A Healthy Diet Prevents Dandruff

Posted on December 15, 2007 in Latest News

Dandruff is a mild form of seborrheic dermatitis and is evidenced by the itching and flaking of the scalp. It can also affect the ears, eyebrows and forehead. If your dandruff is persistent, accompanied by itch and inflammation, it could indicate another skin condition, such as seborrhea (waxy, tan flakes) or psoriasis (fishlike scales).

Causes

At one time or another, dandruff has been blamed on dry skin, oily skin, shampooing too often or not often enough, a poor diet, stress, and the use of too many fancy styling products. Although some of these factors may exacerbate or contribute to scalp flaking, the real culprit may be a fat-eating, yeast-like fungus called malassezia, formerly known as pityrosporum.

Malassezia lives on the scalps of most healthy adults without causing problems. But sometimes it grows out of control, feeding on the oils secreted by your hair follicles and causing irritation that leads to increased cell turnover.

The ideal diet

With a few tips given below, dandruff could be reduced.

For controlling dandruff as well as for perhaps halting hair loss, follow a diet low in the tasty saturated fats you get in a good steak, and the trans-fatty acids you get in margarine. These fats and oils seem to make the sebaceous glands adjacent to the hair follicles more active, thereby producing a secretion rich in 5-alpha reductase and the nutrients (the fatty acids) that fungi love.

A diet high in vitamins (especially the B-Complex) and minerals from natural sources will ease your dandruff problems and perhaps your hair problems. The colorful fruits and vegetables that give you these nutrients are also good to eat. (But so are steaks.)

Some nutritionists claim that GLA (gamma-linolenic acid) will help people with a dandruff problem. This nutrient also promotes healthy skin and hair. The supplements evening primrose oil and black currant oil are rich sources of GLA.

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