Let’s ask who wouldn’t be disturbed by hair thinning? Unfortunately, hair loss problem is very common nowadays. From heredity, to illnesses, local scalp infection, hormonal imbalance, pregnancy, menopause, stress, drug reaction…, there are just many reasons causing hair loss. Nonetheless, one factor that so often is overlooked is diet.
In fact, as said by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), sometimes simply changing our diet to include foods for healthy hair will significantly reduce the loss of hair. According to TCM, our hair (follicle) is the last body part to absorb nutrients. If our body doesn’t get enough nutritious foods, hair loss may happen. Furthermore, a weak flow of “Qi” (essential energy) and blood, wastage of liver and kidneys, or imbalance of hormone also trigger the problem.
“Today’s high-fat, high-animal protein, and high-salt diet not only creates acidic blood, but also damages the kidneys, which leads to hair loss,” TCM Practitioner said. “On the other hand, hair needs a variety of vitamins and minerals such as protein, fatty acid, iron, iodine, and vitiman B. If your diet lacks in proper nutrition, hair loss can result.”
So, if you want to increase hair health, here you go some diet’s DOs and DONT’s suggested by TCM Practitioner.
DOs
- Whole grain wheat bread
- Whole grain rice
- Oatmeal
[Grain, wheat, oat, cereal… are rich in vitamin B that promotes metabolism.]
- Laver
- Fish, shrimp, crab
[Rich in iodine, laver, kelp, and seafoods boost thyroid function and reduce hair loss which caused by an underactive thyroid.]
- Black sesame
- Egg
- Soybean milk, tofu
[As the main component of hair is keratin (a protein that forms hair), foods rich in protein like black sesame, egg, and soybean reinforce hair and stimulate its growth.]
- Beef
- Raisin
- Spinach, celery, leaf mustard
[Foods that are rich in iron as listed above can help replenish blood and deliver nutrients, which prevent hair loss.]
DON’Ts
- Hamburger
- Donut, fries
- Luncheon meat
[High-animal protein, high-fat, and high-sodium foods produce acidic blood and hurt the kidneys, resulting in hair thinning.]
- Chili
- Ginger
- Onion
[Foods in pungent and hot nature are considered to have negative impact on hair health according to TCM.]
Image by Brenda-Starr
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), black soybeans are very good for kidneys, which is crucial to healthy skin and hair. Having a dark seed coat, black soybean contains a higher amount of antioxidants and is more effective in lowering cholesterol than its cousin—(yellow) soybean. Also, these high-protein, high fiber beans are easier to digest than other types of soybeans. No wonder besides being labeled as healthy, foods made from black soybeans are also marketed as beauty products for women who not only concern their health but their beauty as well.
In Western Medicine, the most common causes of nocturnal enuresis are neurological-developmental delay and genetics; other less common causes include physical abnormalities, insufficient anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) production, constipation, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), etc.
