eClinic vitamins and nutritional supplements for hair loss
Recently an interesting scientific article has been published about vitamins and nutritional supplements that are widely used by people who experience hair problems. Below is a summary by eClinic of this article.
We know that deficiencies in vitamins and nutritional supplements can cause hair problems, but do you always have to supplement these deficits? And does that also help with the recovery of your hair? Can it be dangerous to supplement / repair deficits?
First of all; what is actually a vitamin
As you can read on the site of the nutrition center, a vitamin is a substance that is needed for normal growth and development. It also says on that site that a vitamin deficiency almost never occurs. This is also something that is highlighted in the article. Vitamin deficiencies are almost exclusively found in people who have diseases or conditions. Supplementing vitamins is therefore almost never necessary for healthy people who eat a varied diet.
What is a nutritional supplement?
A dietary supplement consists of vitamins minerals and or other substances. Here too, shortages of nutritional supplements almost never occur since most people eat a varied diet.
In some people such as pregnant women or the elderly, it is sometimes recommended to take nutritional supplements. Nutritional supplements could also be taken in people who have deficits due to illnesses or disorders.
What has been demonstrated?
Iron
It is also known that this deficiency can be caused by various diseases or conditions. Vegetarians also have a lack of iron because they do not eat meat that contains a lot of iron.
If someone turns out too little iron, this must always be corrected in consultation with the doctor. An excess of iron can be dangerous.
Zink
Zinc is a mineral that is essential for countless processes in the body. A zinc deficiency can cause hair loss and brittle hair.
Multiple disorders and diseases, but also pregnancy and excessive alcohol consumption, can cause a zinc deficiency.
Even if one is vegetarian, a zinc deficiency can occur.
It is known that its loss due to a zinc deficiency can be reversed as soon as the zinc deficiency is replenished.
Too much zinc can unfortunately also have adverse effects such as feeling pain and vomiting, and in the longer term diarrhea can affect the immune system.
Fatty acids
Vitamin B3
Vitamin B3, also known as niacin, can cause diarrhea and dementia in cases of deficiencies, and hair loss is also a common problem. For the time being there have not been sufficient scientific studies showing that a supplement of vitamin B3 can prevent hair loss.
Selenium
Selenium is known for its role in protecting the hair follicle. Here too it is again the case that diseases and disorders can cause selenium deficiency. Only 1 scientific research is known in which selenium caused hair growth. To be able to determine the effects of selenium on hair growth, it is of course necessary to do more research on people.
The effect of an excess of selenium has indeed been well researched, because people can get hair loss as well as gastrointestinal problems and memory problems.
Vitamine D
Animal studies have shown that vitamin D plays a role in the hair follicle cycle. Unfortunately, scientific research or supplementing vitamin D does not have a clear effect on hair loss.
Vitamine A
Vitamine E
Vitamin E intake has led to more hair growth in a study of only 21 people. To properly investigate the effect of vitamin E, more studies will have to be done.
An excess can lead to less hair growth and increased bleeding tendency.
Folic acid
Folic acid is found in green leafy vegetables. A shortage of it causes a shortage of blood cells. It has not been shown that folic acid does something that causes hair loss.
Vitamine H
Symptoms of too little vitamin H have shown hair loss, eye problems and eczema-like symptoms during examination.
No scientific research has been shown to show that vitamin H has improved hair loss.
Amino acids and proteins
Antioxidants
Antioxidants provide protection for cells. Hair loss can be caused by damage to the same cells. The precise effect of these antioxidants on hair loss, on the other hand, is not yet clear. High doses of antioxidants can cause damage.
The dangers of vitamins and nutritional supplements
What was the conclusion of this article?
Many deficiencies can lead to hair loss. In screening for such deficiencies, medical history and physical examination should play a major role. This is because the article points out that there can be many disorders or illnesses that can cause vitamins or minerals deficiencies.
If something emerges from the medical history or the physical examination that could indicate a deficiency, it is wise to have a blood test done.
For patients with hair loss where nothing from the medical history or physical examination emerges, it is not necessary to have blood tests performed.
This article also shows that it is not clear at all at what levels these vitamins and nutritional supplements work in the event of hair loss.
Much more research will have to be done before we know which vitamins do what exactly.
If it is necessary to supplement certain supplements or vitamins because it has been shown by a blood test that there is a shortage, then it must also be carefully considered also when the correct level has been reached.
An excess of vitamins and / or minerals could also lead to hair loss or other serious physical problems.
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