"I've got some white hair on my head again, haven't I?"
Sister Wei was very sad, and the white hair that appeared on her head every few days seemed to remind her that she was old.
On the weekend, Sister Wei bought a lot of black sesame seeds and black beans from the supermarket. It is used to nourish hair, and I have heard that these can turn white hair black.
White hair is increasing, what's wrong?
First, what is the matter with white hair growing longer and longer?
The reason why hair is black is because hair follicle cells contain a lot of melanin, and the synthesis and metabolism of melanin is mainly related to tyrosinase.
With the aging of the human body, the activity of tyrosinase will gradually decrease, and the synthesis of melanin will also decrease, so the hair will turn white. So, graying hair is a normal aging feature.
However, in addition to the influence of age, genetics, mental stress and tyrosinase defects, as well as some chronic wasting diseases, may also make some people's hair prematurely gray.
Second, can black rice, black beans, and black sesame seeds make white hair turn black?
Many people think that eating some black foods, such as black rice, black beans, black sesame seeds, etc., can "make up for black with black" and make white hair turn black back.
But in reality, these black foods don't turn white hair into black hair. Black food such as black rice, black beans and black sesame seeds is black because it is rich in anthocyanins, which is a water-soluble plant pigment, which is not the same thing as black hair melanin, so no matter how much black food you eat, you can't make your hair black.
Three, 4 kinds of nutritional deficiencies, whiteheads are prone to appear
Loss of melanin from hair can lead to graying of hair, which may be related to the body's lack of some nutrients, especially the following 4 nutrients:
1. Protein
The essence of hair is protein, and the melanin of hair is synthesized from an amino acid that makes up protein, tyrosine. When there is a severe lack of protein in the body, it can cause the color of the hair to become lighter, or even whiter.
For example, in diseases such as chronic protein loss, due to insufficient protein-energy nutrition in the body, the common symptoms are that the hair texture becomes brittle and dry, the hair color becomes lighter and the hair appears white. At this time, if the protein can be supplemented in time, it may be relieved.
2, iodine element
In addition to maintaining the normal function of the thyroid gland, iodine element also has a certain role in promoting the growth of hair.
For example, residents living in inland areas of the mainland may have insufficient iodine intake and iodine deficiency in the body, which in turn will lead to a decline in hair follicle function. At this time, even if other nutrients are sufficient, the hair follicles cannot synthesize melanin to maintain black hair, and women are more likely to suddenly turn white as a result.
This gray hair problem is generally improved by supplementing iodine with food such as iodized salt, seaweed and kelp.
3, vitamin B family
B vitamins play an important role in the formation of melanin in hair, and among the B vitamins, the most closely related to white hair are vitamins B2, B6 and B12.
Vitamin B2 promotes cell regeneration, which in turn promotes the normal growth of hair, skin and nails, and can be supplemented daily by eating meat, eggs and dairy products.
Vitamin B6 plays an important role in the metabolism of the body, but also related to the production of hemoglobin and white blood cells, so vitamin B6 is conducive to hair growth, but also helps to prevent seborrheic alopecia, daily by eating oats, spinach, avocados, sesame seeds and nuts and other supplements.
Vitamin B12 can maintain the stability of the body's hematopoietic function and prevent anemia, and can also reduce the production of gray hair, which can be supplemented daily by eating meat, eggs and dairy products.
4, trace elements
Hair color is also related to some trace elements. The pigment particles in black hair contain copper and iron, which are important raw materials for the synthesis of melanin.
Once the body lacks copper and iron, it will lead to an increase in the nickel content in the hair, causing the hair to easily change from black to white. The gray hair in this condition can be improved by supplementing with copper and iron elements.
Daily copper-rich foods include green tea, soybeans, peanuts, mung beans, shiitake mushrooms, tahini and hazelnuts, while iron-rich foods include animal liver, red meat, clams, mussels, oysters, chickpeas and pumpkin seeds.
Are people with a lot of white hair not prone to cancer?
It is said that after growing white hair, the risk of cancer is reduced. This related research actually originated in 2009.
In the study, researchers from Japan conducted experiments in mice and found that when DNA is damaged by ultraviolet rays, radiation, and chemicals that induce mutations through contact, the melanocyte stem cells in the hair follicle do not die as a result, but they mature at an accelerated rate, which leads to the depletion of melanin stem cells.
The ability of mature melanocytes to produce melanin will decrease or even be lost, so after the melanocytes are reduced to a certain extent, the hair of experimental mice will gradually turn gray, not as black and bright as before.
The experiment was an animal experiment, and no further experiments were done on humans, so it could not be proved that the conclusions applied to humans. And the study only explores the mechanism of graying hair, and there is no data related to the incidence of cancer.
The reason why there is a saying that "white hair is not easy to get cancer" is mainly because a report on this study in the British "Daily Mail" was translated incorrectly.
In this report, the reporter interviewed Professor David Fisher, head of the Department of Dermatology at Harvard University, who believes that this mechanism of graying hair can play a role in reducing the risk of cancer, because IF DNA damaged melanocytes do not become mature melanocytes, although they can continue to produce melanin, they will also become cancerous and increase the risk of cancer.
The "cancer risk reduction" that the professor refers to is a comparison of the effects of melanocytes on the risk of cancer in humans when they are damaged, not the impact of black and white hair on cancer risk.
In fact, the causes of cancer are complex, and gray hair itself does not increase or decrease the risk of cancer. Therefore, the claim that growing white hair will reduce the risk of cancer is a rumor, do not believe it.
There are many causes of graying hair, including age, genetics, nutritional deficiencies, diseases and poor lifestyle habits. In addition to age and heredity, other gray hair problems can be improved through symptomatic treatment. Usually a balanced and comprehensive diet, massage the scalp more, ensure adequate sleep, moderate release of stress, maintain a good mood, all help prevent gray hair.
Resources:
[1] Growing gray hair at a young age? Probably for these reasons. Economic Daily, 2018-04-24
[2] Why do I have gray hair? Top 4 causes of graying hair. Family Doctor Online, 2016-04-18
[3] "Don't panic when you grow gray hair, the risk of cancer will be reduced", there is such a good thing?.The whole people are more true-Tencent News, 2021-11-04
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