Millet and wheat, here are the allies for healthy and thick hair. This emerges from very recent scientific research that appeared in the journal Nutrients and published by a group of Korean scientists (Choi et al, Nutrients, Oct 2023).
The life cycle of the hair and what can alter it
The life cycle of the hair is given by an initial growth phase, called anagen, and a final phase, in which the growth of the hair stops and a small friction is sufficient to make your hair fall out. This last phase is called telogen. The cycle then begins again. All this is regulated by the cells of the hair follicle, whose action is however influenced by various factors, which can alter the life cycle of the hair and damage the health of the hair. These factors can be external, such as exposure to UV rays, chemical and styling treatments and pollution, and internal, such as hormonal imbalances, nutritional deficiencies and the effects of medicines. The purpose of treatments, lotions and medications aimed at combating hair loss and ensuring healthy, thick hair is to protect this life cycle and prolong, if possible, the first phase of the hair's life cycle. A well-known treatment is certainly the attempt to inhibit the action of dihydrotestosterone, a hormone that causes an acceleration of the hair's life cycle with miniaturization of the hair follicle and excessive hair loss. For this purpose, there are drugs, such as finasteride and dutasteride, which however can lose effectiveness over time and which in any case are not without side effects, or more natural remedies such as saw palmetto, the extract obtained from the berries of the serenoa repens plant. Not only that, massages with essential oils, such as lavender, cedarwood or rosemary, have been shown to improve microcirculation, nourishing the hair follicle and keeping it healthy. But there is also another way to protect the hair follicle and its action, and that is to counteract the damage of free radicals and inflammation that, in the long term, can damage it and cause dysfunctions in hair growth. Today we are talking about a natural remedy that combats inflammation and free radicals and stimulates hair growth.
Millet and wheat for hair health
Scientists performed a study in the laboratory, both on human hair follicle cells and on mice. The aim was to test the action of a supplement made from millet and wheat extracts, both compounds that combat inflammation and free radicals. Well, what emerged is that this supplement, without causing side effects such as hormonal alterations, actually reduced free radicals and inflammation at the level of the hair follicle cells. These properties have allowed an extension of the duration of the anagen phase, which corresponds to the first phase, the growth phase, of the hair's life cycle.
Conclusions
The study is limited to laboratory observations and further research will have to be carried out to verify what has been observed on humans. But, at the moment, what we know is that millet and wheat provide a powerful synergy to take care of your hair in a natural way, especially when the hair is weakened and at the first signs of an increase in hair loss. Millet and wheat-based supplements can be found in herbalist's shops and pharmacies, but make sure they are of good quality.
