In recent years, there has been a lot of attention and discussion about the relationship between gray hair and cancer. Some claim that gray hair is a sign of self-protection because pulling out gray hair increases the risk of cancer. But is there really any truth to this argument? Let's dive into this question from the perspective of Chinese medicine.
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that gray hair is mostly related to the kidneys. The main bone of the kidney is marrow, and the growth of black hair is a manifestation of sufficient kidney water and kidney essence. Therefore, when the human kidney essence is weak or the kidney yin is insufficient, it is easy to cause whitishness. According to TCM theory, we can improve gray hair by conditioning the kidneys.
Traditional Chinese medicine has many classic prescriptions for the prevention and treatment of gray hair. Among them, the "Nine Ghost Soup" in "Taisu" and the "Black Hair Mustache Wash" in the "Compendium of Materia Medica" are the most famous. The Nine Ghosts Soup is mainly composed of wolfberry, yam, rehmannia and other medicines, which has the effect of nourishing yin and nourishing the kidneys, consolidating essence and nourishing blood. The black hair mustache wash uses drugs such as Shou Wu and Chuanxiong, which can invigorate the blood, nourish the hair, and make the black hair grow back.
Modern medical research also supports a certain degree of TCM theory. A study from Harvard Medical School found a certain association between gray hair and the level of oxidative stress in the body. Oxidative stress refers to the damage to cell structure and function caused by reactive oxygen species and free radicals produced by body cells during metabolic processes. Thus, reducing the oxidative stress process helps to delay the appearance of gray hair.
The study also found that some key genes in the transition process between gray and black hair were also involved in tumor suppression. This means that there may be a correlation between gray hair and the body's natural ability to fight cancer, and people with gray hair in the population may have a relatively low risk of developing cancer.
However, it is important to point out that more research is needed to confirm the relationship between gray hair and cancer. There is still a lack of sufficient clinical evidence to prove that gray hair can completely prevent cancer. The occurrence of cancer is the result of a combination of factors, and it is unscientific to infer the risk of cancer based solely on the relationship between gray hair and cancer.
In short, gray hair should not be plucked casually, not only because pulling hair can damage the hair follicles, leading to the formation of more gray hair, but also because gray hair may be related to kidney weakness. Traditional Chinese medicine theories offer some possible ways to improve the problem of gray hair. As for the relationship between gray hair and cancer, although some studies have shown that people with gray hair have less risk of cancer, more scientific evidence is still needed to make accurate conclusions.
#健康#
Bibliography:
1. Wang Y, Wang P, Xie C, et al. Oxidative stress and cancer: a review of current evidence[J]. Chinese Journal of Cancer Research, 2016, 28(4): 383-392.