meat/lack of meat link to hairloss?

[mr_sparkle]

Basically I have quit meat for a while for various reasons but the most important being ethical ones, but also because I wanted to get more soya and tofu in my diet and meat replacements have tonnes.

However my hair seems much thinner. I put off quitting meat for a LONG time because I was worried it would affect my hair (selfish I know, but in the end my hair is VERY important to me!) and I fear it has.

However it may just be a case of it just further thinning regardless of diet(OR..because I haven't cut it in AGES and so seems thinner) and I'm paranoid and trying to find a reason.

If it makes no difference than brilliant as I have NO desire to eat meat. However if there's a study proving it's good for hair than maybe....

 

[manpretty]

There is no direct corellation between not eating meat and hair loss. HOWEVER, there are numerous studies that have shown that poor nutrition and not getting enough protein DO cause hair loss. So it's cool to do the vegetarian thing, just as long as you're getting your protein from other sources like soy, cheese, and nuts.

 

[hairwegoagain]

Inherited male pattern baldness happens whether you eat meat or not. Eating meat does not lead to male pattern baldness. Either you're vulnerable or you're not. Nothing changes that. Maybe someday. You can eat all the sprouts and tofu you wish...it's gonna go through due course. Treatments can stop, slow, or perhaps regrow...but passing on the filet mignon won't magically change your predisposition.

Basically I have quit meat for a while for various reasons but the most important being ethical ones, but also because I wanted to get more soya and tofu in my diet and meat replacements have tonnes.

However my hair seems much thinner. I put off quitting meat for a LONG time because I was worried it would affect my hair (selfish I know, but in the end my hair is VERY important to me!) and I fear it has.

However it may just be a case of it just further thinning regardless of diet(OR..because I haven't cut it in AGES and so seems thinner) and I'm paranoid and trying to find a reason.

If it makes no difference than brilliant as I have NO desire to eat meat. However if there's a study proving it's good for hair than maybe....

 

[The Gardener]

What's unethical about eating meat? There is carnivorism throughout nature.

 

[cook'n'milkies]

I think he means how animals raised for food are treated. Nobody questions whether eating meat is ethical, you know that.

 

[Axon]

There are many people who will threaten to kill you even if you hunt to eat.

 

[goingoinbutnotgone]

Bump to vegetariantalk.

I'm sure I read somewhere that consuming animal fat certainly does raise DHT levels. I'm sure it's ethical to eat fish. :lol:

 

[mr_sparkle]

it's obvious that meat or not eating meat will not ultimately determine whether you lose hair.

However, it is know that certain things such as Green Tea, Soya etc have nutrients good for healthy hair, and other things such as coffee, have the opposite.

I'm asking whether meat fits in with green tea and that which could be a good thing to eat if you are battling hairloss, or whether it is the opposite.

Don't bother with the "should we eat meat?" discussion cos it's pointless. Quitting it was a personal choice and I don't give a crap if others eat meat or not, I just don't want to. But if it is going to be a factor in helping hairloss I MAY have to reconsider.

 

[Aplunk1]

proteins, I could only assume that they certainly help, probably with the thickness of the hair shafts.

 

[amrod]

ive been vegetarian since like 5 years old and i started losing hair at 15... im not sure theres a link or not but im sure havng a healthy,balanced diet cant hurt

 

[mr_sparkle]

that's sh*t. I was enjoying not eating meat! It seems here that eating meat is probably good for hair and quitting it was a bad idea.

But are there any studies or anything? If I found out that further hair loss (i.e I've been losing hair but has gotten a LOT thinner recently SINCE quitting meat) was due to the lack of meat I'd have to say I'd get back onto eating the stuff....

 

[anonyone]

I've been wondering if I have a zinc deficiency as I eat very few foods that contain it (ie meat) and it is supposed to be necessary for hair growth.

 

[science-jay]

Here's a study -- http://tofu.researchtoday.net/archive/2/8/9.htm

Association of serum phytoestrogen concentration and dietary habits in a sample set of the JACC Study.

Ozasa K, Nakao M, Watanabe Y, Hayashi K, Miki T, Mikami K, Mori M, Sakauchi F, Washio M, Ito Y, Suzuki K, Kubo T, Wakai K, Tamakoshi A,

Department of Epidemiology for Community Health and Medicine, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine Graduate School of Medical Science, Japan. kozasa@koto.kpu-m.ac.jp

BACKGROUND: Phytoestrogens may be associated with a reduced risk of hormone dependent neoplasms such as prostate and breast cancers. We tried to determine the validity of the association between serum phytoestrogen concentrations and dietary habits obtained from a food frequency questionnaire used in the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study (JACC Study) for Evaluation of Cancer Risk sponsored by the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture of Japan (Monbusho). METHODS: The subjects were 151 male controls who were selected for a nested case-control study for evaluating prostate cancer risk as part of the JACC Study. Dietary habits were determined using a food frequency questionnaire at baseline, and the concentrations of genistein, daidzein, and equol in frozenstored serum samples assayed in 2002 were compared. RESULTS: Tofu intake showed a significant association with the serum concentrations of genistein and daidzein (Spearman's correlation coefficients (rs)=0.30 and 0.27, respectively), and miso soup showed a slight association with serum concentrations of these phytoestrogens. In contrast, serum concentrations of equol were not associated with dietary intake of tofu and miso soup. After adjustment for serum daidzein concentration, serum equol concentration was associated with the intake of foods containing fat, meat, and coffee, but not green tea. CONCLUSIONS: Serum genistein and daidzein concentrations were significantly associated with dietary intake of tofu, and slightly with intake of miso soup. Consumption of fat, meat, and coffee may be associated with equol production by intestinal microflora in this sample set.

Published 29 August 2005 in J Epidemiol, 15: S196-202.

It's been said that equol will attach to DHT and prevent it from attaching to the receptors.

It was also speculated that eating soy products would produce more equol through the digestive process. But this study seems to conflict with that assessment.

the effects of natural products are difficult to understand/prove etc:
sometimes a low concentration of the same ingrdient has exactly the opposite effect of a large concentration of the same product...