whey_hair_loss : Whey Protein and Hair Loss Prevention
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Some people claim that whey protein (shakes) help reduce hair loss, as well as generally helping your health.
Whey protein is not something new and has been available for hundreds of years to individuals who valued the role of a nutritious diet in achieving optimal health. During the last 15-20 years the value of whey protein has become more widely known, especially in the area of sports nutrition. More recently, whey protein has been singled out as a super-star ingredient for other types of products including ones formulated for weight loss, infant nutrition and immune support.
Whey protein is a high quality protein powder from cow's milk. Milk has two proteins: Casein (approximately 80%) and Whey Protein (approximately 20%). Whey protein is more soluble than casein and also has a higher quality rating. It is often referred to as the "Gold Standard" of protein as it is the most nutritious protein available.
There may be a large difference between whey protein concentrate and isolate. Whey protein isolate is the most pure and concentrated form of whey protein available. It contains 90% or more protein and very little (if any) fat and lactose. Whey protein concentrate has anywhere between 29% and 89% protein depending upon the product. As the protein level in whey protein concentrate decreases the amounts of fat and/or lactose usually increase.
Protein is an important nutrient needed by everyone of a daily basis. It is made up of essential and non-essential amino acids, which are the "building blocks" for healthy bodies. Protein has a number of different roles in the body including the following:
- Repair body cells
- Build and repair muscles and bones
- Provide a source of energy
- Control many of the important processes in the body related to metabolism
The body is able to make non-essential amino acids from other amino acids in the body. However, the body is not able to make essential amino acids and the only way to get them is by eating high quality protein foods. Protein sources that (or this, whichever) contain all of the essential amino acids are called complete proteins. Whey protein is a naturally complete protein.
Protein needs vary by person depending upon age, weight, sex, activity level and overall health. Athletes and individuals with special medical needs often need more protein than the recommended dietary allowance, or RDA.
Whey protein is a high quality, complete protein, with all the essential amino acids. Whey protein is also the richest known source of naturally occurring branched chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine and valine). These are important for active individuals, individuals who exercise and professional athletes. The body requires higher amounts of branched chain amino acids during and following exercise as they are taken up directly by the skeletal muscles versus first being metabolized through the liver, like other amino acids. Low BCAA levels contribute to fatigue and they should be replaced in one-hour or less following exercise or participation in a competitive event. Many athletes consume a BiPro beverage both before and immediately after exercise or an event to help repair and rebuild lean muscle tissue.
Adding whey protein to the diet is a great way to jump-start a weight loss program. Whey protein is a key ingredient in numerous weight loss and meal replacement products and whey protein isolate (with no fat or carbohydrates) is often the preferred choice. Studies have found that individuals who combine diets with leucine rich protein foods, like whey protein, and exercise have more lean muscle tissue and they lose more body fat. As they lose fat their metabolic rate increases and they naturally burn more calories each day. Another way that whey protein helps manage weight is by promoting satiety, or a feeling of fullness. One recent study showed that whey protein was superior to casein, the other protein in cow's milk, in promoting satiety.
Healthy diets should regularly include high quality, low fat sources of protein, like whey protein. Calories do count and you (or him or her) want to make sure that you are getting the most benefit from the calories you consume. Compared to other proteins, on a gram-to-gram basis whey protein isolate delivers more essential amino acids to the body but without the fat or cholesterol. Nutrition experts recommend a diet with a variety of protein foods but for optimal results make sure that one of them is whey protein.
Milk is a highly nutritious beverage however, it only contains about 1% of whey protein. In order to get all the benefits of whey protein, you need to take a concentrated whey protein powder like whey protein isolate.
Whey protein is a soluble, very easy to digest protein. It quickly enters the body to provide the important essential amino acids needed to nourish muscles and other body tissues. This is one of the reasons it is a common ingredient in infant formula and protein supplements for medical use.
TYPES OF HAIR
Dry Hair
Dry hair is due to inactive oil glands. It is also caused by other factors like over exposure to the sun, using harsh shampoo and chemical treatment. Accumulated oil, block the pores not allowing the oil to flow on to the surface. This is another reason for dry hair. Dry hair would need plenty of nourishment.
Massage well with a warm herbal oil at least twice a week. Follow a diet rich in zinc. Use a mild shampoo and avoid harsh ones since the chemicals in them can strip hair of its outer protein layer, further drying the scalp. Do not use electric curlers and hair dryers.
Oily Hair
This is usually accompanied with oily skin. This is due to the over secretion of oil. Hence the scalp and hair gets too oily. Oily hair is easily recognizable. It looks greasy even after shampooing and and attracts more dirt.
The oily hair needs to be washed every third or fourth day or even more frequently depending on individual comfort and rinsed out with lemon. Use oils and shampoos rich in neem and henna. A head massage with a herbal oil helps maintain the pH level of the scalp. Avoid oily foods and binge on green leafy vegetables and fruits.
Balanced or Normal Hair
This is the most ideal hair. It is shining, well balanced and does not dry out. To maintain this ideal condition a well balanced diet and proper care is essential.
To figure out your hair type
Dab a tissue on your scalp the second day after wash. If it has an oil blot, you have normal hair. If the tissue shows nothing, it is dry. If strands stick to each other then it is greasy hair.
A permanent wave process inexpertly applied is probably the most damaging chemical treatment that , you know, hairdressers see. The cuticle scales on the hair is lifted up and separated from each other. They will never return to normal, and as soon as a comb passes over them they may break off. The cuticle may be completely stripped off, revealing the cortex underneath. This too is now exposed to weathering, and will probably not survive unbroken for long.
From straightforward styling to elaborate perms, from a temporary tint to a platinum bleach, all these processes depend on changing part of the structure of hair. The stylists and technicians who have to apply them are expected to have a thorough understanding of hair structure, the hair growth cycle and the continuing care of hair. They need a working knowledge of the disorders of the hair and scalp, the chemistry of hair care products and the ways in which they protect the hair, and the science that underlies the various cosmetic procedures.
Just as a doctor takes a 'history' of a new patient in the surgery, so the stylist looks at the history of a client's hair and examines its condition, in particular whether there is evidence that it has been chemically treated previously. The doctor can only decide what can be done for the patient once that history is known and understood: in the same way, the most expert stylist can only decide what is or is not possible after that examination has been made.
Styling hair means temporarily or permanently altering its shape. Setting is different from perming in that there is no chemical reaction in the hair. All that happens is that some of the weak hydrogen bonds are broken by water and then re-form in the newly positioned hair as the water evaporates.
A curl can be produced by setting hair on a former such as a curler or roller - that is, allowing wet hair to dry while twisted round the former. (Fixing wet hair into pin curls has a similar effect.) After the curlers or rollers have been removed the hair holds its shape until it gets wet again.
In a perfect world, the hair could be left to dry naturally on the curlers or rollers and then combed out with a broad-toothed comb. But the pace and hurry of modern life makes this a luxury that we cannot afford, and the hair dryer has to be used to speed the process up. Heat is a great enemy to hair, however, and that means that dryers must always be used with great care and on a moderate setting.
Curls produced by setting are tight when they are first formed, but they can be brushed out into a lighter style. Using setting lotions or hair sprays gives a firmer effect, and helps to hold the temporary curl in for longer.
Softer, looser styles can be created by brushing and blow drying only, without using rollers. The principle is exactly the same as that of the setting process. The only difference is that the hydrogen bonds re-connect to form the style that has been shaped by the brush.
All hair gradually absorbs moisture from the air, and as the hydrogen bonds break it will in time lose its style - especially in damp weather!
The Perm
The strong disulphide linkages in hair are formed when the hair cells harden into keratin in the hair follicle. These are the bonds that keep the hair shaft in shape. In order to change its shape, the disulphide bonds have to be broken down and re-formed into a different pattern. We saw that changes to hydrogen bonds in the setting process are only temporary. Chemical changes to the disulphide bonds are permanent (hence, the PERM).
People have been trying to turn straight hair into waves and curls for thousands of years. The women of Ancient Egypt used to apply a mixture of soil and water to their hair, wrap it on crudely made wooden 'rollers' and then bake the muddy mess in the sun - the results would have been anything but permanent, however! In fact, as we have seen, temporary waving is still carried out by setting damp or wet hair into a new shape on curlers or rollers. Heat from a dryer and the use of a setting lotion give a firmer, longer-lasting style. But the changes to the hair are the same as the Egyptian ladies brought about: only the weak hydrogen bonds in the hair are affected, and the hair goes back to its original shape as soon as it is dampened.
The first truly permanent waves became available in 1920. The waving lotion was activated by heat from an electrical device. The early models did not have thermostats, and it was difficult to control their temperature.
Early in the 1940s the 'cold wave' was introduced. This was basically the perming process that we use today. The cold wave had many advantages: the unpleasant heat and weight of the old appliances were completely eliminated, and the hair could be waved closer to the scalp.
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