Epigenetics, Diet, Smoking, and Hair Loss – Part 1
This is a lengthy post that will probably lead to more questions, but while most topics have been covered on this site over the years, one topic hasn’t had much attention until now.
There is a field called epigenetics that addresses those heritable factors, other than our DNA, that impact how we express our genes. We have long suspected that diet plays an important role, but the science that backs this up has been lacking. We know, for example, that there are some known dietary anti-androgens out there like turmeric (spice used in many Indian and Asian dishes), as well as the omega 3 fatty acids, which may be why a diet higher in fish/fish oil may impede hair loss and why the Westernization of diets in Asia may have accelerated it.
Dr Masumi Inaba of Japan wrote two books in the early 1990s (Androgenetic Alopecia and Human Body Odor), which were translated into English and published by Springer around 1996. He always claimed that there had been a significant increase in hair loss in Japan post-WWII and he attributed this to increased fat in the Japanese diet due to Western influences. This was back in the late 1980s. Again, the shadow of diet and hair loss is interwoven. As an aside, Inaba was also the first person to describe his FUE technique in detail.
At the last ISHRS meeting, a “power shake” that increased hair growth in those impacted with genetic hair loss was discussed. Dr. Jerry Shapiro presented his “power shake” at the meeting (PDF here), which is essentially a whey protein concentrate formulation loaded with a variety of elements that have been reported to help all people grow their hair faster after a hair transplant.
What about the individuals who are nutritionally deficient? Are we all nutritionally deficient in some way? The basic questions raised by many doctors is that those individuals who are known to have poor nutrition (e.g. alcoholics) have not shown to demonstrate significant hair loss apart from the general population. One might suggest that these particular individuals metabolize testosterone differently than non-nutritionally deprived people by producing estrogen instead of DHT, thereby protecting their hair from the ravages of genetic balding. There is intriguing data on cysteine/glutathione and hair, which would be boosted by the undenatured whey in his power shake. Kudzu root has known anti-inflammatory properties.
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Read part 2 here.
This post was in part taken from an email sent by the brilliant Dr. Sharon Keene in Tucson, Arizona.
Hi,
great post. I’m a firm believer that dairy consumption, particularly milk, accelerates hair loss and contributes to androgenic diseases like acne. I’ve seen it in my entire family. My family in Italy who have never regularly consumed milk all have full heads of hair going into their 60s. Here, most are bald by 30s and have acne even into their 50s
My pretty simple theory about this is that the Western diet includes more meat and dairy, products that contain protein and I believe hormones that contribute to an increase in testosterone levels. A positive aspect of this is that the human being becomes bigger and stronger as a result of such a diet. I would bet that if you looked at the post WW2 bodyweight and muscle mass of the Japanese, that they would have become bigger, stronger, and perhaps even taller people than on the prior diet. So I guess that is a positive…to be a bigger and stronger and more muscular person.
The downside is, of course, that increased testosterone leads to increased conversion of the hormone to DHT, which of course triggers the hair loss process in people with follicles sensitive to DHT. We even see this in the United States with some older people who get testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). They sometimes go on to experience hair loss that they have never experienced before. I believe there is a post on this site about precisely such a case.
This is interesting and may point toward dietary changes that those with hair loss may want to make. The trade off would probably be less muscle mass and less testosterone. But then again, we are human beings not animals in the wild so who really needs all that muscle mass and testosterone…
This post confuses environmental influences with epigenetic changes. As Mark pointed out, an environmental factor such as diet can hypothetically impact something like balding without influencing the epigenome.
While epigenetic changes are caused by environmental factors (according to our current understanding), not all environmental factors influence the epigenome.
Really this post has nothing to do with epigenetics except that it mentions it in one sentence.
This post has interested me.
I often read about foods that may slow down hair loss in anecdotes, lab tests, and on mice including in this blog and the pre ww2 non-balding diet in japan.
Firstly we have an are of asia that has a high relative consumption of soy products (black bean paste, bean confectionery, tofu etc) said to lower dht, add a high consumption of green and white teas, fungi(mentioned in this blog), high consumption of oily fish with omega 3s, low meat intake.
In south east asia they obtain vitamin E tocopherols not contained in western diets, which have also shown an anti oxidative stress factor and minimal hair re growth
Okay, I am a woman who smokes but eats very little red meat. Also, I am into Yoga and I admit I use a hair product called Hair genesis, but not regularly. Also, I have sometimes used minoxydil but also not regularly. I did notice that when I smoke and drink more my hair is less healthy. I did try Rogaine foam for men for a while but I did not like the way the foam felt and I thought it dried my hair. There was a product called Scalp med or something like that and I thought it worked for a while but then I gave up. So I’ve tried pretty much everything I guess. Except lasers and surgery and I wont do either one. I am too afraid. Plus my hair is not that bad and I think the Hair genesis is working though like I said I do not use it regularly, mainly because it is too damn expensive. Why is this stuff always so freakin expensive? I don’t understand! I do not blow dry my hair though I used to every day. Now, I just try to baby my hair as much as possible. But I guess I should really quit smoking. Thing is though, when I go out to a club and have a drink I just naturally feel the urge to light up and the group of people I usually end up with also smokes. So its hard. Maybe I should worry more about my heart and less about my hair!
Are there concrete studies to support that turmeric and fish/fishoil impede hairloss or have an effect on dht??