Can diet reverse grey hair

[TamTam]

Mod. Edit. Posts moved from another thread.

I've not come across that study - will look it up. Sounds similar to studies of both Masai and Eskimo who survive rather well on diets of mainly animal fats and without any of the health problems that are commonplace in first world nations. Let's face it, there are a lot of powerful commercial interests out there whose survival depends on selling us processed "healthy" low fat foods!

Absolutely right! Here's something for folks to chew on. I was a vegetarian for 20 years starting in my early teens. I started going gray at the age of 19. By my 30s my hair was almost 90% gray. Three months ago I started low carb high fat and my hair is returning to brown in several areas. My hairdresser was BLOWN AWAY! She said she didn't even need to color my hair in the back anymore. I attribute it to all of the fat and animal proteins. I just hope any damage I did to my body being a low fat vegetarian for 20 years is reversible. I guess if my hair is reversing other stuff will too.

EDIT to add: I quit being a vegetarian about 7 years ago but was still eating high carb. My hair didn't reverse then. So it's something about the low carb high fat diet that is returning my hair to normal.

 

[creative]

Absolutely right! Here's something for folks to chew on. I was a vegetarian for 20 years starting in my early teens. I started going gray at the age of 19. By my 30s my hair was almost 90% gray. Three months ago I started low carb high fat and my hair is returning to brown in several areas. My hairdresser was BLOWN AWAY! She said she didn't even need to color my hair in the back anymore. I attribute it to all of the fat and animal proteins. I just hope any damage I did to my body being a low fat vegetarian for 20 years is reversible. I guess if my hair is reversing other stuff will too.

EDIT to add: I quit being a vegetarian about 7 years ago but was still eating high carb. My hair didn't reverse then. So it's something about the low carb high fat diet that is returning my hair to normal.

I would suggest that gaining back your hair colour is not about the low carb factor but eating much more meat! This provides copious amounts of iron and an iron deficiency is linked with grey hair/losing pigmentation.

 

[Yorky]

My hair is very gray and I've eaten meat most of my life. Maybe coming up to three score and ten makes a difference?

 

[Elawin]

I would suggest that gaining back your hair colour is not about the low carb factor but eating much more meat! This provides copious amounts of iron and an iron deficiency is linked with grey hair/losing pigmentation.

My hair has been losing its grey too. I eat a lot of leafy green veg, and a little meat. I also do not use shampoos or conditioner on my hair either, but prefer to use ACV instead. I was about 11 before we even used shampoo, and even then it was only once a week. I'm beginning to think I should never have used it.

 

[creative]

My hair has been losing its grey too. I eat a lot of leafy green veg, and a little meat. I also do not use shampoos or conditioner on my hair either, but prefer to use ACV instead. I was about 11 before we even used shampoo, and even then it was only once a week. I'm beginning to think I should never have used it.

Eating 'a little meat' might indicate an iron deficiency since it is not easily absorbed in vegetables. As mentioned, lack of iron is linked to losing pigmentation in hair. I very much doubt that going grey is linked to shampoos - never heard of this!

I realise ACV is a good hair rinse but does it clean hair too? Do you apply it neat or diluted?

 

[Elawin]

Eating 'a little meat' might indicate an iron deficiency since it is not easily absorbed in vegetables. As mentioned, lack of iron is linked to losing pigmentation in hair. I very much doubt that going grey is linked to shampoos - never heard of this!

I realise ACV is a good hair rinse but does it clean hair too? Do you apply it neat or diluted?

Shampoos and conditioners seem to change the colour of my hair - a bit like the build-up on fabric conditioners in laundry (don't use them either, and only use detergents three or four times a year!)

ACV does clean your hair beautifully. It's used diluted, otherwise it would strip the natural oils out of your hair, much in the same way that shampoo does. It's a bit of a shock when you first start not using shampoo - best not to do it if you are going out somewhere special - but after a few weeks, you'll wonder why you ever spent all that money on shampoos in the first place. The only time I ever have a problem with it is because of my urticarial/eczema; I have to use oil in the water when I wash my hair (and sometimes steroid lotion afterwards) so my hair looks greasy but after a day or 2 it is fine again. I haven't used shampoo for 2 years now, but I do have a small supply of no-SLS shampoo just in case I decide to dye it again

P.S. I find it best to put the diluted ACV in a squeezy bottle.

 

[Morning Glory]

My hair has been losing its grey too. I eat a lot of leafy green veg, and a little meat. I also do not use shampoos or conditioner on my hair either, but prefer to use ACV instead. I was about 11 before we even used shampoo, and even then it was only once a week. I'm beginning to think I should never have used it.

That's quite amazing - I really did not think that if it was age related greying it could be reversed.

 

[Cinisajoy]

That's quite amazing - I really did not think that if it was age related greying it could be reversed.

If you are looking at my hair, you are right. It is standard seasoning color. (Salt and pepper)

 

[Elawin]

If you are looking at my hair, you are right. It is standard seasoning color. (Salt and pepper)

Mine is more tabby - a bit like the photos of my cat in the pet photo thread - dark brown, light brown and blond-ish one minute, and grey tabby the next. Unfortunately there isn't a lot of dark brown any more, although a bottle of hair dye can soon cure that. but the grey tabby effect is starting to go.

 

[Elawin]

OK. Here are 4 photos of me. One is pre-grey hair, two with grey hair (both taken in the same year), and one is last night. I completely changed my diet between the first three photos and the fourth one, and all are with my hair its natural colour at the time the photo was taken.

This one was taken on 26-12-2010

These two were taken in 2014

and this one last night (15-04-2017)

The grey is gone.

 

[epicuric]

OK. Here are 4 photos of me. One is pre-grey hair, two with grey hair (both taken in the same year), and one is last night. I completely changed my diet between the first three photos and the fourth one, and all are with my hair its natural colour at the time the photo was taken.

This one was taken on 26-12-2010

View attachment 6486

These two were taken in 2014

View attachment 6487 View attachment 6488

and this one last night (15-04-2017)

View attachment 6489

The grey is gone.

That's incredible! So do you attribute that to a diet high in leafy veg? How long did it take ? I stopped using shampoos and conditioners 12 years ago, and whilst my hair is in great condition the progression of grey hasn't stopped.

 

[Elawin]

That's incredible! So do you attribute that to a diet high in leafy veg? How long did it take ? I stopped using shampoos and conditioners 12 years ago, and whilst my hair is in great condition the progression of grey hasn't stopped.

Up until about 7 years ago, when the first photo was taken, I would eat absolutely anything. After that, the rot set in. I was in and out of hospital and started to be allergic to all sorts of things, not just food (although I did have some allergies before). I already had eye problems (non-vision), throat problems, and gut problems, but now my hearing was going as well. To cap it all, the day after I was given hearing aids, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was while I was receiving treatment after my op (radiotherapy and a load of meds), that one of the MacMillan nurses and I got talking about diet. I already had a list of things I should and should not eat or drink because of my throat and gut problems - which meant now there wasn't much at all in the way of food or drink that I could have - but she gave me some leaflets and a post-cancer treatment recipe book and told me to sit down and work out what I liked and what I could eat. Because I was not at all well after the op, I spent a few months on meals-on-wheels - most of the food was edible, in fact some of it was really nice, but I was feeling half-starved. So, I decided to throw caution and their lists and diet sheets to the wind and eat what I wanted to eat. I now eat mainly leafy greens, plenty of onions and garlic, loads of tomatoes, some carrots and rice or pasta and occasionally potatoes (usually chips!) but still eat meat and fruit once or twice a week. I try to eat more natural food, so all these modern spreads etc are a no-no; it's butter or olive oil now, proper cheese and unhomogenised whole milk - which has helped with the gut problems! In fact, anything which my mother used to give me (except for salt - never have liked it, can't tolerate it, don't use it unless I really have to). Add to this a Mediterranean/Middle Eastern/Indian mix as well - you get the idea. Processed junk has gone. I still eat pizzas and burgers and bread, but I make my own - and I've started to make my own cheese. I also spend a lot of time looking up side effects and interactions with my medications, and found out a lot about what else I couldn't eat, and also what ingredients were in these meds (not the actual drug but all the other junk they put in them). The funniest thing is that I can't eat wholemeal or leafy veg within so many hours of one of my meds - and it's not only grapefruit that you can't have with certain statins. I could write a book on it! I "wash" my hair about once every 3-4 months on average. The last time was last week (because I had an important non-medical appointment to go to); the time before that was 2 months ago (same reason); before that just before Christmas because I was going away; and the time before that in August..... ACV (or white vinegar) and a good bristle brush work wonders, although I killed the natural bristle brush I bought in 1964 and now have a synthetic one

 

[epicuric]

That is a fantastic story @Elawin, you really should write a book! And I clearly need to eat more leafy veg! You've hit the nail on the head about processed food - if it comes in a packet/bottle/jar with a list of ingredients printed on the back then it's probably not going to be good for you.

 

[Elawin]

That is a fantastic story @Elawin, you really should write a book! And I clearly need to eat more leafy veg! You've hit the nail on the head about processed food - if it comes in a packet/bottle/jar with a list of ingredients printed on the back then it's probably not going to be good for you.

There are remarkably few packets/boxes/bottles/jars/cans in my cupboard compared to a couple of years ago, and the ones that are there are either home made jam, marmalade, and pickles, or they are chosen very carefully. There is one pack of frozen processed something-or-other ready meal in the freezer; the rest of the ready meals are ones I cooked and froze myself. I've just ordered some organic sausages, kofta meatballs, lambs liver and minced beef to go with my veg box, milk and muesli this week. I normally get eggs every week too, but I ran out last week and had to get some from the supermarket

 

[FoodEnergetics]

@Elawin I've only just read this post, but that's amazing. Congratulations on making the change and for now avoid processed foods.
More and more we become aware of the benefits of good food. I don't eat loads of processed foods, but I still have some way to go in cooking many of my meals from scratch. Reading posts like yours are really inspiring!