Ya Beauty

Hair Care and Diet Therapy

When discussing hair care and diet therapy, it’s essential to first understand the human body and its complexity.
The human body is structured hierarchically, from the smallest unit to the largest. Cells, composed of organic and inorganic substances, form tissues, which in turn create organs. Similar organs group together to form larger systems, culminating in the complete human body.

What are these larger systems?

The major systems of the human body include the muscular, nervous, endocrine, lymphatic, respiratory, digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems. Under the coordination of the nervous and endocrine systems, these eight systems perform distinct functions while cooperating and regulating one another to ensure that the body’s complex life processes run smoothly.

In addition to these eight systems, the body can be further subdivided into four major tissue types: epithelial, connective, nervous, and muscle tissue.
From a structural perspective, hair follicles are tiny organs, and hair itself is a derivative of these organs. Each strand of hair can be considered an external organ of the body. In terms of tissue structure, hair belongs to the epithelial tissue and is anchored to the skin. Without skin, hair would have no foundation.

Both hair follicles and skin are formed from basic amino acids that create proteins and other inorganic substances. These elements compose hair follicle cells, which along with skin cells, form epithelial tissue. These tissues are interdependent and interconnected with the eight major systems. Among these, the digestive, endocrine, circulatory, and nervous systems significantly impact hair health.

Food provides essential nutrition, and medicinal herbs can treat various ailments. Certain plants serve both as food and medicinal herbs, offering nutritional benefits alongside therapeutic effects.

The main components of hair include proteins, amino acids, vitamins, trace elements, and melanin. A severe deficiency in any of these nutrients, or an ineffective digestive system that fails to convert food into required nutrients, can lead to suboptimal hair health, resulting in conditions such as hair loss and premature greying. Thus, to maintain healthy hair, it’s vital to supplement our diet with the right nutrients. For those experiencing hair loss or greying, incorporating foods that double as both nourishment and medicine can help regulate the body and promote healthy hair.

For instance, if hair greying is due to reduced tyrosinase activity, it may be beneficial to consume fermented foods rich in tyrosinase. Similarly, if copper deficiency is a factor, one should include more copper-rich foods in their diet, such as walnuts, sesame seeds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, raisins, soybeans, black beans, seaweed, and mushrooms. Drinking copper-rich teas, like black or green tea, can also be helpful. Additionally, for hair loss linked to reduced estrogen levels, incorporating soy products and soy milk into one’s diet may be advantageous.

By transforming our three daily meals into opportunities not only for replenishing energy but also for addressing our body and hair conditions, we can make more informed dietary choices. Targeted dietary supplements and therapeutic foods can significantly improve our overall hair health.

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