My son was home the other day with his girlfriend and for some reason he felt the urge to get out the old family album.
I do like seeing pics of the kids when they were young.
But seeing my old self can causes me a pinch of sadness.
On those pages are the images of a happy dad cradling his bundles of joy; clear skinned, flat bellied and with a full head of hair.
Twenty-five years ago I was resplendent with a full mane of long locks that brushed my shoulders, whereas now I spend time brushing the hairs off my shoulders!
I once imagined that I would become grey and distinguished as time went on, but the bald head is dominating more and more.
Now I’ve seen the dodgy hair restoration ads, and I’ve seen ones for caffeine-based shampoos which claim to prevent hereditary hair loss.
But the side effects of using caffeine shampoos are not great – if the hair re-grows it often becomes thin and brittle and prolonged use can lead to brown hair tinting. Some people experience scalp
irritation, redness, and itchiness due to sensitivity to caffeine or other ingredients in the shampoo.
So these shampoos aren’t an option for me…
If possible, I prefer to use food and nutritional supplements to help keep my hair for as long as possible, without resorting to radical and expensive products or procedures.
So the answer may lie in something much less dramatic, an awful lot cheaper and will give me other major health benefits as well.
The Mediterranean Sea health booster we ALL need
A little while back I received an excited e-mail from a friend of mine recounting the story of his wife’s problems with hair loss and how she discovered a remedy by accident; the lady in question, Lizzie, has a beautiful mane of red hair and she has always been very proud of it.
So, losing her locks was a real issue for her and her husband – this is what he wrote to me:
Lizzie was suffering from hair loss, she hated washing her hair because of the amount she would lose, her thick head of hair was getting noticeably thinner.
A side benefit of her taking magnesium was her hair loss diminished massively, she looked it up online and this is a recognised benefit of magnesium.
She got me to start taking magnesium and my hair has started to grow back.
It’s amazing to think that a simple and frankly boring mineral like magnesium could deliver such significant benefits as this.
But we would be wrong to see magnesium as a one trick pony.
Magnesium is a cofactor in more than 300 enzyme systems that regulate diverse biochemical reactions in the body, including protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, blood glucose control, and blood pressure regulation.
The problem we face is that often this important mineral is lacking in our modern diets and many of us are simply not getting enough.
Hair loss is just one symptom of lowered status others include sleep problems, low energy levels, muscle cramps (especially at night) and irritability & mood swings.
Given this list I’m sure that you can appreciate why maintaining our mineral balance is so important.
But there is still a lack of acceptance about how deficiency can be a direct consequence of other medical interventions.
For instance, diuretic drugs (e.g. Bendroflumethiazide commonly given for high blood pressure, furosemide used in kidney disease control, acetazolamide a glaucoma drug and even caffeine), antibiotics and diabetes control can all exacerbate deficiency, plus anyone on dialysis should be given mineral supplements as a matter of course.
So, how can you change your magnesium levels and ensure correct balances with other minerals?
Diet plays a part, especially since eating plenty of nuts, green leafy vegetables (like spinach) and brown rice will all help boost levels, but for many people this is not enough.
Bear the following in mind…
- Limit alcohol and caffeine: Both can interfere with magnesium absorption and retention. Moderating your intake can help maintain your magnesium levels.
- Manage stress: Chronic stress depletes magnesium levels. Practices like meditation, yoga, and regular exercise can help.
- Stay hydrated: Adequate water intake is necessary for magnesium absorption. Ensure you’re drinking enough water throughout the day.
You could also try a marine-based magnesium, derived from the purified waters of the Mediterranean Sea, which you can take as a supplement – there’s a multibuy discount offer on our website here
Of course, while I am sad about my hair loss, I’m also very accepting of it.
After all, ageing is inevitable and most of my problem is hereditary.
Better to accept myself for who I am than to bow to this constant pressure to look young at all costs!
