Strange as it may sound, our gut health has a massive impact on our hair health. We all love a healthy head of hair and would do anything and everything to maintain it that way. Managing our gut health is the easiest way to have healthy hair. Experts cite that our gut microbiome is essential for a healthy body, skin, and hair. The microbiome is the ecosystem that makes up our gut. Just imagine numerous microscopic bacteria work tirelessly to maintain our mood, skin, digestion, metabolism, and hair in tip-top condition. Maintaining a healthy gut microbiome aids in the prevention of health issues including hair thinning, irritated scalp, dandruff, and hair loss.

It has been observed that hair health reflects our overall health. Feeling healthy inside shows on the outside – good skin, healthy hair, good nails. A disbalance of gut microbiome increases the growth of bad bacteria thereby impacting our overall health. A poor digestive system can cause scalp and hair problems.  The main functions that process the nutrients for growing healthy hair happen in our gut.    

All the vital nutrients that our body needs are present in the food we eat. The food we eat reaches our digestive tract where the enzymes and gut bacteria break it down into simple elements that are absorbed and transported to the other body parts for use or further processing. We can say that digestive problems may lead to hair loss. So, we must maintain a healthy gut.   

Impact of healthy gut microbiome

A healthy gut microbiome has a great impact on our body. Let us see how.

1. Absorbs nutrients: The micro-organisms present in our gut are essential for the absorption and utilization of the essential nutrients required by our body. A healthy gut microbiome effectively absorbs vitamins A, C, E, and zinc, essential for our skin and hair health.
2. Collagen: The above nutrients aid in collagen production, thereby maintaining hair growth.
3. Oxidative stress: The above nutrients protect us against oxidative stress in additions to protecting the barrier function of our skin.
4. Hair growth: Certain bacteria, like Lactobacillus reuteri, in the gut stimulate the production of a hormone named insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) thereby increasing hair growth.
5. Reduces inflammation: A healthy gut aid in reducing inflammation and promotes overall hair health.
6. Hair strength: A healthy gut microbiome helps in producing healthy skin cells and retaining strong hair structure and strength.

Effects of an imbalanced gut health

Certain effects are resultant to an imbalanced gut health. Let us examine these

1. Permeability of the gut: The excessive growth of bad bacteria affects our intestine lining thereby making it “leaky”, thereby affecting our immunity and having a detrimental on the hair follicles.
2. Inflammation of the gut: The inflammation of the gut affects the cycle of hair growth in our body.
3. Malabsorption: Improper absorption of the vital nutrients does not provide the vitamins required for the growth of healthy hair.
4. Stress: Prolonged stress has a negative impact on our gut health thereby affecting hair growth. The disbalance of the gut health microbiome leads to thinning of hair, hair loss, weight gain, depression, and food cravings.
5. Medication: Prolonged use of antibiotics disrupts the gut health microbiome by damaging the good bacteria therein. This can lead to allergies and infections.
6. Eating habits: Unhealthy eating habits like gorging on spicy, oily, sweet, and fast food, lead to an unhealthy gut and therefore affect hair growth and sheen.
7. Hair loss: The improper absorption and lack of nutrients like Biotin, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B6, Iron, and Folic acid can cause hair loss and hair thinning.
8. Dysbiosis of the gut: Consumption of a diet rife with sweets or artificial sweeteners gives rise to the growth of bad bacteria found in the gut. This causes dysbiosis – the imbalance- which leads to indigestion, diabetes, and obesity among other ailments. This problematic gut ill health is bad for hair growth, quality, and strength.

How to improve gut health

• Stress management: Stress management is imperative as stress is known to disbalance our gut microbiome, which leads to hair loss, hair thinning, weight gain, depression, and food cravings. Practicing meditation and deep breathing techniques, sound sleep, and exercise aid in alleviating stress. Managing stress does away with greying of hair and hair fall to a great extent. De-stress is the mantra to a good hair system.
• Say no to antibiotics: We normally reach out for antibiotics for relief from infections, little knowing that they have an impact on the good bacteria in our healthy gut microbiome. A solution could be to intake probiotic supplements after the antibiotic course. This restores the good bacteria in our gut. Try to say no to antibiotics, as and when possible.
• Balanced diet: Our meals should include vegetables that are nutritious and good for our gut microbiome. The prebiotic fiber present in these vegetables helps to manage our gut health and provide nourishment to our digestive system. Some prebiotic foods to consume are alums- onion, garlic, and leeks; bananas; apples; legumes like chickpeas, black beans, and lentils; whole grains like barley; oats; asparagus, dandelion greens, and chicory. These foods help the good bacteria in our gut.

• Fermented food: Intake of fermented food increases the good bacteria that is essential for a healthy gut. Fermented foods like sugar-free yogurt, Kefir; apple cider vinegar; sauerkraut and other ferments vegetables, miso, kimchi, kombucha, and tempeh should be consumed. They aid in the production of good bacteria.
• No sweets: Avoid sweets and artificial sweeteners, as much as possible, because they increase the bad bacteria in our gut. Snack on healthy fruits like apples, bananas, and berries instead. This maintains the blood sugar levels and keeps our gut microbiome healthy. This impacts our hair health, in turn.
• Scalp protection: Our scalp has a microbiome that protects our scalp and skin and protect it from damage and infections. An imbalance in our scalp’s microflora makes the scalp irritated, dry, and itchy and causes dandruff too. We should clean our scalp regularly, exfoliate it, and use hair care products that are devoid of harmful chemicals and ingredients like parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, and artificial fragrances, all of which harm our scalp and hair growth.
• Lifestyle: A healthy lifestyle includes a balanced diet, adequate hydration, exercise, sound sleep, meditation, or Yoga, practicing mindfulness, and managing stress, all lead to a healthy gut, which, in turn, keeps us healthy, inside, and out.

Conclusion

The moral of the story is that our lifestyle greatly affects the functioning of our gut, body, and mind. Let us embark on this journey of self-care to be happy and healthy. Let us maintain a healthy gut, which will make us happier. Being happy will make us radiant and induce positivity in us. Our positivity will increase our self-confidence. Looking good and feeling good is a part of our self-confidence. Since our hair defines us, we must work towards a good and healthy head of hair on our shoulders.

Promise yourself that you will invest time in your appearance, mind, and body. Prioritize yourself. Just this once, put yourself before others. Learn to care for yourself and love yourself.  

Ms Rupal Sonpal