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Healthy hair is a boon that few people get by birth and even fewer get to enjoy all their life. Hair is not a very vital organ in the body but receives a lot of importance because of the beauty it adds to the face of a person. Hair is generally considered to be dead but its health is determined by the skin on the scalp as well as the body's internal functioning. Health of the hair sometimes indicates the internal body functioning also. For example, brittle hair is an indication of iron deficiency while prolonged and severe hair loss can mean inefficient functioning of the liver or the thyroid.
There are several indications of unhealthy hair: brittleness, shedding, splitting, dryness or excessive oiliness, premature graying, dandruff etc. There can be several reasons for any of these problems, ranging from lack of proper nutrition in the diet to stress to vitamin deficiency to menstrual problems to external weather conditions to emotional disturbances to prolonged or severe illness. Most of these conditions are caused by improper nutrition that is available to the body. The body takes essential nutrients from the food we take and distributes these nutrients throughout the body. If the food does not contain the necessary vitamins, proteins and minerals, or if the body loses the ability to absorb these nutrients from the food, it leads to diseases, which are reflected on the skin, hair and fingernails. Hence it is very necessary to take a well balanced diet that contains all vitamins and minerals that are required by the body. The necessary vitamins that aid in promoting healthy hair are: vitamin A (produces healthy sebum in the scalp), vitamin C (antioxidant), vitamin E (improves scalp circulation), Biotin (produces Keratin), Inositol (keeps hair follicles healthy), Niacin (promotes scalp circulation) and pantothenic acid, Para-Aminobenzoic Acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 that prevent graying and hair loss. The most common food-based sources of these vitamins are: citrus fruits, green vegetables, fruits like pineapple, strawberries, kiwi, potatoes, green peppers, vegetable oils, soybean, raw seeds, dried beans, wheat germ oil, brewer's yeast, whole grains, eggs, liver, rice, milk, fish, turkey, chicken and red meat. There are several products in the market today in the form of shampoos, oils, conditioners, sprays and other applicants that can be put on externally for improving the health of the hair. These products contain necessary vitamins, protein and mineral supplements that are believed to enter the skin on the scalp and provide proper nourishment to the hair. Apart from these, hair vitamin supplements are also available in tablet/capsule form for internal ingestion. There are numerous companies that are developing hair vitamin products from herbal and traditional ingredients like ginseng, jojoba, green tea, He Shou Wu etc, which are believed to contain the essential vitamins for promoting healthy hair. Today, almost all hair care products advertise the presence of a necessary vitamin in their products that would make the hair thicker, stronger, longer, lustrous, and on the whole, healthier. Viviscal, Shen Min, Nu Hair, Hair Genesis, Fast Grow, Hair Formula 37, Follicare, Melancor and Advesia are some of the popular hair vitamin products available in the market today. There are several websites that provide information about hair vitamin products. There are also exclusive stores that specialize in hair vitamin products. However, it is better to consult a physician before using these products to understand the exact condition of the hair so that the right products can be used.Vitamins, proteins and minerals are the general nutrients that are required for healthy hair. These nutrients are present in the food we take. Lack of these nutrients causes several problems like hair loss, thinning of hair, shedding, brittleness, premature graying, dandruff, and so on. Hence, vitamins are very important in order to have healthy hair. Vitamin E is found in the following food sources: cold pressed vegetable oils, soybeans, wheat germ oil, broccoli, grains, spinach, dried beans, nuts, ready to eat cereals, raw seeds, eggs and green leafy vegetables. Vitamin E is used to prevent sterility and also other diseases like muscular dystrophy. Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant that aids effective circulation in the scalp due to increased oxygen uptake in blood. It aids in supplying oxygen to the blood and thus retards cellular aging. Its anti-oxidating property also helps it to alleviate fatigue, strengthen capillary walls and bring nourishment to cells. It also prevents and dissolves clots in the blood.
vitamin E is found to have some side effects like high blood pressure and reduction in blood clotting.
Vitamin E is found to have a significant influence on the health of not just hair but also skin. Vitamin E is used to prevent sterility and also other diseases like muscular dystrophy. Vitamin A is very useful for healthy sebum in the scalp. Vitamin A can be found in meat, eggs, cabbage, apricots, cheese, carrots, spinach, peaches, milk and fish liver oil. Vitamin E helps in increasing scalp circulation. Vitamin E is found in wheat germ oil, nuts, green leafy vegetables, soybeans, dried beans, raw seeds and cold-pressed vegetable oils. Vitamin E has also been shown to retard the ageing process. Supplement of vitamin E can only be beneficial whether you have grey hair or not. The best natural sources of vitamin E are wheat germ, Soya beans, broccoli, brussel sprouts, spinach and eggs.
It is recommended that Vitamin E be taken at the same time every day. Taking it at meal time has been shown to decrease stomach upset and further enhances its absorption. If you are using it topically, the gel cap needs to be broken and the gel applied to the skin directly. Supplements are not always required as there are some good food sources of Vitamin E. Wheat germ is considered an excellent source providing as much as 54 IU. You can also find Vitamin E in green leafy vegetables, vegetable oils, and many seeds and nuts.
Safety concerns : Recent concerns have been raised about the safety of vitamin E supplementation, particularly in high doses (400 IU/day or greater). An increased risk of bleeding has been proposed, particularly in patients taking blood-thinning agents such as warfarin, heparin, or aspirin; or in patients with vitamin K deficiency. Recent evidence suggests that regular use of high-dose vitamin E supplements may increase the risk of death (from "all causes") by a small amount (1), although a different study found no effects on mortality in women who took 600 IU units daily (2). Caution is warranted.