We can fight dandruff by the food we eat.
Anti – Dandruff diet is useful to prevent dandruff as a whole. Apart from preventing, it also helps to fight dandruff in many way
List of Foods to be incorporated in dandruff diet:
ONION AND GARLIC
Both onion and garlic are members of the allium family and have an antimicrobial component called Allicin. Allicinis found only in uncut onions and garlic, and helps resist dandruff to a great extent due to its anti-fungal properties. Further, onion has antioxidant properties due to the presence of sulfur and quercetin. Sulfur helps reduce dandruff.
Ginger:It has very good anti-inflammatory properties by bringing down the levels of prostaglandin.
Has good antioxidant properties due to the presence of flavonoids and vitamin C.It has excellent antifungal and anti-bacterial properties.
sunflower:They are a rich source of selenium, zinc and pyridoxine (Vitamin B6). All these help keep dandruff at bay. Unrefined sunflower oil is a good source of the required PUFAs such as omega3 fatty acids that help reduce dandruff. Topical application of sunflower oil is also known to reduce the dryness inducing dandruff. However, oil, when left unwashed for a very long time, can lead to fungal infection. wheatgermIt refers to the germinated seeds of wheat and is packed with vital nutrients. It is rich in Selenium and Vit B6 – both known to combat dandruff effectively.
Sulfur forms a major portion of hair keratin. Sulfur in wheat germ helps strengthen the hair.5.Cruciferous vegetables:The word Cruciferous (from Latin word Cruciferae) is because the leaves of cruciferous vegetables . these vegetables form a cross. It refers to a family of green leafy vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli.They are rich in sulfur derived compound called glucosinolates. They are hydrolyzed to give Isothiocyanates, which have a good antimicrobial property. They have good anti-inflammatory properties – due to the presence of a compound called sulforaphane. Rich in biotin that promotes hair strength and resistance against bacteria.
Sea Food – Oyster:It is rich in Zinc which helps in the absorption of Vit B6, and both help fight dandruff. It also supplements omega 3 healthy unsaturated fat in the body which reduces the production of triglycerides – a component required for the survival of malassezia, a fungus known to cause dandruff.It is low in fat, and rich in proteins and Vit C. This nutritional benefit helps in hair growth.
Chickpea:chick peaIt is rich in 2 great anti-dandruff nutrients – Zinc and Vit B6.There has been speculations of dandruff caused by improper digestion. Being fiber rich, chickpea aids digestion, and helps get rid of dandruff caused by improper digestion.It is highly proteinaceous and helps nourish hair
Foods That Cause Dandruff:
1. Avoid certain beverages such as caffeine drinks, sugar drinks.
Sugar drinks enhance the sugar levels in the blood and this in turn builds up the sebum secretion in the skin that stimulates fungal growth causing dandruff. It is best to avoid carbonated drinks and other soft drinks. Caffeine drinks can make skin dry and wreak a havoc in the hair by causing dryness induced dandruff.
2. Reduce the overall consumption of sugar in your diet: Consuming food with high glycemic index can raise the blood sugar levels. This can lead to excessive sebum secretion in body leading to dandruff.
3. Avoid foods rich in saturated fats: Saturated fats can lead to excessive sebum production from the sebaceous glands. This excess sebum can help feed the candida fungus known to create dandruff.
4. Avoid alcoholic drinks: Alcohol decreases the effectiveness of the immune system and at the same time is packed with glutens. Though it is initially known to reduce and bring down the blood sugar level, eventually it increases the bloodsugar level in the long run by building up body’s resistance to insulin.
5. Avoid food containing yeast: Certain foods such as processed carbs have a permissible level of yeast. Cheese, malted drink, etc. are also known to contain yeast.
6. Avoid Sour Tasted Foods: Excessive intake of sour tasted foods can result in altering the equilibrium ph level of the body, thereby resulting in an acidic level that can be a breeding ground for infections. This may result in dandruff, dry skin and other skin diseases.
Note: Apart from oyster, the other sea food items can exacerbate dandruff
Important Nutrients that make an anti-dandruff diet:
1. Zinc: Zinc is an element present at the cellular levels in our body. It is essential for normal metabolism function in the body, nervous system, immunity and enzymatic reactions in the body. It prevents dandruff due to the below reasons:
a. Prevents the accumulation of fat in the body: The sebum released by the sebaceous glands in the scalp contain fatty acids that are hydrolyzed into triglycerides. During this process oleic acid, a carboxylic acid is generated. This acid is found to cause inflammation in the scalp, which leads to dandruff. The higher the fat content in the body, greater the levels of fatty acids in sebum. This is why anti-dandruff diet should have low saturated fat content. Zinc is an essential nutrient that prevents the accumulation of fat in the body, and can play a vital role in impeding the above action.
b. Zinc has good anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties: Zinc improves the generation of metallothionein, a compound that has excellent anti-oxidant properties and hence reduce the oxidative stress (imbalance in the normal oxidative process resulting in the destruction of free radicals that cause cell damage). Also, it reduces the production of inflammation-inducing cytokines.
c. It helps to improve the immune system of the body: Studies have proven that a deficiency of Zinc can cause low T-cell mediated immune response (which fights diseases), this in turn reduces the overall ability of the body to fight infections.
2. Vitamin B6: (Pyridoxine) Also called vitamin B complex, it is a water-soluble vitamin that plays a key role in getting rid of dandruff. Pyridoxine achieves this through the following functions –
a. It assists protein breakdown: The scaly patches in dandruff affected skin is due to irregularities in the breakdown of adhesive proteins known as desmosomes. These linking proteins are required to be broken for the old skin cells to be shed off from the surface of the skin.
b. It improves the immunity of the body: It does so by aiding the synthesis of antibodies in fighting against diseases.
c. Prevents the sugar levels in blood from exceeding the normal limit: Dandruff is found to be associated with an increase in intake of sugar. Sugar is broken into glucose and fructose in the body that is carried via insulin. An increase in sugar level causes an increase in insulin, which subsequently increases the body’s resistance to insulin. This disrupts the hormonal balance in the body, which leads to dandruff.
3. Omega 3 Fatty Acids:These are polyunsaturatedfatty acids (PUFA), the deficiency of which can cause dandruff. However, the body needs only a small amount of these fatty acids for a balanced health. Omega 3 fatty acids are of 2 kinds:– Plant-based: Alpha-linolenicacid (ALA) – Derived from plants.– Animal based: Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoicacid (DHA) – derived mostly from sea foods.Both these forms, help overcome the dryness of skin, with EPA and DHA showing comparatively more potency. Some of the benefits are: a. Has good anti-inflammatory properties: It suppresses the pro-inflammatory cytokine and leukotriene.
b. Controls the secretion of sebum:The sebaceous glands control sebum secretion. These secretions help protect the skin from its surroundings. However when sebum secretion exceeds the limits, it makes way for bacterial and other microbial infection. This has been considered asone of the main reasons for dandruff by encouraging Malassezia colonization that needs the oily medium for survival. Omega 3 acid supplements like fish oil have clinically proven to control sebum.
anti dandruff nutrients
4. Biotin (Vitamin H / Vitamin B7)It is a water-soluble vitamin and is required for the metabolism of fatty acids in the body, and plays a major role in enzyme synthesis. Its deficiency is found to cause thinning of hair and its loss. It has been administered orally to infants suffering from cradle cap (a form of seborrheic dermatitis in infants). Biotin’s anti-dandruff action can be justified due to its below functions: a. It controls blood sugar: When blood sugar levels are unregulated, it builds up body’s resistance to insulin, which hampers hormonal balance. It can cause an excessive sebum/oil secretion that triggers dandruff.
b. Prevents hair loss by boosting keratin: Studies have proven that Biotin when orally administered in combination with Zinc can reduce hairfall. It effectively strengthens the hair cuticles and elasticity of the hair
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