Natural treatments for hair loss
This Week In The HSI Healthier Talk Community
In several discussions about hair loss on the HSI Healthier Talk community forums, members have connected these dots:
- Hair loss may be due in part to iron deficiency (according to a new study detailed in the e-Alert “Brain Drain” 6/21/06 – see below)
- Iron deficiency is linked to a deficiency of folate
- Folate deficiency can be alleviated with supplements of folic acid and vitamin B-12
One of the hair loss threads starts off with this posting from a member named Jmoore207: “Does anyone know of any natural cure for hair loss (male pattern baldness)? I heard a cream made of pectin works. Any other ideas?”
Sally B.: “I saw a doctor on tv who has a clinic in Romania, he moved there from the US so he could do research that would not be allowed here. He says that 5 grams daily of folic acid will absolutely grow hair with no side effects. He has spent years doing research with folic acid. He also said the FDA was going to be really mad because he told the truth about folic acid and hair growth.”
[NOTE: “5 grams” should actually be “5 milligrams”]
Donna: “Has anyone tried the folic acid remedy? Except my husband – who now has hair coming in all the old bald spots? TRY IT, it’s just amazing! He’s been taking 3800 mcg in the AM, and 3800 mcg in the evening.”
Allspice: “I personally have used the folic acid/B 12 sublingual lozenges for over a year and haven’t seen one bit of improvement, but we are all different. I keep taking it because it’s probably doing something good somewhere else in my body!”
Mary: “Try rosemary oil.”
Seymore: “Some foods (like avocados) contain phytochemicals (like sterols, for instance) that may combat hair loss.”
Greenley: “Sodium Lauryl (Laureth) Sulfate (SLS) may cause hair loss. Look at your shampoo. Does what you are using have this ingredient? Since I stopped using that several months ago my hair is slowly coming back! High blood pressure drugs, stress and yeast can cause some hair loss as well. If you don’t think you have yeast issues you may want to rethink that one. Just in case, check that out.”
Val WA: “You should have your thyroid levels checked, as poor thyroid function can contribute to hair loss. I’ve had this experience. When my thyroid function was restored, my hair stopped falling out.”
Other topics being discussed this week in the Healthier Talk community forums include:
- Hormones: Hypothyroid
- Vitamin Questions: Type of calcium
- General Health Topics: Bromelain and hypertension
- Heart: Cayenne for heart first aid
- Food Questions: Raw milk
- Vision: Extremely dry eyes
