Protein And Hair Growth

Protein and hair growth are very closely related. Proteins play a fundamental role in the body and should a major component of any diet. Every cell in the body contains proteins that are used in repairing cells. Approximately 80 percent of hair is mainly made up of a protein referred to as keratin. This protein is made up of two amino acids and polypeptide chain joined together. According to American Academy of Dermatology, protein and hair growth are interrelated since one of the major causes of hair loss is the deficiency of proteins in your diet.

To understand the relationship between protein and hair growth, you must learn about the hair anatomy. Hair is mainly made up of numerous parts- the shaft, the root and the follicle, which are composed of keratin. The root of the hair is located under the skin while the follicle is where the root of the hair grows from. The shaft is the visible part of the hair that shows whether the hair is healthy or not. The hair follicle goes through three stages- the catagen, telogen and anagen. The anagen is the first phase and is the active stage when the hair grows and normally takes two to six years. After the completion of this phase, hair goes to the catagen phase, which takes two to three weeks. At this stage, cell division is stopped and hair is transformed to keratin. During telogen, the last phase, the mature hair falls out to allow the growth of new hair. This cycle is repeated throughout a person's life. A protein deficiency during any of these stages leads to loss of hair.

Hair goes through complex metabolic processes that need both glutaminolysis and glycolosis. A simpler meaning of this is that the hair follicle needs sugar, amino acids that are the building blocks of proteins and glucose to grow. Glutamine is a protein that is found abundantly in milk and milk products and helps to grow hair faster.

Proteins are found in both animal and plant sources. These include turkey, fish, chicken, beef, pork, nuts, Soya, beans, green grams, black eye peas and green peas among others. Proteins build and repair most cells in the body and are responsible for healthy muscles, organs and skin. Although some proteins are obtained from the diet, occasionally, many times one may need to take a hair vitamin with amino acids and protein in order to grow hair faster.

article source