Diet and Dandruff

Late at night, when all you want to do is relax and watch your favorite shows, there’s nothing better than eating your choicest snacks to go with them.  The problem is, a lot of these foods contain such high amounts of fat, sodium and artificial ingredients.  In time, unfavorable effects will begin to show themselves.  So heads up, getting fat isn’t the only thing you’re going to have to worry about.  Other than heart disease and kidney stones, research shows that high amounts of these foods, especially saturated fat, translates to that well known scalp flaking disorder - dandruff.

The high amount of saturated fat in meats, fried food, and junk food make the natural oils in your scalp very thick and acidic.  This environment is very conducive for malassezia to grow, a yeast like fungus that excretes an acidic substance that causes dandruff.  Also, all these processed foods are treated with a lot of chemicals or toxins harmful to the body.  These toxins can alter the biochemical processes within the cells of our body and this can also translate to irregular flaking of dead skin cells on your scalp.  With this in mind, one should start to eat foods conducive to a healthier scalp.

When your mother forced you to eat your vegetables as a kid, there really was a method to her perceived madness.  Some of you may not have gotten over or gotten used to the taste of broccoli, but eating a lot of it really helps cleanse the body and supply us with a ton of nutrients.  So get over your fear of veggies and supplement your diet with a lot of fruits as well.  Although, try to avoid the citrus kind as these contribute to the acidity in your body.  Another tip is, try not to overcook your vegetables as well.  This tends to sap these green wonders of their precious nutrients.

Specific vitamins that help the scalp stay healthy are the B vitamins.  Try to eat foods rich in B3, B5, B6, and B12.  You’ll also get a boost in energy.  Now, since too much citrus fruits is not recommended, try getting part of your Vitamin C from supplements.  This valuable nutrient helps the circulation in your scalp, which in turns results in healthy hair growth.  Also, try to take in zinc and selenium as these minerals are specifically good at getting rid of bacteria and fungi.  It’s not surprising that they are key ingredients in many anti dandruff formulas. 

Other foods that help with dandruff are nuts and flaxseed.  These and other foods rich in essential fatty acids help the scalp cease its unnecessary secretion of oils.  Deep sea fish are also rich in these essential oils.  Finally, eating organic really goes a long way to ridding the body of unwanted toxins.  A lot of meat, eggs and other products are exposed to many chemicals when not grown organically.  Eating these foods may be a little expensive, but if it means getting rid of unattractive flaking and a healthy body, isn’t it worth it?

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