Can You Reverse Hair Loss With A Plant-Based Diet?

Have you suddenly noticed some of your hair strands falling out, especially in the shower? Then avoid panicking right away. Note that the majority of people shed around 50 to 100 strands of hair daily. It is normal and will not cause significant hair loss since the shed ones will be replaced by new hair growth. 

However, if you begin noticing bald and thinning spots in some parts of your head, then it is highly likely that there is a disruption in the hair growth and shedding cycle. In that case, you may want to take action, so you can restore the normalcy in the cycle and bring back your hair’s beauty. 

The best way to start dealing with the problem is to determine the exact cause. You can then start working on finding solutions, preferably natural ones, like changing your diet into a plant-based one, which is said to help reverse hair loss. 

Possible Causes of Hair Loss

If your hair loss has been drastically affecting various aspects of your life, particularly your confidence, then maybe it is time to delve deeper into it by understanding its cause. Note that the hair often plays a huge role in one’s sense of attractiveness and beauty, particularly in women. It is a way to express your personality and style. 

If baldness and thinning hair effects are already dramatic, then you may feel devastated and end up losing your confidence. To help deal with the problem, you have to identify the cause of your hair loss. Among the most common hair loss causes you have to look into are the following:

• Hormonal problems – It could be that you are lacking in a specific hormone or have excessive amounts of it. Your hormones are even among the common culprits for weight loss. Some hormonal issues that can have a major impact on your hair are thyroid imbalance, extremely high testosterone level, PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), insulin resistance, and high cortisol, which is a stress hormone. 
• Environmental factors – Your hair loss may also be caused by your overexposure to a lot of environmental risk factors. One of these factors is heavy metal toxicity, especially lead and mercury that can contribute to hair loss. You may also be overly exposed to chemical treatments that might disrupt the natural hair growth process. It is the reason why you have to use a sort of protector whenever you treat your hair. 
• Autoimmunity – It refers to a state wherein the immune system of your body attacks your own tissues. One autoimmune condition that may affect your hair is alopecia areata. This autoimmune disease affects not only the skin but also its outgrowth, particularly the hair. 
• Aging – You may also start losing some of your hair strands as you age. It usually happens slowly and in predictable patterns. For aging women, it may be characterized by thinning hair along their scalp’s crown. 
• Micronutrient deficiency – Any deficiency in nutrients can also lead to hair loss. Among the deficiencies that might lead to thinning hair and hair loss are those linked to biotin, Vitamin B12, essential fatty acids, silica, zinc, and iron. To guarantee that you won’t be dealing with such deficiencies, it helps to include a hair fortifying vitamin or supplement in your diet that contains such nutrients. 

Find out which among these factors trigger your hair loss so you can find the most appropriate treatment and solution.

Can a Plant-based Diet Help?

Now, the question is, can you reverse hair loss with a plant-based diet? Well, the answer is yes. As the name suggests, a plant-based diet is an eating plan, which does not allow you to eat animal products and bi-products. It can reduce your intake of processed foods and increase your consumption of whole foods that are all good for the body.

In turn, your body will be able to receive proper nutrition from the foods you eat. You can use this type of diet to improve the health of your hair and reverse hair loss. Aside from being good for gut health, a plant-based diet can also promote a healthy scalp. It can create a healthy environment, which supports fast hair growth.

Another advantage of a plant-based diet that can help you avoid hair loss is that it can reduce your stress level. Regardless of the underlying cause of your stress, take note that it can impact the health of your hair as well as the speed through which it grows. A high stress level can hamper your psychological health, causing body inflammation and chronic disease. It may also lead to systemic inflammation that can trigger hair loss. 

You can avoid that by reducing your intake of dairy and meat or by fully taking them out of your diet. You can start incorporating more whole-foods and plant-based foods into your eating plan, particularly those that are rich in magnesium, vitamins, and antioxidants. Those can help you in coping with stress and staying focused, balanced, and calm throughout the day.

With all the things that a plant-based diet can do for your health, it is safe to say that it also plays a huge factor in correcting or reversing hair loss. Just make sure that you incorporate plant-based foods guaranteed to promote the growth of your hair.

In that case, here are some plant-based foods that you should consider eating regularly: 

1. Chia seeds – These are excellent vegan or vegetarian sources of Omega-3 fatty acids. Aside from Omega-3, chia seeds also have plenty of antioxidants and fiber. This plant-based food is a nutritional powerhouse, which also has complete protein. 

With all the nutrients it contains, it can surely make your locks look beautiful. The good thing about chia seeds is that they are versatile. You can add them into various foods, including smoothies, cereals, and puddings. If you love sweets, then you can also add them to your baked goodies. 

1. Spinach – Rich in iron, folate, and magnesium, spinach is indeed one of the best sources of B-vitamins that are all vital for hair growth. This dark, green, leafy veggie also has a high Vitamin C content that helps maintain and protect your hair follicles’ cell membranes. You can then expect them to contribute to preventing hair loss and thinning. 
2. Pumpkin – If you are looking for a low-calorie plant-based food that can help stop your hair loss problem, then you can never go wrong with pumpkin. Even one-half cup of it only contains 83 calories. It is also low-fat. 

Apart from that, it is rich in iron and beta-carotene, an essential vitamin for strengthening and growing hair. Other nutrients that you can get from pumpkin are Vitamin C and Vitamin E – both of which help in repairing the cells of your body and preventing them from damage. 

1. Grapes – Similar to other plant-based foods, this healthy fruit has polyphenolic compounds that have antioxidant properties designed to minimize cellular damage. Grapes also contain oligomeric pro-anthocyanidins (OPC) that can prevent the production of dihydrotestosterone, a major cause of hair loss. 

OPC can even stimulate hair follicle growth. A cup of this fruit daily is also a huge help in keeping your tissues protected from the negative effects of inflammation. 

1. Flax seeds – You may also want to include flax seeds in your diet. With the high polyunsaturated fatty acid content of flax seed, it is possible for it to provide nourishment to your scalp. It can even prevent your scalp from getting too dry. 

You can use ground versions of these flax seeds in your yogurt or smoothie to make it even healthier. It is also possible for you to make your own flax egg. You can use such egg as a substitute for real egg in your baked goodies. 

Just add a tablespoon of this seed to around three tablespoons of water. Leave it to thicken for around five minutes. It is a vegan alternative to a regular egg, allowing you to get all its goodness, especially when it comes to the health of your hair. 

1. Avocado – Famous for being good for the mind and heart, avocado also works well for those who want to deal with hair loss. It can improve the health of your hair through the healthy fats present in it. Such healthy fats can add moisture to your entire body, which can also subsequently prevent hair breakage, strengthen your strands, and make them grow longer. 

Avocado also contains Vitamin E, a strong and powerful antioxidant designed to encourage hair growth. Moreover, it has biotin, which also supports the health of your hair. With that, it is no longer surprising why avocado is a famous ingredient in several hair masks you can do at home. 

1. Almond – It is an excellent source of protein for those who intend to follow the plant-based diet. Protein is essential in increasing the level of collagen in your body, which is extremely useful for the proper growth of your hair and its strength. 

Almond also has a high Vitamin E content, which can improve your hair’s moisture and elasticity. With that, expect it to resist not only dryness but also breakage. 

1. Kale – Kale is also another highly nutritious plant-based food that is good for your hair. The fact that it is rich in B-vitamins and iron is already proof that it is good for your hair strands. Kale is also an alkaline food, which can prevent body acidity. This is good considering the fact that an acidic body may cause the breakdown of your body, such as your nails and hair. 

By including kale in your regular diet, you can promote alkalinity within your body. Aside from that, kale has an amazing nutrient profile, which gives you an assurance that your body will receive whatever you need to have optimal hair growth. 

1. Cucumber – One of the strongest advantages of cucumber is that it has silica, a mineral that aids in giving those who take it beautiful hair, nails, and skin. It also increases the level of collagen within your body, which is valuable in strengthening your hair strands and preventing them from damage and breakage. 

What’s more? Cucumber is famous for its naturally cooling properties. It aids in keeping your body cool, especially during the summer when your hair is at risk of damage due to being overexposed to heat. 

1. Acai – Another plant-based food you can take in is acai. It has high Omega-3 fatty acid content, which can add moisture to your skin and hair, thereby preventing dryness and breakage. It also has antioxidants that can keep your hair looking great overtime. The presence of B vitamins and protein in acai is also good for those who suffer from hair loss due to a deficiency in B vitamins. 

Other foods you can incorporate into your plant-based diet guaranteed to help improve the health of your hair and reverse hair loss are legumes, hemp seeds, whole grains, tofu, and leafy greens. Ensure that your diet is rich in Omega-3, iron, protein, and zinc, too. 

You can combine your intake of a plant-based diet with hair products designed to volumize hair – one of which is a hair thickening spray. By doing that, your hair can start growing back again from the plant-based diet plus you can further up its volume with the help of the right products. 

You can also further improve the benefits of the plant-based foods and superfoods mentioned in this article when it comes to stopping hair loss by combining them with increased water intake and a balanced meal plan.

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Una publicación compartida de Better Not Younger (@betternotyounger)