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Gray hair can be the result of a nutritional deficiency such as a lack of vitamins B-12 or B-9. However, it is also a result of the natural aging process -- as you get older, your chances of gray hair increase by 10 to 20 percent every 10 years after the age of 30. Nutrition can help prevent premature graying, but if your hair is changing color as a result of natural aging, there is nothing your diet can do for you.
Eating Foods That Boost Blood/Kidney Energy according to TCM. Eating foods that boost certain energies in your body might also help slow the process. Trattner says that dark-colored foods like molasses, blackberries, seaweed, and black beans and lentils are good options, as are seafood and bone broth. Eating Foods That Boost Yin. Also, building yin or the nutritive essence can keep hair full, from falling out, and possibly not turning gray. Trattner says. She recommends eating things like darker-colored berries, bone marrow, seafood, and small quantities of red meat if you're trying to boost yin. Yin (and yang) are "preserved" by the kidneys, she says, which is at least partially why taking care of your kidneys is so important.
"Jing is your vital essence," Trattner says. "The preservation of vital essence is key in anti-aging in TCM, as it is your mojo. You are born with a certain amount and it is very hard to replace when lost. Pregnancies, illness, trauma can all drain jing. You can only replace little drops of jing by the excess of food, sleep, and building yin and yang. Draining jing can turn you [gray] overnight."
Eating nourishing foods, minimizing preventable illnesses and injuries, and getting plenty of sleep not only takes care of your physical body, as discussed previously, but can keep you from losing vital essence, which you definitely don't want to do, according to Chinese medicine.
Spinach, kidney beans, potatoes, lentils, raisins and prunes and prune juice are all good sources of iron.
Fruits and vegetables rich in copper include lentils, potatoes, mushrooms, dark leafy greens and dried fruit, like prunes. Copper is needed for certain essential enzymes, including tyrosinase, which is crucial for the production of melanin, the pigment that gives your skin and hair its color.
Who knew these cute buttons were power elixirs for the hair? Mushrooms are stuffed with high quantities of zinc and copper, which promote scalp health and stimulate melanin production. Expect a darker, healthier mane if you embark on a mushroom-abundant diet! Of course, don’t use this as an excuse to indulge in truffle fries.
Lentils aren’t as trendy as avocado and acai but we’re definitely seeing a steady stream of them into the bowls of many health freaks. And, there’s good reason for that. Lentils are packed with vitamin B9, which fuels the production of DNA and RNA. With higher levels of these components, there will be an increase in collagen 17A1 in hair follicles, thus contributing to a healthier mane.
Nearly all the foods on this list have one thing in common, that they are a source of B vitamins, specifically the B9 or B12 vitamins. Lentils are no exception here. Lentils provide your hair with a supply of nutrients. They also increase the production of red blood cells which helps you retain hair color.
You mother wasn’t lying when she emphasised the importance of eating your greens. Leafy vegetables, such as spinach and kale, are exceptional hair foods with their high vitamin C and E content. These antioxidants encourage blood circulation to your scalp, thus improving scalp health.
The best thing about walnuts is that, not only are they good for you, they are rich in minerals such as copper which is essential to keep your hair from going gray. In fact, copper has ties to melanin production in your hair. Melanin is the component that gives hair its color so you can see why eating foods rich in copper is important.
Want to have a hair colour as black as sesame seeds? Then, eat them! Backed by TCM, black sesame seeds are believed to be potent elixirs for grey hair. They are enriched with antioxidants that neutralise the aging effect of free radicals on our hair. In addition, these seeds stimulate the production of melanin, thus giving your hair greater pigment.
Chickpeas contain some of the highest concentrations of vitamin B9. A cup of them packs a whopping 1,114 micrograms of B-9, nearly three times the RDA of 400 micrograms. If you’re a fan of hummus, you’re in luck, chickpeas contain large amounts of B vitamins including B9 and B12 complex. This powerful combination will prevent gray hair and give your hairstyle some added shine.
This is a powerful Chinese plant that is said to contain many anti-ageing benefits including reducing grey hair. Traditional Chinese Medicine aligns hair health with kidney health.
Grey hair is said to be a sign of weak kidneys and liver blood. Ho Sho Wu works on these areas and improves liver blood flow to the scalp thus reducing grey hair growth.
Better known as the popular superfood, Go Ji berry is the anti-aging fruit. It’s nourishing effects on the Liver, Lung and Kidney organ systems as well as its beneficial influence on Jing, make it a go-to herb in many TCM prescriptions for hair loss.
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