Feb
12, 2019
- 5 min read
BALDNESS, INFLAMMATION AND FISH INTAKE by Margo Belton
Baldness,
inflammation and Seafood intake
By Margo Belton
Feb 12 2019
originally for www.seafood4unow.com
Baldness in both sexes
is rarely discussed with the generalist doctor. Those who are
fortunate to have a specialist doctor may get quality time when
discussing baldness. But the Internet has become the go-to source for
addressing baldness. Are you getting the right answers? Or is your
wallet going to be held hostage until your hair finally comes back?
This is what you are missing from both the hair pill
websites/infomercials and your dermatologist.
You need to augment
your menu, your food intake with anti-inflammatory foods- because
baldness is an inflammatory condition.
No kidding. Additionally,
inflammation can be caused by hormonal changes as we age. So the big
question is can you slow down inflammation and speed up hair
regeneration? Yes and No.
Baldness and Inflammation -Part 1
A better
way to answer the question and solve the problem is to realize that
as you throw $$$ at the aggressive solutions to baldness i.e. hair
implants and direct stimulation of follicles, very rarely does the
doctor recommend that you eat healthier. To reduce systemic
inflammation, why not make dietary improvements? Get more bang for
your buck.
Baldness and Inflammation part 2
On the other hand, if you
are utilizing the pill route or the pill and hair lotion route, you
may be sabotaging your results with a poor quality food intake. Pills
work well when the intake of foods support absorption. Pills do not
work as well when repair is needed at the gut level. Eventually what
you eat gets into your hair, and hair is living tissue. But why slow
the effort down with junk food? Feeding the body during illness is
essential, feeding the body through diseases that cause baldness
should also be essential. In most baldness disease it is the
follicles that hold the hair that is dying. The follicles shrink; it
is similar to having the earth around a plant slowly go to a desert.
Is your problem here?
If your head is the desert, how many ways can
the hair die? Here is an incomplete list of hair loss/hair thinning
conditions:
Mycotic infections related to hair loss
Iron deficiency
anemia related hair loss
Chemotherapy-related baldness hair loss
Lupus erythematosus related hair loss
Alopecia areata Hypothyroidism
related hair loss
Hyperthyroidism related hair loss
Trichotillomania
Lichen planis related hair loss
Folliculitis decalvans related hair
loss
Centrifugal cicatricial hair loss
All of these conditions will
trigger an immune response. When the immune response is triggered
inflammation is a byproduct. It is war. As you suffer through the
hair loss cycle it takes time to reach the growth phase, which has
been affected by inflammation.
What is optimal hair growth anyway?
Optimal hair growth is a cycle that happens regardless of the season.
This is how hair grows.
Anagen, the long-growth phase
Catagen, a
shorter phase during which the follicles grow slower
Telogen, a
resting phase
Exogen, the hair loss stage signaling the start of a
new cycle
How long does it take?
You may be noticing that your scalp
aka skin is taking its time responding to whatever treatment- pills,
stimulation cap, implants. It has been suggested that stress affects
this cycle which is why a lot of over the counter hair restoration
pills contain biotin and all the B vitamins. This is a partial
remedy. B vitamins do address stress in the body. However, the
average person tossing down vitamins missed this important concept of
college science classes. B vitamins are Co-Factors in the factor
called the human body. The B vitamins need a template to work with
which is why they are Co-factors and not the Main factors. In fact,
if there are too many co-factors and not enough templates, nothing
happens.
A picture is 1000 words:
Here is what happens genetically
/hormonally/ chemically LOCK AND KEY MODEL OF ENZYME/SUBSTRATE how
vitamins and food work chemically see this link (1) COFACTOR in
yellow
How to
support positive changes ?
If the lock does not find the key, nothing
happens. No changes. No growth. No blocking inflammation.
Start
supporting the skin, and the skin on your head with oil- not the kind
you rub in, but the kind you ingest. The jury is out on most topical
hair enhancement oils like bergamot, sulfur-containing products,
hibiscus, coconut, argan oil, even peppermint …the marketing of all
these different topical substances tend to be trendy. Do these
topically applied oils work as advertised?
Topically applied oils
work well by locking in moisture, protecting the scalp. As for
stimulating follicles to stay open- no so much. Why? What if there is
no moisture to lock in? The oil coats the hair shaft until the oil
dries up, or is absorbed by a hat. It makes sense that if you want
the oil to be effective, it needs to be supplied from internal
sources, just like hair vitamins.
Best Solution
Go eat some Salmon or
sardines. The oils from these highly active fish circulate in the
bloodstream, chemically acting as switches at inflammation sites.
They are the other factor coordinating with the B vitamins and all
the other vitamins/minerals B vitamins you may take. (3) Hair
vitamins with the B vitamin complex B1, B2 etc) then act
enzymatically with the omega 3 6 9 oils on a template called a
substrate.
(2) Do you want faster results?
Make sure your problem is
not systemic inflammation. This means a modified food intake, less
red meat, wild caught fish, olive oil drizzled onto foods (not fried
in the olive oil, etc.) You can consult the chefs at
www.seafood4unow.com
/ (720) 331-4525 for suggestions. Conclusion If your hair follicles
are the main inflammation site, your food intake will affect this
area. If your balding is also addressed internally, your whole body,
including your hair, will benefit.(2) The research shows that Omega
3,6 and 9 oils in your bloodstream from a consistent wild caught fish
diet will make a difference in the hair cycle.
REFERENCES
Links
retrieved 2/11/2019 & 5/21/2020
(1) Thomas Shafee – illustrator
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enzyme#/media/File:Hexokinase_induced_fit.svg
(2) a plain language section for non-scientists October 6,
2018, Dermatological Therapy The Role of Vitamins and Minerals in
Hair Loss: A Review (20 pages including at the
end 100 other references for more research on hair loss studies)
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s13555-018-0278-6