Hair Loss and Vitamin D
Wondering what hair loss and Vitamin D have to do with each other? First, let's learn about Vitamin D.
Vitamin D is medically known as Calciferol but is more popularly called the “sunshine vitamin”, the only vitamin our human body can naturally produce through some exposure to sunlight. It is a fat-soluble, pro-hormone vitamin that helps the body to absorb calcium and phosphorus in the bloodstream which is essential for bone mineralization, bone growth
and bone health in general.
It was also discovered that Vitamin D reduces the risk of various cancers, diabetes and auto-immune diseases.
However as any other vitamin, excessive vitamin D can promote toxicity which can lead to the development of kidney stones, high blood pressure (hypertension), nausea, urinary and gastrointestinal problems.
Also, in your desire to get as much Vitamin D, overexposure to sunlight will increase your skin’s melanin production and thus results in skin darkening. The right amount of direct sun exposure could only be 5-15 minutes, preferably in the early morning i.e. from 6 am up to, but not exceeding 10 am.
On the other hand, Vitamin D deficiency can cause rickets, osteoporosis, osteomalacia, liver and kidney disorders. It can also make us prone to tuberculosis, high blood pressure, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, memory loss and other seasonal affective disorder.
Vitamin D is beneficial to the development and maintenance of our healthy hair that is why it is said to be “the vitamin for hair loss”. It is responsible for the maturity of hair follicles and it has the necessary fatty acids which help eliminate dandruff, scalp psoriasis and hair loss by regulating the flow of oils and by nourishing the collagen, a connective tissue beneath the skin that holds the hair structure.
As earlier stated, vitamin D helps in the absorption of calcium and hair also needs calcium for strength. Lack of this vitamin will make the hair follicles malnourished, creating weaker strands which can easily fall off.
Hair loss should not be attributed to vitamin D deficiency alone. As discussed in other articles, there are many causes of hair loss, this can only be one of the many reasons.
Vitamin D is not hard to get, you just step out of your house to get some light for a few minutes and your body takes care of the rest. It can also be found in fish liver oils, oysters and most dairy products like butter, cream, margarine, yogurt, cheese and milk while some solid and liquid foods are oftentimes fortified.
As you can see, hair loss and vitamin d are related so if you're experiencing an issue with your hair, make sure you're getting your vitamins.
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