Can Sugar Cause Hair Loss?

As if we needed another reason to feel guilty about treating ourselves to sweets. On top of causing energy crashes after binging on dessert, can eating sugar actually cause hair loss too?

Does Sugar Cause Hair Loss?

When we consume sugar on a regular basis, our insulin levels spike. Often we eat sugar without even realizing it, keeping our insulin levels chronically elevated (this is called hyperinsulinemia). Hyperinsulinemia causes hair loss, acne, inflammation, and encourages our bodies to store more fat, resulting in constant weight gain.

How to Avoid Sugar When You're Losing Your Hair

Be on the lookout for hidden sugars: This is your daily reminder about what can happen when we're not careful about spotting sneaky hidden sugars. An easy way to cut down your sugars is to make sure to check your breads, salad dressings, and milk for hidden sugars. The other day I found out that the oat milk I've been using daily had over 9g of sugar in each serving! This just goes to show that possible culprits are everywhere, so trust me, leave no stone unturned!
Skip a meal: Another simple strategy to balance your blood sugar is intermittent fasting (if you aren't doing this already, I HIGHLY encourage you to try for at least a week to reap some of its impressive benefits. I'll share this article on how to get started here).
Light late night meals: And lastly, make sure you eat your heaviest meals as early in the day as you can because insulin is the most "resistant" in the evenings. Besides, late dinners make no sense. Why eat your biggest meal before bed when you know won't have time to properly digest or put some of that energy to good use?

How to Deal With Hair Loss in the Meantime

Cutting down your sugar intake is a long-term solution that will improve your overall health, your skin, and hopefully your hair over time. But for now, it's essential to stop your hair loss before more damage is done. Here are two natural, clean solutions that have helped me.

1. Silica

This is one of the most important minerals for your hair, your bones and joints, and even for your collagen production. The problem is that most of us are actually deficient in silica and could really benefit from taking a daily supplement of it. Whatever you do, make sure you don't take horsetail extract for silica because it becomes unsafe with long-term use.

Here are the top two best sources for silica:

Bamboo: This is the richest source of silica in the world. When I first started drinking this tea, my hair loss stopped within the week. If you drink this everyday for a month, you'll have notice impressive results like faster hair growth and stronger strands. Find it here.
Stinging nettle: If you already have thick hair, bamboo will make it thicker. This isn't a good thing for some people. So if that would bother you, opt for stinging nettle. Stinging nettle softens your hair and skin while strengthening your joints. Many doctors recommend taking liquid supplements, so I like to take stinging nettle in loose leaf tisane (like this one). It tastes like green tea, only minus the caffeine! But if pills are more convenient for you, this is a clean brand I trust.

2. Supplements

To get the whole range of hair-healthy nutrients, you can also opt for a daily supplement like this one that has silica from bamboo but also 18 other vitamins, amino acids and minerals that can naturally reduce hair loss, boost growth, and nourish your nails and skin too.

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