Your hair is a big indicator of your overall health. This is why people who have poor nutrition often have brittle, damaged or thining hair. A major contributing factor to hair loss is vitamin deficiency. Missing important vitamins or minerals, such as zinc, can cause hair loss in men and women.
Significance
Hair has been likened to the trunk of a tree, because it is layered like a tree's structure and also because the nutrients present in the body as the hair grows are often stored in the hair's shaft. Because of this, any nutrients that you are or aren't consuming can have an effect on hair. One of the most important nutrients that your body needs for healthy hair is zinc.
Function
Zinc helps the body to sustain healthy hair growth in multiple ways. First, zinc helps the body to utilize protein. Since the hair is made up of keratin---dead cells that are made from protein---zinc contributes to the speedy growth of hair on the head. Additionally, zinc helps to support immune function. Illnesses are another means through which the body loses hair rapidly.
Vitamins
Zinc helps the body to synthesize other vitamins and minerals, such as the B vitamins and vitamin E. These vitamins have also been shown to promote . Lack of zinc can reduce the effectiveness of other vitamins in the body.
Deficiency
According to the website Mothernature.com, zinc is only required in small amounts for the body. For this reason, zinc is known as a trace mineral. The primary source for zinc in humans is in the soil. All zinc comes from the soil, which is then absorbed by plants. From there it is consumed by animals. Humans would ideally get their zinc from an omnivorous diet; however, in parts of the United States there is not enough food in the soil to contribute enough zinc.
Imbalance
Some studies show that zinc deficiency can be caused by a hormonal imbalance, specifically when estrogen hormones are out of balance. Zinc and estrogen are natural antagonists. And while too little estrogen can allow androgens such as testosterone to lead to hair loss, too much estrogen can also cause hair loss by inhibiting zinc. By balancing estrogen hormones, you can help prevent hair loss.
Tags: hair loss, helps body, cause hair, cause hair loss, estrogen hormones, hair growth