Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Top 3 Supplements Often Found In Natural Hair Loss Products



1. Saw Palmetto


If you want the main ingredient that's in 90% of the natural hair loss treatments out there then get Saw Palmetto.


Saw Palmetto has become a popular hair loss supplement because of it's reputation for promoting prostate health by reducing DHT. Since prostatic disease and hair loss are connected in several different ways many herbalist have begun marketing Saw Palmetto as a hair loss treatment.


Propecia (Finasteride) was originally marketed as a prostatic treatment as well. It became a hair loss treatment after patients started noticing changes in hair growth.


Saw Palmetto, like Propecia, will help you lower the amount of DHT produced in the body. However, it's debatable whether or not it will work quite as well as Propecia.


You should also know that Saw Palmetto does have side effects and drug interactions. Pregnant women should avoid Saw Palmetto because it could be dangerous to unborn babies. It might not have any hair growth benefits for women at all.


In a few cases Saw Palmetto has caused hemorrhages, difficulty urinating, swelling of the prostate, and blood in the urine.


2. Nettle Root


Nettle Root is a another supplement that's often put into natural hair loss treatments. It helps block 5-Alpha-Reductase which causes testosterone to be converted to DHT.


This supplement is often included in the top tier natural hair loss treatments. Nettle root is considered a stronger DHT blocker than Saw Palmetto by some herbalist.


In most cases natural hair loss treatments don't have any nettle root in them at all. The ones that do have nettle root often don't have enough.


However, like saw palmetto nettle root does have some negative interactions with prescription drugs. Be careful if you are taking blood pressure medication, diabetes medicine or sedatives.


Unlike, Saw Palmetto women with hair loss can use it as well.


3. Dong Quai


Dong Quai is another DHT blocker. It has phytoestrogens which block androgen-receptor sites that help convert testosterone to DHT.


Since it works to block DHT many people believe that it will also help prevent hair loss.


Dong Quai can also be used by women. If you combine Dong Quai with Nettle Root then you will probably have a regimen that's stronger than most natural hair loss treatments on the market.


Combine all three and you will have the best possible supplement regimen at a much more affordable price.

Monday, December 21, 2009

9 foods that help prevent hair loss

1. Chickpeas



Eating chickpeas basically kills two birds with one stone. You can get both zinc and the vitamin B-6 you need for healthy hair from chickpeas. Zinc has an important part in building hair protein.


Zinc also works together with Vitamin A. Missing one of those two causes you to have dandruff that could contribute to hair loss. Non Vegans can eat roast beef instead and get all of the same benefits and protein as well.



2. Roast beef



Roast beef is another source of Vitamin B-6 and Zinc. It's also a good source of protein. Vegans might consider taking Soy beans instead for protein and chickpeas for vitamin B6 and Zinc.






3. Soy beans



Soy is a great source of protein for vegans. It also contains a substantial amount of Iron and Vitamin E. Iron is an important part of hemoglobin production. Hemoglobin is responsible for getting oxygen to the tissues of the body. Without it your hair won't grow


Vitamin E also helps with the absorption of oxygen and increasing blood circulation to the scalp.


4. Almonds



Almonds are good sources of vegetarian protein, Iron and Vitamin E. They also help to lower cholesterol helping you avoid having to take cholesterol lowering drugs in the future. Some cholesterol lowering drugs actually cause hair loss.





5. Whole wheat




Whole wheat is a good source of Silica and Iron. Silica is very important because it helps with the absorption of many other vitamins and minerals. It's usually not found in abundance in western diets and in many cases it could be one of the main causes of hair loss.



6. cow's milk




Cow's milk has absorbable Iodine. It's impossible to overdose on Iodine from food sources unlike Iodized salt.




7. oats




Oats are a good source of easily absorbable Iron as well. It's also a good source of Potassium, phosphorus and magnesium.




8. Oranges


Oranges (or orange juice) are a good source of Vitamin C. Vitamin C helps make meat and soy sources of Iron more absorbable. Vitamin C is a big part of the development of collagen which is necessary for hair growth.




9. Fish



Fish is a good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin B-6, Protein and essential fatty acids (efa's). EFA's play a major role in maintaining healthy nails, hair and skin.

4 minerals you need for healthy hair







1. Trace Mineral Silica



If you are missing a mineral in your diet it's probably the trace mineral silica. It's the most important mineral when it comes to healthy hair and probably the one mineral that's usually absent from most American diets.



Supplementing your diet with silica alone will probably help you more than any of the other minerals combined because Silica helps utilize several other nutrients. Boron, copper, manganese, magnesium, fluorine, phosphorus, zinc and strontium all benefit from silica supplementation.



The only problem is that its very hard to get trace minerals because of the way most western civilizations cook and process their food.



So How do you supplement Silica in the body? It's difficult but not impossible.



You can get enough trace mineral silica in your diet by eating Oats, millet, barley, whole wheat, and algae.



2. Iodine



Iodine is very important when it comes to combating hair loss. You must have Iodine for healthy hair. However, you need a certain kind of Iodine. Not just any Iodine will do.



The kind of Iodine that you would get in your generic table salt isn't the type of iodine you need for hair growth. That type of iodine could easily cause you to overdose on iodine and actually cause you more hair loss.



You don't want that.



So stay away from iodized salt and and start getting your iodine from food sources. These include kelp, yogurt (low fat), cow's milk, boiled eggs, strawberries and Mozzarella cheese.



3. Zinc



Zinc is another mineral that you could easily overdose on. Too much zinc could actually block the absorption of other minerals.



However, that doesn't mean that you don't need zinc for healthy hair. Zinc is very important when it comes to tissue growth and hair growth in particular.



It helps to secrete the scalp with much needed oil and avoid dandruff that could possibly cause hair loss. It also helps with the absorption of other nutrients that you need.



Organic beef, beef liver, lima beans, organic / wild turkey, chickpeas, split peas, raw cashews, pecans, green peas, almonds, ginger root and organic egg are all good food sources of zinc.



4. Iron



Avoid taking iron supplements. You should get all of your Iron from food sources. If you you decide to take an iron supplement anyway then avoid ferrous sulfate which is hard to absorb.



Oysters, lean red meat, liver, poultry, tuna, Iron-fortified cereals, whole grains, dried beans, eggs, dried fruit, dark green leafy vegetables, wheat, millet, oats, brown rice, Lima beans, soy beans, dried beans and peas, kidney beans, almonds, Brazil nuts, prunes, raisins, apricots, broccoli, spinach, kale, collards, asparagus, dandelion greens.



Also make sure you combine foods with Vitamin C in the same meal for better absorption of Iron.

4 Vitamins you need for healthy hair



1. Vitamin A


Vitamin A has a big part in producing sebum. Without it you'll have dry hair, dandruff and a thick scalp. All of those symptoms could potentially cause you hair loss. First and second hand smoke along with aspirin and some prescription drugs could prevent Vitamin A absorption.


On the other end of the spectrum having too much sebum blocks hair follicles. So overdosing on Vitamin A could actually cause you even more hair loss.


Fortunately it's impossible to over dose on Vitamin A when you get it from food sources. Mango, Oranges, Carrots, Sweet potato and Squash are all good sources of Vitamin A.


2. Vitamin B


The B Vitamins are also a very important part of having healthy hair. All of the B Vitamins help with with hemoglobin which helps the scalp get the oxygen it needs for healthy hair growth. The main B vitamins that you need to focus on for hair growth are Vitamin B-6 and Folic Acid.


Vitamin B-6 is often found in protein rich foods. This kills 2 birds with one stone because both Vitamin B-6 and protein is needed to prevent hair loss. Potatoes, ready to eat cereals, Bananas, Garbanzo beans, Chicken breast, Oatmeal, Pork Loin, and roast beef contain Vitamin B-6.


Folic Acid is found in cooked lentils, collard greens, chickpeas, medium papaya, frozen peas, and boiled asparagus.


3. Vitamin E


Vitamin E helps provide good blood circulation to the scalp by increasing the absorption of oxygen. Ready made cereals, Almonds, Safflower Oil, Corn Oil, Soybean Oil, Turnip greens.


You probably don't have a Vitamin E deficiency but if you do it's most likely caused by an inability to absorb oils and fats. In this case taking a Vitamin E supplement is recommended.


4. Vitamin C


Vitamin C is responsible for the healthy development of collagen which is necessary for strong hair. Vitamin C can be found in Kiwi fruit, Guava, Red sweet peppers and Oranges.