Doctors on Hair Loss & Hair Transplant surgery.

Do you recommend Zinc to treat hair loss

is a Zinc whitish metal that acts as an essential nutrient in humans. Its deficiency leads to a number of biochemical and physiological problems; it is required for hundreds of different biochemical reactions, so not having enough can affect many different systems in the body. Zinc helps the immune system stay strong so we can fight infection; it helps with growth and healing, and keeps our senses of smell and taste intact!

Some of the causes of zinc deficiency include chromic alcoholism, malnutrition, malabsorption (problems absorbing nutrients from the gut), vegetarianism (because plants provide much less zinc than animal products like meats), high intake of iron, and diarrhea. Dietary sources of zinc include meats, some seafood, dairy products, and nuts; people with meat/seafood in their diets absorb more zinc than people with largely plant proteins. Oysters have the highest zinc content of any food. Since zinc is known to have an effect on sexual function and fertility, perhaps this is where the age-old reputation oysters have as an aphrodisiac!

Supplementation of zinc may be necessary in some people prone to low zinc levels. Some people believe that in modern times our foods are so low in nutrients, that supplementing is always needed (although this is not the opinion of the scientific community as a whole). The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of zinc is around 10 mg per day for healthy adults. The upper limit considered safe is 40 mg per day for healthy adults. High intake of zinc (150 to 450 mg per day or more) may cause a number of health problems. Among these are low levels of copper, depressed immune system function with increased susceptibility to infection, retarded growth in children, loss of appetite, sexual dysfunction with erectile dysfunction in males, hair loss, diarrhea, delayed wound healing, slowed mental function, and altered taste and smell.

What scientific evidence is there for treating problems with zinc? There is strong evidence for using it to treat children in developing countries that have severe diarrhea, for treatment of stomach ulcers, and in the blood disease sickle cell anemia. There is good, but less strong evidence for the following:

• Acne

• ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder)

• Down’s syndrome associated problems

• Fungus infections of the scalp

• Herpes virus infections

• High cholesterol

• Immune system boosting

• Plaque on teeth and gingivitis of the gums

Wilson’s disease, which causes abnormally high copper levels (remember how we said that too much zinc lowered copper levels in the body?)

There is possible evidence for zinc improving hair loss, but more high quality studies are needed to find out the truth about this issue. We do know, however, that a deficiency of zinc can definitely cause hair loss, among other physical problems. It is just not clear yet (because of a lack of scientific studies) that supplementing zinc in people with normal or abnormal levels will delay or stop hair loss and/or stimulate the growth of hair. This does not mean that zinc will not improve hair loss; it just means that there is not enough definitive evidence from valid studies to recommend its use without reservation.
Despite this lack of evidence, many books and websites recommend various dosages of zinc, in addition to selenium and other trace elements, as well as vitamins and other supplements. It is necessary to evaluate these recommendations in terms of whether the supplementation is beneficial to the body as a whole, and whether there is any risk of toxicity at the doses recommended. Then informed decisions can be made.

Tags: causes of zinc deficiency, hair loss, hair loss treatments, healing, iron, sources of zinc, zinc

| Ask a Question |  Print This Post