Caught yourself worrying about your hair health more frequently these days?

Watching your hair slowly shed every day is a valid cause for concern and stress.

If you are contemplating taking vitamins and zinc for hair regrowth, here are some things to keep in mind before you start looking for a way to reverse thinning hair!

Does Zinc Help Hair Growth?

Zinc helps facilitate important bodily functions such as immunity, physical growth and development, wound healing, etc.

According to a study, published by the National Institutes of Health, USA (1988), zinc inhibits the formation of steroids that are associated with male pattern baldness.

However, prevention is better than cure. There have been instances cited where higher doses of zinc, consumed to compensate for any deficiencies, have led to further hair loss.

Maintaining a Balanced Intake

Ever realized how healthy and luscious hair is an excellent sign of a healthy diet? Just like the rest of our body, hair also requires nourishment and care.

Keeping an eye on your diet and maintaining a balanced, active lifestyle is important not just for your body, but hair as well.

Zinc is an essential trace element in the human body, which means it is found and required in low amounts.

An average adult male requires up to 11 mg of zinc daily, while a female adult needs to take 8 mg of zinc everyday.

A normal, healthy diet would ensure that you meet these requirements, but some conditions such as gastrointestinal disorders, vegetarianism, alcoholism, pregnancy, etc. can lead to lower zinc levels in the body.

Natural Sources of Zinc

The body does not naturally produce zinc, so it needs to be ingested from food or other supplements.

Here are a few natural sources of zinc, instead of hair growth pills, that actually work:

# Oysters
# Red meat and poultry
# Seafoods such as crab and lobster
# Baked kidney beans
# Chickpeas
# Pumpkins seeds
# Cashews
# Almonds
# Dairy products

According to NIH, amongst a wide range of foods containing zinc, animal proteins are considered to be the best source.

Plant-based foods such as whole-grain breads, legumes or cereals also contain phytates, which is a substance that binds zinc and inhibits its absorption into our bloodstream.

Simply put, we tend to absorb lesser amounts of zinc from plant-based meals alone.

This is why consuming only a vegan diet can put you at higher risk of zinc deficiency, and subsequent hair loss.

In such cases, consulting a dermatologist and taking zinc supplements would be advisable.

Conclusion

So, in conclusion, does zinc reverse hair loss? While hair loss is an important symptom of zinc deficiency, there is no scientific proof that consumption of zinc can slow down or reverse hair loss.

A balanced consumption of minerals and vitamins for hair growth and thickness is the first step towards hair vitality!