Too much tea, coffee, alcohol and smoking turns human hair gray

All of us are getting older and with age our hair are turning grey. Graying occurs as specialized cells in hair follicles called melanocytes lose their ability to produce pigment (melanin) over time. It's not that hair actually turns gray, but that new hair with less melanin grows in. White hair has virtually no melanin.

Photo: Too much tea, coffee, alcohol and smoking turns human hair gray

Genes play a large role in graying, and there's wide variation among ethnic groups. Men tend to turn gray earlier than women. Smoking is linked to premature graying. In rare cases, gray hair may be a sign of illness.

Among other reasons of hair graying are excessive intake of tea, coffee and alcohol, of fried and oily foods, spices and sour and acidic foods.

Unfortunately, there are no proven remedies for gray or white hair other than coloring it, despite the claims made for some dietary supplements. Melancor-NH, for example, allegedly boosts melanin (and stops male pattern baldness to boot) with its blend of bromelain, collagen, biotin, inositol, and other ingredients.

Its maker says the supplement is "clinically proven," but cites no evidence aside from testimonials and did not provide us with any data despite repeated requests. There's no reason to think any of these substances would affect hair color. What's more, Melancor is supposed to take 6 to 12 months to work, by which time you've spent hundreds of dollars for extremely unlikely results.

No vitamin, mineral, or nutritional supplement is known to prevent or reverse age-related gray hair. The same goes for human growth hormone, yoga, removing mercury fillings, or any other touted therapy. In lab research white hair follicle cells have been stimulated to produce pigment again, and some scientists are hopeful that eventually a "cure" for graying will be possible. In the meantime, hair coloring-or learning to love your gray-is the only option.

However if your hair is graying and you are worried about it you can try some methods of folk medicine. The following are several of them.

1. Eat protein rich foods. Proteins - Sources: sprouted whole grains, cereals, meat and soy in your diet.

2. Eat foods rich in iron, minerals and vitamin A and B.
Vitamin A - Sources: dark green vegetables & yellow fruits. Vitamin B - Sources: fresh green leafy vegetables, bananas, tomatoes, cauliflower, cereals, liver kidney, yogurt, yeast and wheat germ..
Minerals like zinc, iron and copper - Sources: zinc - red meat, chicken & green vegetables
iron - beef, dried apricots, red meat, parsley, eggs, wheat & sunflower seeds
copper - sunflower seeds, cashews, almonds, crabs and oysters, egg yolk & whole grains.

3. Eat foods rich in iodine such as banana, carrots and fish.

4. ink butter milk with a 2 teaspoons each of yeast and wheat germ will prevent and cure premature graying of hair.

5. Grate some fresh ginger. Mix with honey and place it in a jar. Eat 1 tea spoon everyday.

6. Rub Indian gooseberry (Amla) into the scalp regularly. It can show wonderful results, your gray hair will turn black.

7. Massage your hairs with coconut oil and lemon juice everyday.

8. Mix 1 tablespoon of table salt to a cup of strong black tea without milk. Massage this water on the scalp. wash your hair after an hour.

9. Make a paste of 2 tspn henna powder, 1 tspn yogurt, 1 tsp fenugreek (methi seed powder, 3 tspn coffee, 2 tspn basil juice and 3 tspn mint juice and apply to the hair. Wash hair with shampoo after 3 hours.

Source: agencies

Prepared by Alexander Timoshik
Pravda.ru

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