“5 Foods to Avoid and 7 Nutrients to Embrace for Healthier Hair Growth”

Text/Reporter Wu Huanxin

Hair loss can be annoying. Physicians reminded that excessive intake of some foods can lead to hair loss, and the intake must be moderate. At the same time, it is recommended to consume more foods that are helpful for hair growth and can also prevent hair loss.

=================

There are many reasons for hair loss and food is one of them. Chen Hsin-hung, director of Taiwan Xingfuhan Medical Hall Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic, pointed out that the five types of food, such as overly sweet and high-fat foods, are likely to cause hair loss, and it is recommended to eat less.

1.too sweet food

Carbohydrates are one of the most important energy sources for the metabolic growth of human cells. According to traditional Chinese medicine, sweetness can enter the spleen, and an appropriate amount of sweetness can help open the spleen and strengthen the stomach.

However, too much sugar will activate the action of insulin in the blood and start aerobic respiration. At this time, in addition to consuming vitamins and coenzymes in the body, oxidation products such as peroxygen and acidic substances may also be produced.

An overly sweet diet will cause short-term deficiency of trace elements, inflammatory reactions, excessive sebum secretion, etc., which are not conducive to the growth of scalp hair.

Sugary drinks, sweets, barbecue sauce, overly sweet fruits and other overly sweet foods must be consumed in moderation.

A study of 1,000 young men recently published in the journal Nutrients found a direct link between sugary drink intake and hair loss; men who drank more than 1 sugary drink per day (>3,500ml per week) , compared with men who did not drink sugar-sweetened beverages, there was a 2.36-fold increased risk of developing hair loss.

Five types of food, such as too sweet and high fat, can easily cause hair loss, so it is recommended to eat less. (123RF)

Another nutritional study on women’s hair loss during menopause also found that eating too much sugar is related to hair loss; eating a diet rich in simple sugars will increase sebum secretion, which can stimulate the scalp and cause inflammation.

2.high fat food

High-fat and over-sweet foods can cause oily scalp. In severe cases, it can block hair follicles, cause inflammation, and cause skin diseases. It may also increase the level of testosterone in the body, which in turn will indirectly cause the increase of dihydrotestosterone, leading to more serious hair loss in men .

Avoid excessive intake of high-fat foods such as fatty meat, whole milk, full-fat cheese, butter, ice cream, and fried foods.

Obesity can lead to thinning hair, according to research published in the journal Nature in 2021. The study found that in mice fed a high-fat diet, the condition of the stem cells in the hair follicles was different from that in mice fed a normal diet, mainly because inflammatory signals in the stem cells caused these differences, which eventually caused hair loss.

3.strong food

■salty food

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that salt can enter the kidneys, and an appropriate amount of salt can help supplement the trace elements needed by the human body, but excessive consumption will cause physical burden, cause changes in blood pressure, and even cause local blood circulation abnormalities. Insufficient blood volume in the body will also affect the delivery of nutrients and growth factors supplied to the hair follicle cells, the hair will become chlorotic and thin, and it will even accelerate the hair follicle cells to enter the resting period and hair loss.

When eating foods such as sausages, cheeses, smoked products, and pickled foods that contain too much salt, be sure to control the intake and replenish water appropriately.

■spicy food
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that taking an appropriate amount of spicy food can help improve blood circulation, but excessive consumption will cause excessive sweating and loss of body fluid. In severe cases, it will cause oily scalp, clogging hair follicles and pores, which is not conducive to hair growth.

When eating spicy foods such as barbecue sauce, kimchi, green onions, ginger, garlic, etc. that contain spicy flavors, be sure to control the amount of intake and stop it in moderation.

4.processed delicate foods

Artificially refined processed foods usually require the addition of a large number of preservatives, artificial colors, artificial sweeteners and other additives, and these additives will prompt the body to initiate an inflammatory response, which in turn will harm the body.

In order to achieve delicious taste, processed food is heavily seasoned, which is equivalent to the above-mentioned over-sweet, high-fat, over-salty, over-spicy food, intake must be moderate, and when buying meatballs, smoked meat, sausage, cotton Before eating processed foods such as sugar, you should consider and read the ingredient labels clearly.

5.Tobacco, Alcohol, Caffeine

Many studies have confirmed that smoking can also cause hair loss, because smoking will cause the blood circulation of the scalp to deteriorate, which will eventually lead to insufficient blood supply to the hair, which will lead to hair loss.

Published on the US Public Library website in 2021, of 32 studies exploring the relationship between smoking, premature hair graying and hair loss (androgenic baldness and frontal lobe fibrotic alopecia), found that smokers had premature hair graying The incidence of graying and hair loss is higher than that of non-smokers, confirming that smoking can have a negative impact on hair health.

Although there is no definite evidence that alcohol and caffeine-containing drinks can cause hair loss, excessive intake of alcohol or caffeine will indeed cause pressure on the endocrine system, prompting the sympathetic nerves to be in a state of hyperactivity for a long time, which will not be conducive to hair loss for a long time growth.

Chen Xinhong emphasized that a balanced and appropriate diet is the most important principle for maintaining a healthy body. The intake of the above five types of food must be controlled; at the same time, it is recommended to take more high-quality protein, collagen, iron, zinc, selenium, vitamin C, and vitamin B group Foods such as nutrients, not only help hair growth, but also prevent hair loss. ◇