                      3.  Vitamin C.  Hair, skin and nails need Vitamin C to make collagen – the substance that creates keratin, the protein that your hair, skin and nails need for strength. Without it, the hair strand is weak and thinner in diameter.

                      4.  Vitamin D.  Many people are vitamin D deficient – especially if you have stopped drinking fortified dairy or you don’t get out in the sun enough. A simple blood test can tell you. Vitamin D deficiencies can be at the “root” of your hair problems as well as several other health conditions.  Many Vitamin D researchers recommend 10,000 IU of D a day, the amount you would normally get in about 10 minutes of high noon summer sun. I think 2,000 IU a day would be beneficial to bring up deficiencies but I also recommend that you continue to follow your levels.

                      5.  Minerals.  Calcium, iron, iodine, magnesium, zinc, selenium, copper, manganese, are necessary for the structure and health of your hair – especially zinc, copper and iron. The amount contained in a good vitamin/mineral supplement, in addition to a healthy diet, will help.

                      6.  Protein/Amino acids.  If you’re not eating enough quality protein every day, your hair will suffer.  You need 0.75 to 1 gram per pound of body weight of protein. Multiply your body weight to get the correct amount.  For example, if you weigh 160, you should be eating 120 to 160 grams of protein a day. Protein contains the building blocks necessary to create your hair, skin, nails, muscles and other supporting structures of your body.

                      7.  Other substances.  PABA and inositol can help restore the sheen to your hair as well.

                      Hair thinning, or loss, doesn’t have to be a foregone conclusion of getting older.  Eating a nutritionally optimal diet every day, with the correct levels of protein, vitamins and minerals, and doing your best to release stress in your life, can help stop nutrient deficient-hair loss.

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                      Dr. Mark Rosenberg
                      Dr. Mark Rosenberg
                      Dr. Mark Rosenberg received his doctorate from Georgetown University School of Medicine in 1988 and has been involved with drug research since 1991. With numerous certifications in several different fields of medicine, psychology, healthy aging and fitness, Dr. Rosenberg has a wide breadth of experience in both the public and private sector with particular expertise in both the mechanism of cancer treatment failure and in treating obesity. He currently is researching new compounds to treat cancer and obesity, including receiving approval status for an investigational new drug that works with chemotherapy and a patent pending for an oral appetite suppressant. He is currently President of the Institute for Healthy Aging, Program Director of the Integrative Cancer Fellowship, and Chief Medical Officer of Rose Pharmaceuticals. His work has been published in various trade and academic journals. In addition to his many medical certifications, he also personally committed to physical fitness and is a certified physical fitness trainer.

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                      This website is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. FoodTrients – A Recipe for Aging Beautifully Grace O, author and creator of FoodTrients® -- a philosophy, a cookbook and a resource -- has a new cookbook dedicated to age-defying and delicious recipes, The Age Beautifully Cookbook: Easy and Exotic Longevity Secrets from Around the World, which provides one hundred-plus recipes that promote health and well-being. The recipes are built on foundations of modern scientific research and ancient knowledge of medicinal herbs and natural ingredients from around the world. Since the publication of her first anti-aging book, The Age GRACEfully Cookbook, Grace O has identified eight categories of FoodTrients benefits (Anti-inflammatory, Antioxidant, Immune Booster, Disease Prevention, Beauty, Strength, Mind, and Weight Loss) that are essential to fighting aging, which show how specific foods, herbs, and spices in the recipes help keep skin looking younger, prevent the diseases of aging, and increase energy and vitality. Grace O combines more exotic ingredients that add age-fighting benefits to familiar recipe favorites.

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