VEGAN for 3.5 Months. Massive hair loss.

reply to post by rwfresh



I have been vegan since 1993. I never have any problems with hair loss, high blood pressure, cholesterol, or maintaining weight. I think the hair loss is from lack of good fats & lack of calories. If you are a vegan that's skinny, frail, or weak - you are doing something way wrong. Ask your self this question - Have you ever seen a scrawny Gorilla? Try looking to Www.veganfitness.com. That forum will get you where you need to be.

The only suppliments I take is for b12 & a multi-vitamin.

I am a male vegetarian (vegetarian for over 10 yrs.) I will give you my input, though it may be different since you are a girl. As a strongly built male (I was a linebacker in high school) who lifted weights, I decided to go vegetarian for health and moral reasons. The issue for me was to get enough protein for my strong built body. As a vegan/vegetarian, you most know nutrition. I use protein supplements when needed from soy, whey, and sometimes casein. Do not listen to those who say that being vegan/vegetarian is abnormal, it is the most ethical and healtiest lifestyle IF you know what you are doing. You get stereotypes that all vegetarians are skinny and unathletic, I am proof that you can be strongly built, as are people like NFL player Ricky Williams, Sprinter Carl Lewis, etc..

For you, I would think of a calcium and protein supplements.Also think about your iron levels since you are a female and have changed your diet.

reply to post by Tripple_Helix


It is not all that difficult to obtain humanely raised meat, dairy and eggs. Either from a health food store, or dirrectly from farmers (direct from farmers is cheaper). That said, eating for a moral cause will not assure your health. They are two separate issues. Besides, factory farming of plants is detrimental to the environment and wildlife too. Listen to your body.

First, I want to state that I haven't read ALL the posts on this thread so forgive me if what I state has been already said.

Secondly, I found out 10 years ago that I have celiac disease/gluten intolerance and have now recently have decided to go vegetarian (didn't eat much meat to begin with). I still eat organic free range eggs and organic dairy. I doubt I will give those up (LOVE my cheese). So I think I'm pretty in-line with what you are trying to do in your diet.

If you suspect that you are having issues with gluten, thus why you are now gluten free, as well, it could very well be that even though you are eating what you need to, your body is not processing it properly. Gluten intolerance causes the stomach to not behave if you eat gluten. The vili in the intestines are damaged and don't digest the food. I would suggest you take some dietary enzymes. Start slowly because too many too quickly can cause stomach problems, too.

Make sure you are following a truly gluten free diet. No cross contamination, no tiny piece of a normal cookie...NOTHING. If you have gluten free bread and want toast, make sure you have a dedicated toaster, etc. Even the slightest bit can make your stomach sick and it takes DAYS for it to heal, maybe even weeks. I got into gluten accidently several times in a row a few years back and ended up losing 25 lbs and my hair started falling out.

Before I figured out my gluten problem I was a mess. If I get into it by accident I begin having problems again, some of which include my nails having ridges (and hair falling out).

Try the enzymes and see if it helps. Otherwise you may want to go to a holistic practioner and get some tests run to see if you can figure out where you are lacking and get it taken care of.

I APPLAUD your efforts to becoming healthy. Animal products are linked to cancer and all kinds of health problems. Yes, we are animals, and many animals eat other animals. (someone made a ridiculous comment about if cows were superior they'd be eating US instead....cows don't eat meat!) But we do NOT NEED to. You can get calcium from sesame seeds (1/4 cup has 35% of recommended calcium), figs, even some leafy greens. Spend some time researching the vitamins and minerals that are in animal products and figure out non animal alternatives to get what you need. We can find it all in plant based foods. It just takes some time to figure it out.

Good luck.

Many people do not realize they have blood-type issues with eating, and body-type, gene-type.

You cannot just eat things that someone else says is good for you, you have to KNOW what is good and not, for you.

reply to post by Tripple_Helix


First check your zinc intake. Zinc is the most important vitamin for our hair. It also sounds to me like you're not getting enough protein. Chickpeas every other day isn't gonna do it. You also have most likely cut out all fat from your diet. People freak out about fat, but the truth is that your body needs some of it.

I would be very careful about destroying your health all in the name of moral beliefs. Don't listen to the misled people here who suggested that daily hair loss is a normal thing, because it's not. It's either a health issue, or stress related. Try and find you some organic eggs. Alot of the farms that produce them run a more humane program. ~$heopleNation

Originally posted by Tripple_Helix
I can't even imagine eating a little chicken egg... but I crave it. After 3 months though?! Should cravings not be gone by now?

edit on 14-6-2012 by Tripple_Helix because: (no reason given)

This is the statement that concerns me. Clearly you're not getting enough protein. You're also possibly experiencing some muscle loss right?

Being on a Vegan nutritional lifestyle means that you truly have to count your calories. in order to ensure that you're getting the protein that you need. A little protein is not healthy enough to support your brain function correctly itself. Eat more protein filled foods... that means more soy beans, and more soy products. Protein should account for at least 20% of your nutrition... especially if you're working out!

reply to post by Tripple_Helix


Here's my advice. The whole vegan diet thing is a complete SHAM. Most people I KNOW who are on it, are underweight, fragile, and losing energy. Its become a pretentious diet created by pretentious people who I've noticed tend to look down on others for their own personal choices.

Use your BRAIN and feed yourself.

I went vegan for 4 months and I had health problems that went away when I went back to meat and dairy! Just not for me. Go see a doc.

Humans are carnivorous (actually omnivorous) and are "made" to eat meat.
You can clearly see from your hair loss that there is an issue. If you want to verify it, go to the doctor and ask. If you don't want to go to the doctor, spend a month allowing yourself to NOT be vegan and see if your health improves. If it does, then you have your answer. If it doesn't, then go back to being vegan if that's what you want to do, more ribs and steak for me.

I think something else to keep in mind is whether or not you are eating organic veggies or those coated with loads of pesticides. I think the vegan diet is feasible, you just need to find a balance with your vitamin intake, and I think if you're eating all plant based foods, you should probably do as much organic as possible. I know organic is pricey, but it's well worth it. In my opinion, alopecia is the result of all the crap pumped into our drinking water, all the chemicals in our food, and maybe even almost a complete lack of B17 in our diets. But that's probably for an entirely different topic altogether. Best of luck!

I tried being a vegetarian but I only lasted 6 months.I felt weak.Years later though I found out there are 8 amino acids that are in meat which is hard to supplement.Listen to your body and forget about the other people that think you are going to fail.Your body will make you humble if you get sick

Originally posted by Tripple_Helix
reply to post by InfoKartel

 

Thank you

Your advice is much appreciated. This is why I came here to ask in the first place.
I will admit I have become "obsessed" with it in a way, which is not a good thing. It consumes every aspect of my life. I suppose I just need to be mindful of where I get my dairy products from.

Thanks again.
Keep well.

You're going to just get a hundred different people all giving you different advice on a forum. Honestly, the best thing you can do is go to your doctor and see a nutritionist, because they're going to be able to test you and see exactly what you're lacking.

I agree with you about the treatment of animals...locked up in nasty, cramped conditions that have never seen daylight, live export, etc. It doesn't sit right with me either. We eat meat, but buy free range and organic meats and eggs. Organic has the strictest guidelines of them all on how the animals are treated.

Definitely go to your doctor, though - all that hair loss is not natural.

Veganism is a misguided fallacy. There are many parts of the planet that do not allow agriculture. Yet, ruminants can convert grass into usable food (meat ) for human consumption. Vegetarianism and veganism was originally conceived as a means of suppressing sex drive, since we need animal products to produce the sex hormones. We can survive on plant foods, but we cannot thrive. There are no complete plant proteins, and much of the nutrition in plant foods are bound in fiber (which is eliminated) and tied to phytic acid and other anti-nutrients.
I respect those who chose death,, but know that for something to live, something must die. Plants are alive too. Time limits the discussion of the life forms killed to support the Faustian bargain which is agriculture. Like many traditional peoples we should respect the lives of the animals that die so that we might live, instead of adopting life-threatening, immature, naive notions of ethics

im pretty ripped and i dont eat eggs or dairy or take any protein supplement what so ever, i eat fish like maybe twice a month. hit me up if you want a pic for proof

reply to post by Tripple_Helix


OP are you eating fresh, raw, organic foods? If you are eating old, cooked foods grown in poorly-managed or chemical-saturated soils, your food has an absolute minimum of nutrients. Most vegans also need to be on a consistent B complex regimen to maintain health.

I try to eat mostly fresh organic produce, but when I eat meat, it is almost always chicken. The reason I reduce the amount of meat in my diet is because eating lower on the food chain is more sustainable and it helps me to avoid the "heavy" feeling after eating. I have no experience with Vegan diets except for a week when I went on a fruit and nut diet, but I would say that hair falling out is a warning sign. I recommend consulting nutritionists, alternative medicine shops, etc.

As for the ethics of eating -- life must consume life to maintain vitality (with the exception of some high level yogis, allegedly ). Whether you eat grown animals, baby animals, unborn animals or plants or fruit or nuts, you are consuming life. To be ethical, in my opinion, is to attempt to ensure a high quality of existence for all things, including oneself. Thus as a consumer I try to buy food that has been raised with great care and concern.

If you crave eggs than eat them. The change in nails and hair loss tend to make me believe you are getting low on either Glucocsamines or elastins making your hair brittle and nails grow slower.. These two things are essential for your skin, intestines, and muscles. I don't think supplements work as good as the real thing. Our livers are different from person to person and our nutritional needs are different to allow them to work. The Gluten in vegetables is not an alowable substitute for muscle fiber Glucose for many people. Our bodies sometime adapt but not really.

I would suggest returning eggs to your diet and eggs from happy chickens is best. These chickens that run outside eat bugs and bugs have lots of chemistry we need. They pass some of this on to the egg of course along with some immunity if the egg is fertile and has an embryo. I would say returning fish to the diet is good too, only one meal is necessary to help the thyroid. That helps hairloss issues. Brittle hair is caused by a lack of elastins so see it it is breaking or if it is just falling out. It takes a while to deplete our bodies stores of these things. The liver stores many of these nutrients along with being stored in areas close to muscles. Tryptothan is a part of food that the body takes apart to make certain things. You are severely lowering one source of it. Eating jello can help also but I'm not sure if the hydrolyzing process hurts any of this chemistry.

The soy beans and or chickpeas may be a wrong protein source, Many people have intolerance to these. They don't digest right and the protein is not utilized properly. Try black beans and maybe kidney or pinto beans but if making them from dry make sure to soak them overnight and cook well. I cannot become a vegetarian because of a genetic problem. If I get the wrong type of iron on my blood I can have many problems.

Get information from a vegetarian family who has been doing this personally for many years. I say family because they will have discovered differences in their kids needs so they will have more open minds. People don't tend to believe things till they experience them themselves half the time. Changing your diet completely may not even be possible for you individual.

There are a lot of different nutrients and chemicals in an egg that you could be low on. Believe the craving, it is real. I cannot tell which of these chemicals/nutrients you are short on. I would at least add some eggs to your diet till you find out what you are missing.

reply to post by Tripple_Helix


If you're not eating any meat or dairy products then your body is not getting enough protein, iron and zinc which all 3 are essential for a healthy head of hair. That is the reason for your hair loss, plain and simple. Eat avocados, beans and nuts for protein. Eat broccoli, spinach or chards for iron. Pumpkin seeds offer one of the highest non-meat sources of zinc.

I like to make a salad that includes spinach, beets, boiled egg, avocado, kidney beans and pine nuts. When I am finished, I feel like I just ate a full meal. Nothing like a juicy ribeye steak though. You can feel the strength gained in the morning from eating one the night before. That's what I had last night and I woke up and feel great. ~$heopleNation

reply to post by Tripple_Helix


"Biotin" it works for me (Vegaterian,) and I'm a older male with family history of thinning till bald hair loss.
Biotin is a vitamin B component that provides your body with vitamins and nutrients required to allow your hair and and your nails to grow strong and fast. It boosts your metabolism of fats, carbohydrates and proteins that are needed for thick hair and increased growth. There is a TON of info on it on the web, and it's pretty cheap, I highly recommend looking in to it. Your nail growth should be noticably longer and thick in around a week depending on the strength you take. Puritan's Pride is the cheapest good quality I've found. Best of luck.


Read more: Does Biotin Promote Hair Growth? | eHow.com www.ehow.com...

Originally posted by Serenity777
reply to post by Tripple_Helix

 

Here's my advice. The whole vegan diet thing is a complete SHAM. Most people I KNOW who are on it, are underweight, fragile, and losing energy. Its become a pretentious diet created by pretentious people who I've noticed tend to look down on others for their own personal choices.

Use your BRAIN and feed yourself.

Well clearly then your friends are not eating properly and this can happen just as easily with meat eaters as with vegans. Your adivce is based on ignorance of the subject of being vegan. I have been vegan for 23 years and have no health issues, quite the opposite, I am the healthiest person at work and in my social life. And as for yourt insult of calling vegan pretentious well that just makes you look like the idiot you are. Research the subject before giving cr*p advice.