(NaturalHealth365)  Thinning hair has long been linked to the aging process.  The older you get, the more likely you will experience at least some hair loss.  Of course, it can also occur thanks to genetics, various medical conditions, and even chronic stress.

But, now a study is linking hair loss to obesity, or rather the high levels of (toxic) fat consumed that often promote the growth of excess body weight.

Obesity, the real epidemic in the United States, affects almost fifty percent of the population

We can all agree that obesity is unhealthy.  It is linked to a number of serious medical conditions, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, and more.  Obviously, it can have some very serious health implications that can stay with you for life.

In the United States, the prevalence of obesity is almost 50% of the population (42.4%).  Obesity does not discriminate, as it is found in the highest income groups and the lowest.  It affects both men and women of all races.  It’s no wonder doctors are calling obesity an epidemic.

But there are other health implications that are not as dire or deadly but are troublesome, nonetheless.  And when they appear, it can be an indication that it’s time to make some lifestyle changes before things get really bad.  Hair loss can be signal that something more is going on.

Study finds link between fat and hair loss

The study, Obesity accelerates hair thinning by stem cell-centric converging mechanisms, was published in Nature in June 2021 and was conducted by the Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU).

The researchers used mouse model experiments to analyze how genetically induced obesity or a high-fat diet can impact hair growth, regeneration, and hair loss or thinning.  Mice that were fed a high-fat diet experienced thinning hair.  This is because high-fat diets deplete the hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) that are responsible for replenishing the mature cells that cause hair to grow.  This results in thinning hair.  In old mice, the effects are even more profound.

But, there’s more to this story …

Inflammation may play a role in hair thinning, scientists find

When researchers dug a little deeper to find out why this occurred, they uncovered a culprit that is a common contributor to many conditions – inflammation.  From what we can see (unfortunately), the researchers did not specify the kind of fat consumed, but we think it’s safe to say that its form was NOT the healthiest.  And, that could explain why inflammation developed.

Anyway, back to the study: the mice that were fed the high-fat diet exhibited a gene expression in the HFSCs that indicated an increase in inflammation.  Specifically, it activated inflammatory cytokine signaling in the HFSCs.  This significantly impacts hair follicle regeneration within the HFSCs.

As a side note: Researchers ought to do a study comparing toxic (commercially produced) fats with a “cleaner” alternative like, organic avocado oil.

In terms of the study done, one group of mice were fed a high-fat diet while the other group was fed a diet with less.  The mice given the high-fat diet experienced changes to the skin surface and experienced hair loss as well as smaller hair follicles.  The HFSCs were also depleted, thus causing them to lose hair at a faster rate.

How to change your diet and REDUCE the risk of hair loss

No doubt, maintaining a diet focused on “cleaner” sources of fat, protein and carbohydrates will help prevent hair loss by decreasing the risk of chronic inflammation derived from eating too many toxic (chemical-laced) foods. This means eating more locally-grown, organic, whole foods including fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and lean meats.  It also means choosing healthier fats, such as extra virgin olive, avocado or coconut oil; organic walnuts or almonds and, don’t forget the value of eats seeds like sesame, chia and pumpkin – in moderation, of course.

Naturally our focus was on food for this article … but, we can’t emphasize enough the importance of reducing stress in your life.  Eating a healthy diet will always help you to reduce stress.

In the end, eating a better diet means making better food choices.  For example, cutting out overly processed or “fast” foods while consuming foods that are higher in nutritional value per calorie consumed.  Super foods like organic blueberries, medicinal mushrooms and sprouts are some great ideas for you.

So, if you want to prevent hair loss, improve the quality of your fat consumption.  It might save your hair, but it will also very likely save your life.

Sources for this article include:

ScienceDaily.com
Nature.com
CDC.gov
Digital.NHS.UK