When a study last month linked drinking lots of fizzy drinks to hair loss, it underlined the crucial role of diet in a condition affecting millions.
Now experts have revealed other everyday foods that could have a similar effect – including pasta, sliced bread and nuts.
Healthy hair needs a steady supply of nutrients, and although illness and genetics play a part in hair loss, what people eat and drink can make these factors better – or worse.
Dr Ellie Rashid, consultant dermatologist at the private OneWelbeck clinic, said: ‘Diet is so important. Deficiency of the right nutrients will lead to brittle hair, less hair growing or hair being shed more readily.
‘Iron deficiency, for example, impacts hair growth, while a vitamin D deficiency is linked to hair thinning.’
The most common cause of hair loss is pattern baldness, influenced by genetics and hormones. Another trigger is the autoimmune condition alopecia areata, in which the immune system attacks hair follicles. Dr Rashid believes diet plays a role in both. ‘Many things can cause hair loss, but diet is like a switch that can ramp up the effects of these other factors or dial them down,’ she said.
She recommends blood tests for iron, zinc, vitamin D and folate (vitamin B9), and adopting a balanced diet. Iron can be boosted with red meat, lentils and leafy greens such as spinach and kale. Vitamin D can be topped up with sunlight and supplements and zinc can be increased through supplements and foods such as pumpkin or sesame seeds.
While good foods support healthy hair, evidence suggests others may trigger or accelerate balding. Here, The Mail on Sunday highlights some of the foods that could harm your hair… and those that will give it a boost.
Dr Ellie Rashid is a consultant dermatologist at the private OneWelbeck clinic
Ditch white bread, cakes and sweets
Refined carbohydrates include foods high in processed sugar, such as cakes, sweets and fizzy drinks, along with white bread and pasta made from grains stripped of natural fibre. Because they are digested quickly, they cause spikes in blood sugar and insulin.
A 2016 study in the journal Menopause Review concluded: ‘Consumption of highly processed foods, rich in simple sugars, is one factor causing excess hair loss.’
Researchers found insulin spikes led to ‘disturbances’ in blood vessels, reducing oxygen supply to the scalp.
Dr Rashid advises switching from white bread and pasta to wholemeal. She said: ‘Refined carbs are a driver of inflammation. They negatively impact
cellular processes such as keratin formation – meaning hair doesn’t grow as well as it should.’
Don’t overdo Brazil nuts
Brazil nuts are rich in selenium, a mineral that supports the thyroid, the immune system and reproductive health – but too much can damage hair.
Dr Paul Farrant, consultant dermatologist at Experts In Skin And Hair, said: ‘The recommended dose of selenium can come from as little as one brazil nut a day. It’s easy to take too many. Selenium toxicity is linked to brittle hair and disturbs the hair cycle.’
Warning over a sandwich favourite
T, particularly larger species such as yellowfin and bluefin, can contain mercury from feeding on contaminated prey. Mercury can damage the nervous system, the kidneys and even hair follicles.
Dr Farrant said: ‘It’s not something most of us eat in sufficient quantities to get toxicity, but you can get heavy metal poisoning from tuna. Hair needs good nutrition, and if you add things that are effectively poisons it will affect hair growth and cause hair loss.’
The best food for your hair? Eggs!
EGGS are among the best foods to nourish healthy locks. Packed with protein and key vitamins, they help keep hair strong and glossy.
Dr Farrant said: ‘If you eat lots of eggs, your hair will benefit. Hair is a protein-rich structure, based on keratin, which means you need plenty of protein in your diet to grow strong hair. Eggs are a great source of protein.’
They are also high in vitamin B12 and folate, and are a source of vitamin D, which plays a vital role in the hair growth cycle. ‘If you’re deficient in vitamin D,’ he said, ‘more hairs exit the growing phase and move to the shedding phase.’
And it doesn’t matter how you cook your eggs, your hair will still reap the rewards.
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