Gray Hair Caused By Deficiencies?

“My neighbor gave me a tape for this vitamin thing he wants me to get into and it claims gray hair is caused by mineral deficiencies. Is that right?”

Like most things in alternative medicine, this one has a kernel of truth to it. But that’s about it. Right now, our best information suggests that genetics—not nutrition—is the key factor.

Your hair color is determined by the amount of two pigments—eumelanin and pheomelanin—in your hair. As we age, we just naturally produce less and less of those pigments until eventually the cells that produce pigment die.

It’s true that some medications (and perhaps some medical conditions) can change hair color but, for the vast majority of us, gray hair is just a normal part of the aging process. There’s no real evidence that taking mineral supplements can stop or reverse gray hair.

Where The Gray Hair/Mineral Idea Came From

In the late 1970s, a handful of studies on rats suggested that by giving the rats high doses of certain nutrients researchers could manipulate the rats’ hair color. But, the rats used in the studies were healthy rats with normal hair before the study. They weren’t gray-haired naturally—their gray hair was forced upon them during the experiments.

Contrary to what you’ll read on some web sites, there’s little evidence that large doses of any nutrient reverses gray hair in a healthy person. Think about your grandparents or the elderly people you knew while growing up. They probably ate pretty healthy food that they grew themselves, right? And the probably still had gray hair.

Science doesn’t have all the answers yet but right now, genetics seems to the greatest factor in when you begin to “go gray”.

References:

Nishimura, E., et al. (2005). Mechanisms of hair graying: Incomplete melanocyte stem cell maintenance in the niche.

Is Fluoride A Poison?

“Isn’t fluoride a low grade poison?”

You need only glance at a pro-natural web site, magazine or cookbook to find that few nutrients are as misunderstood as fluoride. Spend just a moment reading and you’ll find that fluoride is a deadly poison linked to just about every disease from brittle bones to cancer to genetic mutations.

But wait a moment. On the other hand, you have thousands of dental professionals (and even a few “natural” experts) extolling fluoride’s virtue. Decades of fluoridated water have, according to them, dramatically improved dental health in the U.S.

So what’s the truth about fluoride? Is it really a deadly poison? Does it really prevent cavaties? Should you filter it out from your water? Here’s the truth about fluoride.

How Fluoride Fights Cavities

Despite claims to the contrary, three decades of studies in over 20 countries has found water fluoridation safe and effective at reducing cavities. How effective is it? Fluoride reduces cavities in baby teeth by at least 40% and cavaties in permanent teeth by as much as 60%.

In your mouth live millions of bacteria that feed on carbohydrates left behind after you eat. These bacteria produce an acid that can actually dissolve your teeth enamel. Science doesn’t fully understand exactly how fluoride works to reduce cavities but right now it appears that works to re-mineralize teeth enamel that’s been damaged by bacteria. Re-mineralized enamel contains more fluoride than your original enamel and the result if stronger, healthier teeth.

But Aren’t Cavities On The Rise Again?

One of the most common arguments you’ll hear against fluoridated water is that the incidence of cavities in children has actually risen the past decade or so. And it’s true. But, this can easily be explained by the rising popularity of bottle water and home filtering systems—both of which saw an explosion of popularity in the 1980s and 1990s. Bottled water contains far less fluoride than most tap water and some of the better home filtering systems effectively remove fluoride from tap water.

Other “Natural” Experts Recommend Fluoride

Nobel Prize recipient Linus Pauling, a scientist who devoted his career to the study of nutritional medicine, found fluoride safe. So does Dr. Andrew Weil, a natural health expert widely considered the most credible “natural” health expert in the world.

Green Tea & Fluoride

Still not convinced that fluoride isn’t the deadly poison some anti-fluoride advocates claim? Then consider that a typical cup of green tea, the richest known source of natural fluoride, can contain up to 0.6 mg. of fluoride. That means that a single cup of green tea can contain as much fluoride as you’d typically get drinking all the tap water you wanted in a normal day in many cities. If fluoride was really dangerous wouldn’t cultures who drank large volumes of green tea have higher rates of cancer and other diseases?

The fact is, cultures in which people consume several cups of green tea a day are not more susceptible to cancer. (In fact, they may have lower risks of certain cancers.) And we’ve all heard about the other potential health benefits of green tea. It’s hypocritical to call fluoridated water a “poison” and embrace green tea as a near-miracle food.

The Bottom Line On Fluoride

The bottom line on fluoride is this: It’s your health and if the idea of fluoride in your water bothers you, simply filter it out. After all, it’s your body and your health. And now you have the information to make an informed decision about the fluoride your city puts into your tap water.

References:

DePaola, D. (1999). Nutrition in relation to dental medicine.

Higdon, J. (2003). Fluoride.

Weil, A. (2007). Fluoride.

Does Fiber Impede Absorption?

“I read that fiber interferes with the absorption of vitamins and minerals. Is that true?”

Assuming that you’re not taking some sort of “cleansing” product designed specifically to “bind” to certain nutrients, the answer is, “No.” Think about it for a moment and this will make sense. If fiber really interfered with nutrient absorption, wouldn’t people who ate a lot of whole grain breads be deficient in those nutrients? And how could you absorb the nutrients from vegetables?

What Science Says

A 1989 study authored by the Committee on Diet and Health, National Research Council devoted an entire section to dietary fiber and found that, at least as far as we know now, regular dietary fiber does not seem to impede nutrition or interfere with the way your body absorbs or uses vitamins and minerals.

There seems to be some association between diets high in unleavened whole-wheat bread and vitamin-D-associated rickets but this phenomenon isn’t present in all populations. There is absolutely no evidence that regular dietary fiber interferes with mineral absorption. (You can read the complete report free online at the National Academies Press web site.)

Still Worried About Fiber Interfering With Your Vitamins & Minerals?

If you take dietary fiber supplements and this issue worries you, just take your supplements away from meals. You’ll still get the potential health benefits of a little extra fiber and you’ll minimize your risk of impeding your body’s use of other nutrients.

References:

Committe on Diet and Health, National Research Council. (1998). Diet and Health: Implications for Reducing Chronic Disease Risk.