Losing Your Hair? Here’s What to Eat

Losing Your Hair? Here’s What to Eat - A nutritionist from Japan said that men are less likely to be bald if they eat curry.

According to the site Rocket News24, Yoshiko Nakagawa claims that “the mixture of spices found in curry such as turmeric, saffron, nutmeg, and capsaicin are good for the body’s metabolism and blood circulation, which is known to encourage hair growth.” 

So could dishes containing this popular blend actually nip falling hair follicles in the bud?

“Curry powder, which is a mixture of spices including turmeric, can do many things, but there is no proven scientific connection with eating curries or curry powder and prevention of hair loss,” Jackie Newgent, RDN, culinary nutritionist and author of The All-Natural Diabetes Cookbook, tells Yahoo Beauty. 

While nutrition can have “a definite impact” on hair health, she explains that the food fixes for stronger locks stem from consuming a balanced diet, as opposed to one specific food or ingredient. 

“A pretty simple approach works best,” continues Newgent. “Obtaining the calories your body needs while eating a nutritionally complete diet—especially including adequate protein and iron—is the best defense for healthy hair.” 

In fact, a study of more than 5,100 non-menopausal women published in the European Journal of Dermatology found that nearly 60 percent of the female participants who were affected by “excessive hair loss” were deficient in iron. 

To feed your hair from the inside, Newgent suggests focusing on “foods containing significant amounts of both protein and iron, including beef, clams, mussels, oysters, lentils, and beans.” 

She also points to another study (this one conducted by researchers from University of Kansas Medical Center), which concluded that one of the many side effects from vitamin D deficiency was hair loss. “So do get adequate exposure to the sun, as well as include vitamin D-packed foods in your diet, such as salmon, tuna, vitamin D-fortified dairy foods, eggs, and mushrooms,” adds Newgent. 

However, this doesn’t mean curry should be tossed from your spice rack. If anything, it’s quite the opposite. 

“Turmeric is a potent anti-inflammatory and there’s some preliminary evidence that turmeric, when consumed or used topically, may provide skin health benefits,” states Newgent. “So do enjoy curry for all of its many other nutritional—and cuisine—attributes!”  ( yahoo.com )