Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Grey Hair
Grey Hair
Search
Evidence BasedThis post has 15 references
4.6/5
19
Learn why hair turns gray, the role hydrogen peroxide plays, and
what dietary and lifestyle choices you can make to delay it.Read on to
discover 24 things you can do to slow down your hair turning gray.
I wrote this post because there was little information on the internet about how to
solve graying hair, and what was available didn’t seem to be supported by science.
Almost all of the information is gleaned from more than a hundred scientific
papers.
Genetics can play a significant role in the graying of your hair. The
genes IRF4 and BCL2, both play a significant role [1, 2].
The Cause of Graying Hair: Hydrogen Peroxide
Whitening of the hair is a result of increased levels of hydrogen peroxide, which
can bleach the hair from the inside out. Hair cells in people of all ages produce
some hydrogen peroxide. But in young people, it’s quickly broken down into its
harmless elements of hydrogen and oxygen. With advancing age, hydrogen
peroxide is broken down less and builds up in larger amounts in the hair follicle
and ultimately inhibits the synthesis of the color pigment melanin. Increasing
hydrogen peroxide clearance or breakdown should delay hair whitening.
Glutathione peroxidase may also play a role in the graying process because it
converts hydrogen peroxide into the water in the body. So increasing glutathione
peroxidase may be another mechanism to decrease hydrogen peroxide.
Xanthine oxidase is an enzyme that can produce hydrogen peroxide. Inhibiting this
enzyme should decrease hydrogen peroxide (This therapy is used for gout to
decrease uric acid).
It may also be the case that certain substances can protect the damage done by
hydrogen peroxide.
Catalase has applicability to other diseases. Low catalase may be a causal factor in
diseases such as diabetes, schizophrenia, and atherosclerosis. Hydrogen peroxide
has been found to damage pancreatic β-cells and cause insulin resistance and
removal of it has been shown to increase insulin signaling.
Overexpression of catalase may also increase lifespan.
1. Increasing catalase
2. Increasing glutathione peroxidase
3. Lowering homocysteine
4. Using a xanthine oxidase inhibitor
5. Directly scavenging hydrogen peroxide
Superoxide dismutase (SOD) converts more harmful free radicals the less harmful
reactant, hydrogen peroxide. If you have too much SOD and too little glutathione
peroxidase (GPx) and catalase then that will explain the issue.
Graying hair isn’t life-threatening, so it doesn’t cause for drastic action. While
there’s a lot of things that can be done – much more than listed here – I delineated
the most important and sensible solutions that can delay graying hair. These
solutions offer the most bang for your buck. They are:
Eating lots of vegetables may also be helpful since many raise catalase and
glutathione peroxidase. Unless you’re into popping lots of pills or taking lots of
herbs, there’s no way around this one. Mushrooms, dark chocolate/cocoa, and
some fruits can be beneficial as well. Vegetables also have phenolics which inhibit
xanthine oxidase.
Eating whole grains and seeds like sesame can inhibit xanthine oxidase because of
the phytate.
Stress and sleep deprivation both lead to the whitening of hair by decreasing
catalase. Astragalus is an effective method for preventing a stress-induced decrease
in catalase, in addition to mindfulness, breathing exercises, yoga, and meditation.
Heavy metals like mercury and lead can also decrease catalase. Excess iron can do
the same, which can be obtained by iron-rich foods like red meat.
Smokers were found to be four times more likely to begin graying prematurely.
UVA from the sun decreases catalase. Make sure to get adequate sun, though. 30 –
60 min is adequate.
All of these substances affect the body in multiple positive ways. How much you
take of each depends on multiple factors, so I can’t give recommendations.
Many herbs and plants can increase catalase and glutathione peroxidase. Most
herbs that are effective for catalase are also effective for glutathione peroxidase.
You can scavenge hydrogen peroxide directly with lipoic acid and cysteine.
Cysteine is found in eggs and sesame in high concentrations, as well as in many
other foods. We may not have enough since the world we live in might place a
higher burden on cysteine to detox toxins. NAC is a supplement that can increase
cysteine. Lipoic acid would need to be supplemented in pill form for this purpose.
My guess is garlic would also be useful for because of its thiols.
Avocado oil can be used topically to increase catalase. Amla oil can also be used
topically and is used traditionally for this purpose.
Fo-ti is a traditional remedy for graying hair, but I haven’t seen any science behind
it. I’m slightly concerned about its potential liver toxicity. I know herbal hype
when I see it, but this doesn’t seem to be hyped. I’d wager that it works, but that’s
just faith. I’d use it as a type of panic button in case my other methods don’t work.
Safety
These are all extremely safe (with the exception of fo-ti). I have tried everything I
have listed here at much higher doses.
Go to SelfDecode to learn how you can have your own genetic make-up tested for
hair graying susceptibility.
Joe Cohen, BS
As a kid, Joe suffered from inflammation, brain fog, fatigue, digestive
problems, mood and other issues that were poorly understood in both
conventional and alternative medicine. Frustrated by the lack of good
information and tools, Joe decided to embark on a journey of self-
experimentation and self-learning to improve his health--something that has
since become known as “biohacking”. With thousands of experiments and
pubmed articles under his belt, Joe founded SelfHacked, the resource that was
missing when he needed it. SelfHacked now gets millions of monthly readers.
Joe is a thriving entrepreneur, author and speaker. He is the CEO and
founder of SelfDecode. His mission is to help people gain access to the most
up-to-date, unbiased, and science-based ways to optimize their health.
(53 votes, average: 4.64 out of 5)
FDA Compliance
The information on this website has not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration or any other
medical body. We do not aim to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any illness or disease. Information is
shared for educational purposes only. You must consult your doctor before acting on any content on this
website, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition.
Load comments
Leave a Reply
Comment
Name *
Email *
Website
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Contents
Navigation
Home
Posts
About
VIP Login
Contact us
Sitemap
Our Policies
Advertising Policy
Accessibility
Editorial Policy
Cookie Policy
Corrections Policy
Disclaimer
Terms and Conditions
Privacy Policy
Contact Us
support@selfhacked.com
Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. Selfhacked
LLC does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. See additional information.