Vitamins that promote healthy hair....

[himynameisjustjohn]

I know this has probably been asked before, but what are the best vitamins one can use to promote healthy hair and/or help you to maintain? I am currently on finasteride and don't plan on replacing that with a vitamin by far, just want a vitamin to take in addition to finasteride to promote healthy hair; however, after doing some research, I believe me being unhealthy in general has also contributed to my loss as I have bad habits and my diet has been poor forever.....

I've read a few articles which have suggested that vitamin D might even be beneficial for hair growth....

Please help..........

 

[mykal_P]

I use black tea extract, beta sitosterol, saw palmetto, msm, and krill oil. Black tea is just fermented green tea leafs so both will work in pill form, but the antioxidant in it is suppose to help cell damage. Beta sitosterol supposedly blocks any excess estrogen and or balances it out in your system. Saw palmetto I think blocks the binding of dht in the scalp. Msm makes the hair much thicker and grow quick, but also nails and facial hair. Krill oil is just fish oil which has essential fatty acids which are good for inflammation in the scalp and body in general. Search these in the forums here and many threads should pop up on each.

 

[raj47]

Biotin 5mg

 

[DHTHater]

What mykal and raj said plus don't forget Iron (My advice is only take Iron weekly and then back off after while. Too much iron in the blood is very bad. I would consult with a physician about the Iron), and Magnesium. Those are crucial in the nutrition line of defense against hair loss. Magnesium mitigates the conversion of testosterone to DHT, and iron is needed for healthy hair growth. As was pointed out already, Biotin and MSM are also very important.

I would also recommend an extreme hot pepper like Habanero or some extreme hot sauce like Dave's Insanity or Blair's Mega Death once a day for the high Capsaicin. If those aren't available, try to get Cayenne pepper. There is empirical data showing Capsaicin stimulates dermal hair growth factors. Eating a little bit every day actually makes my scalp less itchy, and seems to oxygenate it when I inevitably sweat from the heat. It sounded like snake oil/voodoo when I first heard about it, but there's actual studies corroborating its efficacy.

 

[DHTHater]

EDIT: I'd be remiss to not say this, so adding to the above I would say that you should go easy on the Iron, because it is an oxidant, and excess amounts of it can be bad for the body (leading to heart disease and even cancer over time). E.g I wouldn't take it daily or anything, take maybe 30 mg a week or so of gentle iron, and then back off for a while, before trying again. It's not even crucial that you take iron unless you're low in it, and simple blood tests can show this. We get iron from food typically anyways, so understand I'm not recommending supplementation of it, but low iron has been linked to hair loss, and a certain level of it is needed to grow new hair.

Zinc is also mentioned in a lot of talk as being good for stopping hair loss, the problem is that with Zinc, if you get to much (30 mg a day for a month straight for example) you start to lose copper in your blood and that will lead to shedding. So go lightly with Zinc as well.

A few more things you should consider are ALA and GLA oils, like Evening Primrose Oil and Flaxseed Oil. They are both shown to lower DHT levels and are perfectly safe for daily consumption at recommended dosage. And also Green Tea extract, it like ALA and GLA oils, has properties shown to combat DHT production.

 

[Bryan]

A few more things you should consider are ALA and GLA oils, like Evening Primrose Oil and Flaxseed Oil. They are both shown to lower DHT levels....it like ALA and GLA oils, has properties shown to combat DHT production.

Where did you hear that evening primrose and flaxseed oils lower DHT levels? I've never heard such a thing, and I doubt there's any truth to it.

 

[vauxall]

Where did you hear that evening primrose and flaxseed oils lower DHT levels? I've never heard such a thing, and I doubt there's any truth to it.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1637346

The relative inhibitory potencies of unsaturated fatty acids are, in decreasing order: gamma-linolenic acid greater than cis-4,7,10,13,16,19-docosahexaenoic acid = cis-6,9,12,15-octatetraenoic acid = arachidonic acid = alpha-linolenic acid greater than linoleic acid greater than palmitoleic acid greater than oleic acid greater than myristoleic acid

 

[Bryan]

That doesn't say anything about evening primrose and flaxseed oils supposedly lowering DHT levels. Believe me, I have that whole study, and I've read the thing front to back. More than once.

 

[DHTHater]

A few more things you should consider are ALA and GLA oils, like Evening Primrose Oil and Flaxseed Oil. They are both shown to lower DHT levels....it like ALA and GLA oils, has properties shown to combat DHT production.

Where did you hear that evening primrose and flaxseed oils lower DHT levels? I've never heard such a thing, and I doubt there's any truth to it.

Seems well corroborated. Links were all over the place on initial Google. These are two I found on quick searches, the latter being a link on this site to Revivgen.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12589947

http://www.hairlosstalk.com/hair-loss-treatments/revivogen/revivogen-ingredients.php

"Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA), Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA), and Linolenic Acid are essential fatty acids found in plant oils. GLA, ALA, and Linolenic Acid have been individually shown to inhibit 5-Alpha Reductase. In fact these are the most powerful inhibitors of 5-Alpha Reductase known today. In addition, they not only inhibit the Type II form of 5-Alpha Reductase which other products like Propecia inhibit, but also the Type I form of the enzyme which is present in high concentrations in the scalp and the skin.
"

For the sake of clarity, I should point out here, Evening Primrose Oil and Flaxseed Oil are a source for GLA and ALA, respectively.


-

 

[Bryan]

Seems well corroborated. Links were all over the place on initial Google. These are two I found on quick searches, the latter being a link on this site to Revivgen. [snipping the references]

Again, those have NOTHING to do with evening primrose and flaxseed oils; they have to do with certain FREE fatty acids which are known to be 5a-reductase inhibitors. Please answer the question that I actually asked, not a different question that I didn't ask.

For the sake of clarity, I should point out here, Evening Primrose Oil and Flaxseed Oil are a source for GLA and ALA, respectively.

Yes, but those fatty acids in evening primrose and flaxseed oil aren't in their free form. They don't work as 5a-reductase inhibitors in the form of oil.

 

[DHTHater]

Seems well corroborated. Links were all over the place on initial Google. These are two I found on quick searches, the latter being a link on this site to Revivgen. [snipping the references]

Again, those have NOTHING to do with evening primrose and flaxseed oils; they have to do with certain FREE fatty acids which are known to be 5a-reductase inhibitors. Please answer the question that I actually asked, not a different question that I didn't ask.

For the sake of clarity, I should point out here, Evening Primrose Oil and Flaxseed Oil are a source for GLA and ALA, respectively.

Yes, but those fatty acids in evening primrose and flaxseed oil aren't in their free form. They don't work as 5a-reductase inhibitors in the form of oil.

I see no distinction in the lab study between "forms", and there are plenty of links claiming Evening Primrose is used to combat DHT, though none looked "official". As I understand it, after being processed in the liver, fatty acids invariably become "free form" in the blood, whether or not that is so, or even if that's necessary to duplicate results like those shown in the test, I don't know. I'm certainly no biochemist, so am less than informed enough to answer the claim that forms make the difference here.

As such, I've mailed the question to several Nutritional Biochemistry labs across the country. I expect at least a few replies by tomorrow. I suppose that's when I'll know for certain if oral consumption of Evening Primrose and Flaxseed oil are viable in the attempt to lower DHT.

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[Bryan]

I see no distinction in the lab study between "forms"...

That's because the authors of the study are professional chemists and/or medical researchers who are already quite familiar with lipids, fats, and fatty acids, and they don't feel they need to explain the chemical details which they know are already quite obvious to their peers who are reading their study. That's not a slam at you or the previous poster, just a simple statement of fact. All chemists and medical researchers know that natural oils (like evening primrose and flaxseed) contain lots of different fatty acids, but those fatty acids are mostly in the form of various mono-, di-, and triglycerides, NOT "free" fatty acids (there may be certain rare exceptions to that general rule). Triglycerides and other esters of fatty acids don't inhibit 5a-reductase.

So when you read a study by professional chemists like Liang & Liao that has to do with the 5a-reductase-inhibiting ability of gamma-linolenic acid and various other specific fatty acids, I can _guarantee_ you that they're referring to the pure, unadulterated, FREE-FORM fatty acid, not some natural oil like evening primrose, flaxseed, corn, safflower, olive, or anything else!

...and there are plenty of links claiming Evening Primrose is used to combat DHT, though none looked "official".

EXACTLY. That's what I'm talking about: I've never run across anything in the scientific or medical literature claiming to have found that such natural oils "reduce DHT". There are studies that found that certain specific free fatty acids can do it under certain circumstances, but that's not the same thing as what I asked. I've spent years (off and on) explaining the difference between free fatty acids and natural oils to people on hairloss sites!

As I understand it, after being processed in the liver, fatty acids invariably become "free form" in the blood, whether or not that is so, or even if that's necessary to duplicate results like those shown in the test, I don't know.

I've actually heard rather conflicting information on that, but I won't bore you with the details.

As such, I've mailed the question to several Nutritional Biochemistry labs across the country. I expect at least a few replies by tomorrow. I suppose that's when I'll know for certain if oral consumption of Evening Primrose and Flaxseed oil are viable in the attempt to lower DHT.

I tend to think that question will be a little too specific for them, but it'll be interesting to see what they have to say.

 

[DHTHater]

That's because the authors of the study are professional chemists and/or medical researchers who are already quite familiar with lipids, fats, and fatty acids, and they don't feel they need to explain the chemical details which they know are already quite obvious to their peers who are reading their study. That's not a slam at you or the previous poster, just a simple statement of fact. All chemists and medical researchers know that natural oils (like evening primrose and flaxseed) contain lots of different fatty acids, but those fatty acids are mostly in the form of various mono-, di-, and triglycerides, NOT "free" fatty acids (there may be certain rare exceptions to that general rule). Triglycerides and other esters of fatty acids don't inhibit 5a-reductase.

So when you read a study by professional chemists like Liang & Liao that has to do with the 5a-reductase-inhibiting ability of gamma-linolenic acid and various other specific fatty acids, I can _guarantee_ you that they're referring to the pure, unadulterated, FREE-FORM fatty acid, not some natural oil like evening primrose, flaxseed, corn, safflower, olive, or anything else!

First, I've yet to see any demonstrable proof that "free form" fatty acids are necessary to duplicate the results shown in the lab test. Second, the test explicitly states "To demonstrate that nutrients derived from dietary sources can exert similar therapeutic promise.." meaning they had food sources of ALA/GLA in mind whilst conducting the test.

As I understand it, after being processed in the liver, fatty acids invariably become "free form" in the blood, whether or not that is so, or even if that's necessary to duplicate results like those shown in the test, I don't know.

I've actually heard rather conflicting information on that, but I won't bore you with the details.

Well that sort of matters if you're trying to make the case that fatty acids need to be "free" in order to replicate the results found in the lab study. So if you're so inclined, feel free to enlighten us all. If you've "heard conflicting information" on that, then you rightly can't say with any certainty that the efficacy of consumed ALA/GLA is invalid because it needs to be in a free form.

Assuming animals even need ALA/GLA to be in "free form" to duplicate the test results as you posit, then obviously if fatty acids convert to free form inevitably anyway, the argument that consumed sources of ALA/GLA doesn't have an inhibitory effect on DHT levels is erroneous.

I'm also very interested in hearing what information the laboratories provide.

 

[Bryan]

First, I've yet to see any demonstrable proof that "free form" fatty acids are necessary to duplicate the results shown in the lab test.

LOL! If you don't believe me, I strongly suggest that you read the studies! They all state that the esterification of those fatty acids almost totally abolishes their ability to inhibit 5a-reductase. Don't take my word for it, READ THE STUDIES.

Second, the test explicitly states "To demonstrate that nutrients derived from dietary sources can exert similar therapeutic promise.." meaning they had food sources of ALA/GLA in mind whilst conducting the test.

It doesn't make any difference what the source of the fatty acids is: for them to inhibit 5a-reductase, they must be in their free form. If they were originally in food sources like natural fats and oils, they have to be hydrolyzed into free fatty acids before they can inhibit 5a-reductase.

I've actually heard rather conflicting information on that, but I won't bore you with the details.

Well that sort of matters if you're trying to make the case that fatty acids need to be "free" in order to replicate the results found in the lab study. So if you're so inclined, feel free to enlighten us all. If you've "heard conflicting information" on that, then you rightly can't say with any certainty that the efficacy of consumed ALA/GLA is invalid because it needs to be in a free form.

I've read that dietary fats and oils are de-esterified during digestion, but then converted right back into triglycerides before they enter the bloodstream (you _have_ heard of triglyceride levels in the blood, haven't you? ). But I've also read a bit about the existence of free fatty acids in the blood. Without delving into it further, my guess is that like natural oils, the great majority of fatty acids in the blood are in the form of triglycerides, with only (relatively) trace levels of free fatty acids.

Assuming animals even need ALA/GLA to be in "free form" to duplicate the test results as you posit, then obviously if fatty acids convert to free form inevitably anyway, the argument that consumed sources of ALA/GLA doesn't have an inhibitory effect on DHT levels is erroneous.

I'm not challenging the general idea that free fatty acids will eventually get into all the cells of the body, just the notion that consuming ordinary dietary oils will affect the systemic levels of DHT to any noticeable or measurable extent. If anybody knows of any scientific evidence to support that theory, I'd be glad to take a look at it.

 

[DHTHater]

LOL! If you don't believe me, I strongly suggest that you read the studies! They all state that the esterification of those fatty acids almost totally abolishes their ability to inhibit 5a-reductase. Don't take my word for it, READ THE STUDIES.

I'd love to. Where are these studies? Do you have links showing how fatty acids effects on 5ar types are useless after being consumed? Provide these, and I will happily read them.

I'm not challenging the general idea that free fatty acids will eventually get into all the cells of the body, just the notion that consuming ordinary dietary oils will affect the systemic levels of DHT to any noticeable or measurable extent. If anybody knows of any scientific evidence to support that theory, I'd be glad to take a look at it.

And yet that lab study shows that they do in fact have a profound effect on DHT levels, and they even stop to emphasize that the test was conducted for the express purpose of showing that food sources of ALA/GLA could be compared when they wrote "To demonstrate that nutrients derived from dietary sources can exert similar therapeutic promise".

 

[Bryan]

I'd love to. Where are these studies?

Read the same study by Liang & Liao whose abstract was cited earlier in this thread. They mention even in the abstract that certain esters of the fatty acids had no activity.

Also, here's another one you might want to read: "Inhibition of Steroid 5a-Reductase Activity by Aliphatic Fatty Acids", Niederprum et al. Ann NY Acad Sci 1995 Sep 30;768: 227-30. I can't type-out the whole thing, but for example here's something they say about lauric acid in the RESULTS AND DISCUSSION section: "The enzyme inhibition activity of lauric acid (C12:0) is lowered by esterification to monoglycerides and is totally lost by esterification to diglycerides and triglycerides and to the ethyl ester..."

Do you have links showing how fatty acids effects on 5ar types are useless after being consumed? Provide these, and I will happily read them.

I don't have any links about that, because I'm trying to find out MYSELF if dietary oils have any supposed effect on DHT levels (as claimed by the other poster). One thing I do have, however, is a copy of a study in which a certain commercial supplement product was tested (one which contains gamma-linolenic acid), and it was found to have no effect on DHT. I don't remember the exact details of the findings, or how it was conducted. You'll have to give me some time to find it, though.

And yet that lab study shows that they do in fact have a profound effect on DHT levels, and they even stop to emphasize that the test was conducted for the express purpose of showing that food sources of ALA/GLA could be compared when they wrote "To demonstrate that nutrients derived from dietary sources can exert similar therapeutic promise".

For the UMPTEENTH TIME: that study was conducted with FREE-FORM fatty acids, not dietary oils! :smack:

 

[DHTHater]

For the UMPTEENTH TIME: that study was conducted with FREE-FORM fatty acids, not dietary oils! :smack:

Unfortunately, repeating yourself ad nauseum doesn't make it so.

How on earth you could you know such a thing if it isn't listed in the study? What we do know of the study is that they were trying to show that we could get it from dietary sources, so what we should deduce from that statement is that they were feeding lab rats ALA/GLA, or a metabolized form of it was introduced to 5ar in a petri dish.

Otherwise, why would they say it? lol...

 

[Bryan]

You're just boring me now. READ THE FRICKIN' STUDIES.

 

[DHTHater]

You're just boring me now. READ THE FRICKIN' STUDIES.

That's not very surprising considering I'm not concerned with trying to entertain you. You've yet to provide said links that support your arguments.

 

[Bryan]

That's not very surprising considering I'm not concerned with trying to entertain you. You've yet to provide said links that support your arguments.

I never said that I'd provide you with any "links". I told you what studies to read.