Editor’s note: This article has been reprinted. First published December 3, 2016.
It’s a sign that you’re getting older. Some people call it a sign of wisdom. It varies from person to person and seems to run as a family unit. Some people do their best to cover it up or use other methods to get rid of it, while others barely notice and simply get on with living their lives.
What is it? Gray road. Gray hair has been, for lack of a better phrase, a “state of the art” since the beginning of time. Like taxes or other things we won’t mention, “earning” gray hair is inevitable for the majority of people.
Proverbs says, “Gray hair (‘white hair’ in the King James Version) is a crown of glory, to be found in the path of righteousness.” This observable fact was associated with aging because humans lived long enough to experience privilege. The alternatives are generally undesirable.
They’ve been saying for years that it’s genetic. But is this really the case when hair turns gray prematurely? Science tells us that it is something that is at least partially holistic.
Description of the hair growth and pigmentation process
conversation1 It turns out that there is a “plausible biological mechanism” by which stress can cause hair to turn gray in a short period of time. This is especially true of horrendous hair growth. However, the signaling proteins involved in this process are the same that generate and activate pain signals.
“Human hair cycles between the anagen phase, the telogen phase, and the resting phase. During the anagen phase, when hair grows, pigment is produced in the hair follicles to color the hair.
The length of the anagen phase depends on genes and levels of certain hormones. It can be anywhere from 2 to 8 years.
When hair follicles are told to exit the anagen phase, they stop producing any more hair and begin preparing for the telogen phase. “The telogen phase lasts for 6 to 18 months at a time before returning to the anagen phase.”
This is where it gets interesting. After about 10 of these cycles, there is no more pigment left in the hair follicles, resulting in hair with no pigment at all. The natural living idea is explained as follows:2
“Every hair on your head actually starts out white and is colored by a natural pigment called melanin. As the hair grows, melanocytes (cells that produce melanin) deliver melanin to each hair follicle, seamlessly coloring each strand of hair. .
As we age, the activity of melanocytes slows down and eventually stops, causing hair to lose pigment.
Genetics, hormones and environmental pollutants can accelerate the graying process, but the sad truth is that your chances of going gray increase by 10 to 20 percent for every 10 years after age 30.”
When does gray hair appear?
People are said to go “prematurely greying” when invisible signs of age begin to appear before their 20s. That’s because it’s so rare. Race also plays a role. White people experience this more often than African Americans.
Canities subita is a term used to describe someone who turns gray overnight, or at least very quickly, as in the case of Marie Antoinette. In the case of Marie Antoinette, her hair was said to have turned gray the night before her beheading, but guards could have refused her hair dye. She used to cover it up. After all, she was just days away from her 38th birthday.3
Scientists today believe that premature graying may be linked to environmental pollution or lifestyle factors.4 Dr. Marie Jhin, board-certified dermatologist and director of Premier Dermatology in San Francisco, explains a few different scenarios.
• stress – Studies have shown a link between gray hair and stress. natural medicine5 Although New York University published a study conducted on mice and concluded that stress can actually deplete stem cells at the base of hair follicles, there is nothing to indicate that this affects hair color.
• Health status — Thyroid disease or pituitary gland problems can cause the onset of gray hair. Or, as in the study above, hair follicle problems that cause hair loss, conditions such as alopecia or vitiligo, causing the skin to lose color.
“Autoimmunity means your own cells attack the body,” says Jihn. “So when the body attacks the hair cells, the result can be graying.”6
• Vitamin deficiency — You may have vitamin B12 deficiency, and certain conditions make you more at risk for vitamin B12 deficiency, such as vegetarians or vegans, people with Crohn’s disease, which prevents the body from absorbing vitamin B12, people who have had gastric bypass surgery, and people taking certain medications. It can get dangerous. These include contraception, anemia, etc.
• Nicotine — Smokers may not realize how damaging their habit can be to their hair and skin.
In fact, Jihn says this is one of the worst things you can do, and that there is a link between premature aging (premature graying) and smoking. Again, this is because the hair follicles are affected.
• Lack of sun — Hair follicles contain vitamin D, so if you don’t get enough of the “sunshine vitamin,” your hair may begin to become pigmented. But it’s not the sunlight hitting your hair that matters. It is important to expose your skin to sunlight on a regular basis because your skin absorbs vitamin D from sunlight.7
Jihn argues that these factors have a greater influence on hair color than genes. But “if you’re experiencing premature graying and don’t have a family history of it, you should see your doctor to make sure your thyroid is OK, your vitamin levels are good, and you don’t have anemia.”8
What You Eat Affects Gray Hair Condition
Catalase is a powerful antioxidant enzyme that exists in plant and animal cells and breaks down hydrogen peroxide. So, scientists say it also helps prevent the development of gray hair. Natural Living Ideas says hydrogen peroxide:9
“A naturally occurring waste by-product of metabolic processes… is thought to be a major contributor to the breakdown of pigment in the hair. As you age, your body produces less catalase, which leads to a buildup of hydrogen peroxide in the hair follicles — literally moving the hair follicles from the inside out. Bleached.
By eating foods high in catalase, such as garlic, onions, cauliflower, potatoes, broccoli, kale, and cabbage, you can reintroduce the gray hair-fighting enzyme into your body, gradually restoring safe, youthful hair pigmentation. All natural processes.”
Keep in mind that hair turns gray when the pigment cells at the base of the hair follicle, which are responsible for the color of the hair, no longer form.10 Researchers say there are foods that can cause the buildup of silver strands and even foods you can eat to prevent them.
Copper and zinc – hair color minerals
Researchers measured the amount of copper, zinc, and iron in the blood of 66 study subjects under the age of 20 who had prematurely grayed their hair, and found that copper levels were significantly lower than in people of the same age who had not grayed their hair.11
Both prawns and prawns contain zinc, which experts say helps maintain natural hair color. There is a difference whether it is cooked or raw. A 3-ounce serving of cooked crustaceans, such as shrimp or shrimp, contains 1.39 milligrams (mg) of zinc.12 The raw version has 1.14 mg.13
Heal With Food points out that the zinc in these seafood plays an important role in the creation of new cells, including new hair and skin cells, which helps increase hair thickness and enhance color.14 Pumpkin and cheese also contain zinc.
When it comes to shrimp and shrimp, keep in mind that farmed shrimp tend to be much more contaminated than wild shrimp, and less than 2% of shrimp imported into the U.S. are inspected by U.S. regulators.
However, while shrimp, like wild fish, can be a delicious and nutritious food, it is important to find wild shrimp harvested in the cleanest cold water possible.
