Vegans and Hair Loss

by Nikki
(Saratoga Springs, NY)

I became a vegan about 9 months ago. I have always had thin hair, but my hair now is thinning very quickly. It has become more since I became a vegan.

Am I missing out on some nutrient or mineral? I take a multi-vit + Biotin every day. Maybe I am not meeting the amount needed by your Vegan Food Pyramid every day?

I am worried right now. I love this lifestyle that I have be living. I don't want to go back to my old ways of eating just to save my hair. BUT I must say it's a concern of mine as to why it has been falling out so rapidly. I don't have a lot of hair to spare. :)

Thanx for any help I can get or information!

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Sassy Sez: Hi Nikki! Sorry to hear about your hair loss challenges. Let's see if we can get to the bottom of it.

Firstly, ask most hair stylists out there, and they will likely agree that hair loss has been increasing in the past few years, and it is not necessarily linked to "going vegan".

That said, hair loss can be caused for many reasons, so the first thing I recommend is that you check with your doctor since he would be familiar with your history.

Next, an inadequate amount of iron can cause hair loss. There is a difference between iron which comes from animal products (called heme iron) and that which comes from non-animal products (non-heme iron).

Non-heme iron-rich vegan foods include cooked beans and lentils, pumpkin seeds, blackstrap molasses, and baked potato with the skin. It is thought that vegans may need almost twice as much dietary iron each day as non-vegetarians because of the lower intestinal absorption of non-heme iron in plant foods. Whether or not this is true is up for debate (as are most topics about the human diet!).

But just to be on the safe side, help your body along with the non-heme iron absorption by including Vitamin C-rich foods in your daily diet such as fruit, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and green and red peppers.

Also, be aware of those foods which can BLOCK the absorption of iron including caffeine, spinach, Swiss chard, and eating far too many whole grains (so balance is always key).

And what if you are including iron-rich foods AND Vitamin C-rich foods, and still experiencing hair loss? It could be that your body is simply not efficient at absorbing iron. The essential amino acid L-Lysine assists in the absorption of iron (as well as helps your body to make protein).

Vegan foods rich in L-lysine include beans and legumes, seaweed, and nuts & seeds.

As you may have noticed, beans and legumes like lentils contain the iron AND the L-Lysine we need, so they are some of the most important foods you can include in your vegan diet.

I have read about a study of women whose hair was thinning, and they were put on both an iron supplement AND an L-lysine supplement for a period of 6 months, and their hair thinning/loss improved by 50%. Definitely something you should ask your doctor about because taking iron when you don't need it could cause a build up of excess iron which can lead to organ damage such as cirrhosis of the liver and heart failure! So be careful.

Please note, this is just a place for you to start. It's quite a complicated topic, and I am not in any way, shape or form suggesting that I have all the answers here. Every body is different, and you have to find what works best for you and your unique self.

Best wishes to you, Nikki! xo