Recent convert to Paleo--question about gray hair recession - PaleoHacks.com

Recent convert to Paleo--question about gray hair recession

2011-03-17T14:35:06Z

About a decade ago, I switched to a WAPF-method of eating due to multiple food allergies. As the years went by, I noticed some of my allergies getting worse, even with the WAPF stuff. I discovered Paleo, and it's helping me a lot just by simple avoidance of the offending foods, rather than working around them.

WAPF has has my gray hair in retreat, but Paleo has now supercharged it. Is this supposed to happen-is this normal?

Answer by Jules K for Recent convert to Paleo--question about gray hair recession

2011-03-17T14:52:51Z

I just turned 27 and have been noticing a lot more grays in the last few months :( I know my mom's side of the fam go prematurely gray, but it's been disturbing to see the little suckers increase exponentially. I just blame it on my genes and the march of time :( In this thread, some folks are actually reporting gray hair reversal on paleo- I hope it happens for me!

http://paleohacks.com/questions/8827/paleo-and-gray-hair#axzz1Grtr9ia8

Answer by No more. for Recent convert to Paleo--question about gray hair recession

2011-03-18T05:21:16Z

I can't think of a reason it would've encouraged pigment loss. Have you tracked nutrients on Fit day or Cron-O-Meter? How's your sleep? How old are you? What were your pre-WAPF symptoms and how are they resolving themselves? Hair is eventually supposed to grey. That's normal. I wouldn't worry about it unless there are other symptoms. At the end of the day, for most of your life you were probably consuming food that your body found irritating. There are lifelong ramifications for that. But grey hairs are just grey hairs. If they're coming don't fight them too hard. Age gracefully.

Answer by haig for Recent convert to Paleo--question about gray hair recession

2011-03-18T13:39:50Z

The simplest answers are:

a.) You are getting older and your hair is graying regardless of diet. The correlation between diet switch and increased graying is just a coincidence, and the older you get and the faster and more pronounced age-related changes show up, the more chances for such coincidences.

b.) Increased stress. If you have been experiencing increased stress in your life, then again, the diet switch may just be coincidence. However, if your exogenous stress levels are the same, then your diet may actually be stressing your body, even if you are strict paleo. Prolonged ketogenic diets, processed meats and AGEs, or possibly other things I'm not thinking of may possibly stress the body.

Answer by Wenchypoo for Recent convert to Paleo--question about gray hair recession

2011-03-18T15:03:46Z

As far as gray hair receding, my husband has been digging around on Google, and the closest thing he can find is an increase in Vitamin C intake. When I was a WAPF-style grain-eater (GF grains soaked in acid medium), I wasn't able to eat citrus--it caused anaphylaxis. Ever since we gave up grains and beans completely, my tolerance for navel oranges and lemon juice has greatly improved. Tomatoes are still a no-go, though (I had to try!). Dairy (cheese) still irritates my nasal passages and makes me sneeze (I had to re-try that too)--now dairy's out and never coming back.

It was interesting, though, that a simple throwing in of the grains-and-beans towel allowed me to eat oranges again.

Answer by Adam Crafter for Recent convert to Paleo--question about gray hair recession

2011-04-01T15:28:42Z

I have noticed two spots at my temples where my hairline has reversed it's age related retreat, and is growing in again.

With my evenly long hair everywhere else on my head... My wife says that it looks like I'm growing satyr horns. This may be appropriate to go with other changes from this eating lifestyle.

No noticeable color changes are present.

Answer by Mike Gruber for Recent convert to Paleo--question about gray hair recession

2011-04-01T19:36:06Z

Nope. Same damn grey hair I've had for quite a while now. :-)

Answer by Jake for Recent convert to Paleo--question about gray hair recession

2011-04-02T05:55:00Z

Huh.

I'm 30 years old, started paleo with no expectations except to lose weight. That's the least of the things that's happening (18.4 pounds in 25 days!).

I lost the white hair that was at my temples. I still have some grey, but it's about 20% of the levels I've had in the past few years.

Every day I see less and less grey, and am wondering if I'll get rid of it completely.

I was at a point where I was coloring it to get rid of the white, but I stopped that and my barber is now asking me what the hell I was doing, because he couldn't figure out why my hair is darker than before. So I think I got a paleo convert :)

I wonder why it is actually worse in your case. I would assume stress, I've had a couple really stressful jobs over the last couple years. I know that the stress or the fact that I ate sugar and processed carbs like they were going out of style probably contributed to mine.

So two things to consider. Well, at least two things I might think of...

Fish oil intake? I do the damage control from Robb Wolf's book the Paleo solution (well, at least for the next couple weeks).

Sleep? I know that's important for restoration of the body's healing process.