Losing Your Hair? You May be Deficient in This Mineral
Maybe it started with seeing more hair than usual in your shower drain or hairbrush. Then before you knew it, you could see it in the mirror. Your hair was definitely thinning. It happens to both men and women, and it can be a real blow to your self-image. There are many possible reasons for hair loss, but one of them is a simple nutritional shortfall. You may be low in iron. And the good news is, if that’s the problem, you can do something about it.
The link between iron deficiency and hair loss
Why does iron deficiency lead to hair loss? The answer is ferritin. Ferritin is a protein your body makes to store iron and it’s present in hair follicles. When your body starts to get low on ferritin, it raids iron stores in hair follicles first, to spare other parts of the body.[1] (Really, body? That’s where you had to go?) Iron-related hair loss can look like male or female pattern baldness. You may notice your hairline receding or your part widening.
Sorry to break the news, but if you’re low in iron, hair loss is just the beginning of your problems. Ferritin helps your body make red blood cells. All your organs need a healthy supply of red blood cells to function effectively, because they deliver oxygen where it’s needed. Everyone is different, but if in addition to hair loss you feel dizzy or tired, get short of breath, suffer from frequent headaches, or have brittle nails or difficulty concentrating, there’s a good chance low iron is to blame.
If you recognize any of these signs, or if you have more hair in your hairbrush and less hair on your head than you’d like, it’s important to get your get your iron and ferritin levels tested. If you are indeed low, you may want to try more iron-rich foods in your diet (like liver, lentils, shellfish, pumpkin seeds, tofu and spinach).[2] It’s difficult to raise iron levels through diet alone though, so it’s a good idea to take an iron supplement too.
Ferritin+: Effective, gentle iron
You don’t want just any iron supplement, though. Iron can be notoriously hard for your body to absorb. Worse, it can cause stomach upset or constipation. That doesn’t sound fun. But taking iron doesn’t have to be uncomfortable.
Flora’s Ferritin+ is a plant-based ferritin iron supplement made from organic peas. It has a natural protein coating that allows the iron to be released into your digestive tract slowly and gently, so you can absorb it without the risk of digestive distress.
Clinical research has shown that plant-based ferritin iron raises and maintains healthy iron levels, both in your blood and in your body’s ferritin reserves. And all it takes is one capsule a day.
It can take several months to reverse hair loss. If you don’t see results in three months, ask your doctor about having your ferritin levels retested. Once they’re back to normal, you may have your luxurious locks back, too.
Right now, save 15% on Ferritin+ with the code FERRITIN15 at florahealth.com now through 3.28.2022.
References
[1] Cherney K, Slowiczek L. Do low ferritin levels cause hair loss? Healthline. 2018 Jun 18. https://www.healthline.com/health/ferritin-and-hair-loss
[2] Spritzler F. 11 healthy foods that are very high in iron. Healthline. 2018 Jul 18. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-healthy-iron-rich-foods
