A well-balanced diet is vital to overall health, and research shows that hair growth is closely related to nutrition. Often, one of the first symptoms when the body is lacking in a particular vitamin or mineral is a change in the hair.
When your diet lacks essential vitamins and minerals, it starts diverting all available resources to vital functions while limiting nourishment to non-essential functions such as hair growth. Growing and maintaining a thick, full head of hair requires a diet containing all the nutrients needed to stay healthy.
Fast Food and Hair Loss
The issue with fast food is that it typically lacks the nutrients needed for a balanced diet. Fast food is often high in saturated and trans fats, which can increase the production of the hormone dihydrotestosterone or DHT.
Research shows that DHT can shrink hair follicles, leaving them unable to produce healthy strands of hair and leading to thinning hair and hair loss. So, while an occasional meal at a fast food restaurant won't cause you to suddenly lose your hair, too much fast food can hurt your health and the health of your hair.
Growing a thick, full head of hair requires a balanced diet with adequate nutrition to promote hair health and growth. Unfortunately, most fast food lacks the essential vitamins and nutrients your body needs to stay healthy. When a diet frequently or primarily consists of consuming fast food, it can lead to nutrient deficiencies that can cause thinning hair and hair loss.
Your Diet is Vital to Hair Growth
One of the most important steps to improve the look and feel of your hair and reduce hair loss is to eat a well-balanced diet. Ensuring that your body receives enough essential vitamins and minerals to remain healthy and grow healthy hair requires a variety of food sources.
- Iron – Low levels of iron can cause your hair to become dry and brittle and lead to a condition called telogen effluvium, which increases hair shedding and limits hair growth. Hair loss due to low iron usually reverses when your iron levels return to normal. Leafy greens, nuts, all-natural red meats, and oral iron supplements can all add iron to your diet.
- Biotin – While more research is needed, there is some evidence that biotin can help slow the balding process and reduce hair loss by encouraging the growth of healthy hair. Biotin is found in various foods, including sweet potatoes, almonds, bananas, and peanut butter.
- Vitamin E – Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps to repair and rebuild tissue. The vitamin can reduce oxidative stress and repair damaged hair follicles. An adequate amount of vitamin E in your diet is necessary to maintain healthy hair and promote new hair growth. Vitamin E is found in olive oil, almonds, avocados, and other foods high in plant fat.
- Vitamin C – Vitamin C can promote healthy hair growth by stopping the formation of and fighting free radicals in the body. Vitamin C helps your body take more iron into your blood and reduces the formation of the hormone DHT, which is associated with hair loss. In addition to citrus fruits, dark, leafy vegetables, cantaloupe, and tomatoes contain vitamin C.
Can Eating Fast Food Lead to Hair Loss?
While there is a connection between fast food and hair loss, fast food does not directly cause hair loss. You're not going to pull through the drive-thru for a burger and fries and then suddenly notice clumps of hair falling out before you can finish your meal. The occasional fast food meal is not the problem. However, research does suggest that there is a link between consuming fast food and hair loss.
Nutritional deficiencies from a primarily fast food diet are one of many causes of hair loss. If you are experiencing hair loss and searching for a solution, the experts at LH Hair can help. Contact us today and schedule your FREE initial consultation to learn how we can help you determine the cause of your hair loss and find the solution you deserve.
