After I looked in the mirror this morning and was shocked by the few gray hairs reflecting back in my scalp, I asked the internet what is the most important supplements to take to help prevent or reverse gray hair. This is what I found.

Vitamin B12 is involved in the health of melanocytes that are responsible for hair color. Now it’s not shown to reverse gray hair but it can help stop more gray by nourishing these cells.

Zinc is an essential trace element. It inhibits the enzyme procactin that naturally increases with age. Procactin yields harmful DHT, shrinking the follicles causing hair loss in both men and women. Zinc deficiency not only produces problems with hair loss, but also with changes in the scalp. The scalp may become too dry or flaky and may often times be irritated because of the lack of nutrients. Study shows that zinc has been shown to be effective in stopping hair from turning gray. Even when hair is already gray or becoming thinner and balding, zinc can reverse the effects when taken in proper amounts.

Also:
The vitamins considered useful in guarding against premature graying of hair are pantothenic acid, para-aminobenzoic acid (paba), inositol. The minimum daily requirement of these vitamins appears to be 10 mg of pantothenic acid, 100 mg of para-aminobenzoic acid, and 2 gm of inositol. To obtain satisfactory results, all three of these vitamins belonging to the B group should be supplied at one time, preferably in a form which supplies all the B vitamins, such as yeast and liver. The three anti-graying-hair vitamins can also be produced in the intestinal tract by bacteria. Thus, taking a sufficient quantity of yogurt daily and a tablespoonful of yeast before each meal is an excellent remedy for the prevention and treatment of premature graying of hair. If one wishes to take tablets of calcium pantothenate and para-aminobenzoic acid (paba), they should be taken in addition to the yeast and yogurt, and not as a substitute for them.

Hair, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, reflects the quality of blood and the strength of the kidneys. The kidneys and blood have a broader role in TCM than they do in Western physiology. So avoid foods that cause excess uric acid like meat, dairy, fructose, alcohol, and cigarettes.

Foods that are thought to strengthen the blood and kidneys are:
Hijiki seaweed
Blackstrap molasses
Black sesame seeds
Nettles
Wheat grass
Chlorophyll

In Ayurveda, hair is associated with an imbalance in the pitta constitutional type. An imbalance in the vata constitutional type, aggravated by stress, is also associated with premature greying.

A herb that is used in Ayurveda for gray hair is called bringaraja, translated as “king of the hair”. It is taken by mouth to support the liver and kidney energies, however, there aren’t any studies on the safety or effectiveness of this herb. It is also an ingredient in Ayurvedic hair oils and tonics, which are applied topically to the scalp.

Another popular Ayurvedic herb is called amla. It is used for inflammatory conditions, to strengthen eyes, and to address prematurely gray hair.

Ever wondered more about the life supporting vitamins and minerals we depend on and never stop hearing about. This is definitely for the interested and/or nerdy.

Vitamins and minerals are nutrients required in very small amounts for essential metabolic reactions in the body. Some diseases caused by vitamin deficiencies, such as scurvy, have been recognized since antiquity, but it was only in the 20th century that systematic nutritional studies identified the chemical structures of many of these essential compounds. In 1913, Vitamin A was recognized for its importance in vision, and in 1932, Vitamin C was found to be necessary to prevent scurvy. The following paragraphs give some information about the most important vitamins and minerals.

MINERALS

The term “minerals” is applied to chemical elements present in the ash of calcined tissue. Dietary minerals may be present in inorganic salts, or as part of carbon-containing organic compounds. For example, magnesium is present in chlorophyll, the pigment that makes plants green. Six minerals are required by people in gram amounts: sodium (Na), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), phosphorus (P), and chlorine (Cl). Daily requirements range from 0.3 to 2.0 grams per day. Nine trace minerals (microminerals) are required by people in minute amounts: chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iodine (I), iron (Fe), fluorine (F), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), selenium (Se), and zinc (Zn). There are additional requirements for cobalt (Co), but these are generally expressed in terms of the cobalt-containing vitamin B12. All trace minerals are toxic at high levels.

The term Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) is used to represent daily dietary reference values such as Adequate Intake (AI), Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL), Estimated Average Requirements (EAR), Nutrient Reference Value (NRV), and Recommended Dietary Allowance / Intake (RDA / RDI).

Calcium
Calcium (Ca) is the most abundant mineral in the human body. More than 99% of total body calcium is stored in the bones and teeth. Calcium is also found in body fluids where its function is to regulate contractions of blood vessels and muscles. The requirement for calcium is greatest from puberty to maturity, when the body grows very quickly. Milk and dairy products are good sources of calcium.

Age Calcium DRI (mg/day)
0-6 months 210
7-12 months 270
1-3 years 500
4-8 years 800
9-18 years 1300
19-50 years 1000
51+ years 1200

Fluorine
Most of the body’s fluorine (F) is contained in bones and teeth. The main source of fluoride is drinking water. Fluorine hardens tooth enamel and effectively prevents dental caries. Excessive fluorine in drinking water can accumulate in teeth and bones, causing fluorosis. Permanent teeth that develop during high fluorine intake have irregularly distributed chalky patches on the surface of the enamel which become stained yellow or brown, producing a characteristic mottled appearance.

Iodine
iodine (I) is primarily involved in the synthesis of two thyroid hormones, thyroxine and triiodothyronine. In adults, about 80% of the iodide absorbed is trapped by the thyroid gland.

Thyroxine
Most environmental iodine occurs in seawater. People living far from the sea are at particular risk of deficiency. Salt fortified with iodide (typically 70 μg/g) helps ensure adequate intake (100 μg/day). Deficiency is rare in areas where iodized salt is used but common worldwide. Iodine deficiency develops when iodide intake is less than 20 μg/day. In mild or moderate deficiency, the thyroid gland hypertrophies to concentrate iodide in itself, resulting in goiter which is an enlargement of the thyroid gland visible as a swelling of the front of the neck. Excessive iodine consumption can lead to thyrotoxicosis, a condition resulting from high concentrations of thyroid hormones in the body which can result from eating foods that have very high amounts of iodine, such as kombu-type kelp or seaweed.

Continue reading Chemical Structure of Vitamins and Minerals

Sugar is fat. This simple relationship is revealed in this 9 part video series. You absolutely MUST watch this whole series. When sucrose and fructose enter the body the end result through various biochemical reactions actually creates new fat in the body. Featuring Dr. Robert H. Lustig, M.D. of UCSF Division of Endocrinology and Professor of Pediatrics – this lecture is not the over-simplified story of “increased calories from carbohydryates (sugar) of course makes us fat” but the actual hard science that has decoded the fructose mystery. Fructose in nature is embedded with super high levels of fiber. The industrial food companies have spent countless hours of research figuring out how to strip natural foods of this embedded relationship of sugar to fiber. Think of the sweetest food… yup -sugar cane. This plant is basically as fibrous as a stick! And don’t count on the FDA to help here – they are not getting anywhere near this. It’s up to you to educate yourself.

Dr. Lustig draws his conclusions that sugary drinks are the cause of the epidemic obesity levels in children in the US. Watch and be blown away. Fast forward part 6 if you are scientifically challenged.

This could be a lifesaving natural treatment from Andreas Moritz at the Ener-Chi Wellness Center in South Carolina:

Although sugar intake strongly stimulates cancer cell growth, the combination of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and maple syrup has the exact opposite effect; it makes it actually very difficult for cancer cells to function and survive.

Cancer cells can only operate in an acidic and oxygen-deprived environment. Since they are anaerobic by nature, they cannot use oxygen to metabolize glucose (sugar) and produce energy, but, instead, they have to ferment it. Compared with aerobic cells, which use oxygen and glucose to produce energy, cancer cells require about 15 times the amount of glucose as healthy cells to generate the same amount of metabolic energy. The cancer cells’ excessive hunger for glucose robs other healthy cells of this vital nutrient, thereby causing them to become weak, die, or also mutate into cancer cells. The starvation or weakening of healthy cells caused by the cancer cells’ incessant draining of nutrients from the tissue fluids, greatly diminishes the affected organ’s glucose and energy reserves. This is the main reason behind the failure of organs associated with cancer.

To prepare this simple, inexpensive but powerful remedy, combine pure 5 parts of 100% maple syrup (ideally B-grade), with 1 part of pure baking soda (with no added aluminum!). Place the mixture in a sauce pan and heat it on a medium flame for five minutes. Stir briskly. The mixture will greatly spread out and become foamy. Store in a cool place and take one teaspoon twice daily. For very serious conditions, take one teaspoon three times a day. Take uninterruptedly for at least 7-8 days, which is often sufficient to collapse tumors of the size one to two inches. You may experience a strong die-off, consisting of dead cancer cells, bacteria and toxins, usually expelled via the intestinal tract. Don’t be concerned if diarrhea occurs. This is the body’s way of relieving itself of the acid burden that’s behind the cancer. Other, seemingly unrelated health conditions may improve, too.

The maple syrup is capable of transporting bicarbonate into all parts of body, including the brain and nervous system, bones, teeth, joints, eyes and solid tumors. It may also help with other conditions of acidosis. Sodium bicarbonate therapy is harmless and so quick-acting because it is extremely diffusible.