July 20, 2008

Losing Your Hair? Try These natural Hair Loss Vitamins

by Glenn Turner

The quest to find the most effective solution to hair loss is one that has the medical and scientific community the world over hard at work. And while there are certainly some very effective pharmaceutical type hair loss treatments available today, for many people looking to avoid the possible side-effects of prescription drugs and hair loss medications, natural vitamins for hair loss can provide an effective and healthy alternative.

While there are obviously many different causes of hair loss, a deficiency of certain nutrients and vitamins that have an influence on preventing hair loss, and a role in maintaining healthy normal hair, has been found to be one of the main causes of hair loss today.

While all vitamins are essential for optimum health, as far as the health of your hair is concerned the vitamins for hair loss that need to be considered as most important are the B group of vitamins. To prevent hair loss and maintain strong and healthy hair the main B vitamins we need to have adequate supplies of are Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Inositol and Biotin. If there is a significant hair loss problem these B vitamins can be taken in high doses to help stop further loss and encourage new growth.

Research has shown that Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) and Folic Acid are especially important, with B6 being clinically proven to stimulate hair growth when taken in a sufficient dosage while long-term deficiency of Folic Acid has been shown to cause total baldness in some cases.

However the "shovel approach" where mega doses of vitamins for hair loss are taken indiscriminately, with a more is better type of thinking can often cause more harm than good with overdoses of certain vitamins being known to actually cause hair loss.

Vitamin A for example is one such nutrient where excessive doses have been proven to actually cause a loss of hair.

So rather than taking vitamin E and mineral supplements in a hit or miss fashion a specific supplementation program needs to be put in place. Nutrition should always start with the food we eat to making sure you have a well-balanced diet is the first step should be taken. Additionally a complex B vitamin supplement should be added on a daily basis.

Dosage of various nutrients when used therapeutic li always needs to be monitored to make sure you're getting the maximum benefit from a supplements. That being said the following dosages should be thought of as a minimum daily dose for most people looking to use vitamin B as part of their hair loss nutritional programme. Inositol 500-1000mg, Pyridoxine (VitaminB6) 50mg, Folic Acid 1mg. Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5) 50mg, Biotin 25mcg. Niacin (Vitamin B3) 100-300mg.

While it is difficult to get the appropriate levels of these natural hair loss vitamins from food alone there are some foods that you may like to include in your diet that are generally good sources of these essential nutrients.

Lentils, green peas, walnuts, sunflower seeds, carrots, soybeans, oats, brown rice, bulgur, cauliflower, brewer's yeast, bran, peas, nuts, eggs and beans are fantastic sources of the essential natural hair loss vitamins that your body needs to combat hair loss and encourage re-growth of your hair.

As well as the specific hair loss nutrients we have discussed there are a number of vital nutrients that we need to make sure we are getting adequate supplies of. These nutrients are essential for normal functioning of the body and if they are missing it will undermine any hair loss treatment program we are using.

Vitamin E and Vitamin C are important antioxidants that are essential to our health and well-being. In relation to hair loss vitamin E acts as a carrier of oxygen in the blood and is vital to circulation generally and can help with circulation in the scalp. 1200 IU is considered a safe medicinal dose.

Similarly Vitamin C also has an effect on circulation in the scalp and helps to maintain healthy and strong capillaries through which blood flows to the hair follicles. 2000mg would be the recommended daily dose.

When beginning your vitamins for hair loss program start with the recommended daily dose and slowly increase your dosage until you get to the recommended therapeutic dose (usually significantly stronger dosage than daily maintenance dose). There is no need to overdose here as this can create just as many problems as the nutrient deficiencies you are trying to treat.

If that all sounds a little complicated consider visiting a naturopath or dietician. These trained professionals will take the guess work out of what you need and the amounts you need and will create a personally tailored hair loss treatment program.

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Filed under health information by Glenn Turner

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