Selenium Helps Protect your Hair from the Harsh Environment

Most of us will lose some of our hair by the time we are fifty, which is unfortunate and annoying. Hair gets thin and dry and brittle, which can lead to hair loss. There are certain nutrients, like selenium, that are really good for the hair and can keep it in better condition. Selenium can help to minimize hair loss if you use it in the right dose. Here’s how it works.

The body needs certain nutrients for all of its tissues, including hair. According to the Huntington College of Health Sciences, a deficiency of selenium in your diet can cause problems with your hair growing the way you would like it to. The University of Maryland Medical Center says that selenium works because it’s an antioxidant that helps to reverse some of the damage in the body from environmental effects. Selenium is also really good for your immune system too. Because of all this, the selenium helps with hair growth.

You are probably now wondering where you can get selenium from. Eat lots of liver and fish to get selenium in your diet. Eat a lot of butter, whole grains, and even garlic to get the selenium your body needs. You can also get selenium in the form of a vitamin as well, but don’t take more than fifty mcg per day. This is because if you take way too much selenium, it can actually become toxic to your body. So, use it in moderation.

You might not know this, but selenium can not only help you to grow your hair, but it’s good for your health overall. It helps with the repair of environmental damage. It can also help with the health of your heart and can help to boost resistance to some kinds of cancer, so it is imperative to have it in your diet.

Resources

• http://drlwilson.com/Articles/SELENIUM.htm
• http://www.hchs.edu/literature/Hair.pdf
• http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/selenium-000325.htm

Para-aminobenzoic acid, often referred to as PABA, is a nutrient that has been suggested to increase the health of one’s hair and skin. Although this nutrient is known as vitamin Bx, it is not a vitamin by classification. Para-aminobenzoic acid is enclosed in a form of folic acid, a B vitamin, thus this nutrient is a complex of the B vitamin.

PABA occurs naturally in the human body. This nutrient is processed from good bacteria which may be found in our intestines. This nutrient improves the body’s ability to breakdown protein and allows our bodies to use it more efficiently. These functions are very important for healthy hair.

A primary cause of hair loss and early hair graying is an insufficiency of B vitamins. If you are losing hair or you have noticed your hair is beginning to grey, you can renovate its original pigment and help regrowth of the hair by using PABA supplements. However, this action is effective only if your hair loss or graying is a product of a vitamin B deficiency. Typically, the hair color can be restored when one practices a vitamin B rich diet, or adds in supplements with Para-aminobenzoic acid. However, even if the color is not restored, the hair will be much stronger and healthier.

In addition to hair health, Para-aminobenzoic acid has antioxidant properties and helps to reduce the damage caused by the sun’s rays. Because of this property, this nutrient is found in various sunscreen products, which can help reduce the damage that is caused to the skin when outdoors.

This nutrient is essential for hair growth, and when there is a shortage of this nutrient the hair will suffer. Paying attention to maintaining a proper diet and preserving your general health will allow your body to send the proper nutrients to your skin and hair. Remember to minimize your intake of saturated fat, salt, sugar, and caffeine. This will allow your body to work more effectively and support your general health.

Resources

• http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002518.htm