It's no secret that healthy, lush hair is a sign of good health. Since the hair and nails get nourished last, brittle hair and nails are usually a very good indicators of nutritional deficiencies.
Iron deficiency is a prime suspect for hair loss.
Iron deficiency:
Iron is important because it helps you get enough oxygen throughout your body. Your body uses iron to make hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a part of your red blood cells. Hemoglobin carries oxygen through your body. If you do not have enough iron, your body makes fewer and smaller red blood cells . Then your body has less hemoglobin, and you cannot get enough oxygen.Iron deficiency is the most common cause of anemia.
Other common symptoms include:
- Hair loss
- Fatigue
- Pale skin
- Reduced cognitive skills
- Feeling cold all the time
- Increased risk of infections
- Irritability
- Brittle nails
Low iron levels can be caused by several different factors, including a variety of medical conditions, diseases and, ultimately, a poor diet. The main contributing factors include:
- Excessive bleeding (heavy menstrual periods in particular, though the bleeding can be gastrointestinal or colorectal, too)
- Medical conditions to slow your ability to absorb iron from your diet
- A poor quality diet
- Blood donation
- Medications or food choices that hinder the absorption of iron in your diet
Daily dose of iron
Women need 14-15 mg of iron in their diet daily. DO NOT overdo the consumption. Overdoing can and will cause more harm than good. It's actually toxic, so if you suspect low iron levels, a blood test is the best place to start.
Vitamin C is known to boost absorption of iron so taking your iron supplement with a glass of juice is well advised. Also, eat plenty of fruits to boost absorption of iron from your diet, in case you opt not to take iron supplements.
Our scalp is like a garden. The stronger the roots, the better is the growth, and foliage (or in this case, hair thickness!!)
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