Posts from — May 2010

 

While there have only been a few studies concerning fish oil and hair loss problems, the results of those studies have been positive.  Good nutrition is imperative for hair health and appearance.  One of the nutrients that is commonly lacking in modern-day diets is DHA or Docosahexaenoic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid. 

There are a number of different things that cause people to lose part of their hair or go completely bald. 

 Those things include:

• Heredity/genetics
• Mechanical stress; pulling, coloring, heating, etc
• Iron deficiency
• Exposure to toxins or poisons
• Lupus, an autoimmune disease
• Dysfunctional immune systems; either over-reacting or under-reacting
• Bacterial, viral and fungal infections
• Medications, particularly cancer treatments or chemotherapy
• Hypothyroidism

Some of those things cannot be addressed by dietary supplementation, such as genetics, heredity or mechanical stress.  Others can.  Iron deficiency is an obvious one. 

Supplementation can actually be a cause if the oils contain impurities like mercury.  Chronic exposure to that heavy metal has a negative effect on hair health.  But, assuming that the supplement you choose has been tested for impurities by an independent laboratory, there’s no need to worry about that.  Let’s look at the other causes, one by one.

Although, they did not look specifically at fish oil and hair loss problems, researchers have looked at the benefit of omega-3 supplementation in lupus, a painful condition that involves inflammation and is accompanied by a number of symptoms, sometimes including hair-loss.  They concluded that omega-3 supplementation is beneficial, not only for hair health, but for reducing pain and inflammation.

Any condition that involves the immune system, of which lupus is one, benefits from omega-3 supplementation.  As for infections, there are no specific benefits, other than supporting overall immune system health.
 
There has been at least one study that concerned fish oil and hair loss problems caused by chemotherapy.  In it, the researchers found that DHA supplementation helped prevent the problem, supported hair health and reduced other negative side effects associated with chemotherapy. 

Another study concerns the subject of fish oil and hair loss problems caused by hypothyroidism.  That study concluded that Eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA may help prevent hypothyroidism, which means that it would also help prevent poor hair health caused by the condition. 

Most of the supplements on the market contain both EPA and DHA.  You just have to check the label to see how much of each is included.   In many cases, the EPA content is much higher than the DHA.  The reverse should be true. 

DHA can be easily converted within the body to EPA and any other fatty acid, because it is the longest chain of the long-chained fatty acids.  Up-converting from a shorter chain to the long-chained DHA is far less efficient.  Only a small percentage, less than 4%, of EPA will be converted by the body to DHA.

Although this article focused primarily on fish oil and hair loss problems, you should be able to see that there are a great many other benefits.  You might want to learn more about them.

And now please visit the XtendFishOil website listed below for updated information on  fish oil and hair loss problems.

 

And now I would like to invite you to visit http://www.XtendFishOil.com for FREE Instant Access to a very helpful newsletter that will keep you updated on skin care, nutritional supplements and other health related issues. And I have more information on Omega3 Fish Oil and Hair Loss Problems and Hair Healthavailable at http://www.XtendFishOil.com

What are your symptoms? How do you deal with them?

I am about 9 weeks pregnant and I cannot take my medication to help prevent the rash. Every day about 2 hours after I wake up I get a flare up on my hands, arms, legs, ankels, neck and chest and they seeming to get worse. Is this normal? I can’t get into my dermatologist for 2 weeks and none of my other doctors will touch the lupus issue. HELP!

Answer
Call the dermatologist back and be very firm about getting in earlier. If they gatekeepers still refuse, ask to have the doctor call you that day. If that does not work, call your rheumatologist.

Personally, I would look for another dermatologist ASAP. Lupus patients need to be able to see their doctors within a reasonable time when there is a problem Two weeks is not reasonable. It is most likely the receptionist who is the obstacle. Asking the doctor to call you should by pass him or her. Don’t bother telling her your whole story. You can also fax the doctor explaining your symptoms clearly and asking him or her to call you ASAP. You can also call after hours and get the doctor’s service and leave a message with them if you think your other approaches are not getting through to the doctor.

You might also call your ob/gyn and ask if over the counter cortison cream is permissible during pregnancy. Throughout your pregnancy the doctors who treat your lupus and your obstretician should be working hand in hand. You will be the one who has to make that happen.