Lots of people talk about the possibility of certain vitamin deficiencies causing hair loss. If eating right were the crux of the problem many of us suffering from hair loss would be cured and most fast-food junkies would be bald. This is another idea that doesn't hold water across the board, but that doesn't mean taking supplements and eating well aren't important, it's just not the be-all and end-all of hair loss.
Still, if your diet isn't optimal, your hair could suffer, so a discussion of vitamin, mineral, nutrient, and herbal supplementation is certainly in order with the following caveat: Unlike pharmaceutical products, supplements often don't undergo rigorous clinical testing. This is slowly changing as the popularity of alternative medicines is driving the industry to uniformity, but you need to use a certain amount of caution when taking any supplement for your hair, whether or not it is deemed "natural."
The main thing about eating well and hair loss is that you don't want to be yo-yo dieting, having your weight go up and down-no rapid weight loss, in other words.
Doctors advise a commonsense diet with complex carbohydrates to keep your metabolism on a steady level, while avoiding high-sugar snacks.
So, really, there is no "hair loss diet," per se. Know your body, talk to your doctor if you are overweight, and ask to have a dietitian help work out a healthful, well-balanced weight-loss plan-one with your hair in mind!
Remember: plenty of anorexic and bulimic people do not lose their hair. Lots of people eat all the wrong things and yet have a wonderful head of hair and somehow also remain disease-free.
My theory is that those of us who are prone to hair loss must make every effort to be as optimally healthy as possible. It is my opinion that for us, our hair is our Achilles heel and the barometer for our overall health. So eat well, and exercise regularly. Being healthy is important for more than just our hair, and while it may not help grow more hair, it probably will help us better maintain what we have.
