Diet and Weight Loss Diet

Diet and Hair Loss

Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12
All three of these B vitamins are essential to the normal formation of red blood cells or the hemoglobin (iron-containing) portion of red blood cells. The primary function of hemoglobin is to carry oxygen from the lungs to tissues in the body, including the hair. Healthy and strong hair is dependent on a constant supply of blood and oxygen. A deficiency of these B vitamins can cause reduced blood and oxygen supply to the hair, leading to increased hair shedding, damaged hair, and slow regrowth. The reference daily intake of vitamin B6 is 2.0 milligrams per day for the average adult. The best sources of vitamin B6 are protein-rich foods such as:

• chicken
• fish
• pork
• liver
• kidney
• soybeans

• leafy vegetables
• orange juice
• avocado
• beets
• broccoli
• brewer’s yeast
• liver
• wheat germ
• some fortified cereals

The reference daily intake of vitamin Bl2 is 6.0 micrograms for the average adult. B12 is found mostly in animal foods such as:

• meat
• fish
• poultry
• eggs
• milk
• other dairy foods

Biotin
For people who eat a healthy diet, biotin deficiency is rare. Besides getting biotin from select food sources, biotin is also manufactured in our intestines by gut bacteria. In rare instances though, biotin deficiency can cause hair loss. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition researched two adult patients receiving TPN (total parenteral nutrition, which is a form of nutrition used by the very ill who cannot use their gut for digestion and must have specialized nutrition through a large catheter inserted directly into the vein) on a long-term basis. Both patients had severe loss of hair. These patients, due to their medical condition, did not manufacture biotin in their gut and consumed no biotin orally or parenterally. Daily supplementation of biotin resulted in the gradual regrowth of healthy hair.

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