Can Eating Salty Food Cause Hair Loss?

n the U.S., the average person will consume 3,435 milligrams of salt per day. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that sodium intake should be limited to less than 2,300 milligrams a day, or 1,500 mg if you are older than 51 or if you have high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease or diabetes. If you have too much sodium in your diet, you are at risk for developing certain health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease and even a little bit of hair loss to some extent.

When salt is consumed in massive quantities, it can be toxic to your hair, since deposits will build-up around your hair follicles. This build-up can block important nutrients from entering your hair follicles and these nutrients are very important for your hair’s health. When your hair follicles are deprived of nutrients, it can slowly cause hair loss to occur.

Americans generally have a diet that is sodium rich and sodium is found in so many of the foods that we eat. From fries to chips, soups, canned foods and crackers, the high sodium levels are everywhere. Even foods that may not seem like they would have a lot of sodium can have very high levels, including bread, salad dressings and pizza. It can be incredibly challenging to limit your intake to be below 2,300 mg and 1,500 mg for those who need to.

In order to reduce the amount of sodium you consume, you can try to cook more meals at home and limit your use of salt. Also, when you buy salt, you can look for low sodium salt in order to further reduce your sodium intake. You can also try to avoid buying as many canned and processed foods as possible, or look for items at the grocery store that are labeled “reduced sodium.” Salt is a main seasoning that people use to flavor their food, but you can also season your food with other herbs to give it that boost in flavor.

Sodium levels and potassium levels in your body are directly related in terms of having healthy hair. Potassium is an important mineral that is a facilitator of cellular and electrical body functions. Potassium is essential for hair growth, but your potassium level reduces every time you urinate. High salt intake causes people to urinate more often, thus depleting your body of that much needed potassium. In order to make sure that your body has a sufficient amount of potassium, you can try to increase your intake by eating more bananas, whole grains, or you can take a potassium supplement. You can help to avoid hair loss if you are able to achieve a good balance of sodium and potassium in your diet.

If you are experiencing some thinning hair or balding you would like to know the cause, you can contact the experienced hair loss physician, Dr. Yates. He will be able to determine what is causing your hair loss and will let you know what your options are for treatment.