Hello everyone I'm Monica Reinagle and you're listening to episode number 542 of the Nutrition Diva podcast And today we're talking about hair, specifically

whether nutrition can help restore thinning hair.

A small amount of hair collecting in the shower drain or hairbrush every day is not necessarily cause for concern.

According to the Academy of Dermatology, it's perfectly normal to lose 100 or so hairs from your head every day.

Gradually thinning hair as you age is also normal

and largely hereditary.

But hair loss, especially when it's sudden

or at a young age, can also be a sign of certain medical

conditions or nutrient deficiencies. And in these cases, identifying and correcting the problem

can often reverse your hair loss.

But this is not the time for self-diagnosis or treatment.

Guessing wrong and treating a problem that doesn't exist not only won't help, it may actually make the problem worse.

So what causes thinning hair?

Well, two of the most common non-he hereditary causes of hair loss are low thyroid function and iron deficiency.

Now both of these are fairly common, especially in women, and although they are two completely different

conditions, they share some of the same symptoms.

In addition to hair loss, fatigue and cold hands and feet can be signs of both low thyroid

function and iron deficiency.

Now both of these conditions are readily diagnosed with a simple blood test

and can be easily corrected either with replacement thyroid hormones or iron supplements.

But taking an over-the-counter iron supplement if you don't have an iron deficiency can be

potentially harmful.

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