could high protein consumption lead to hair loss?

This is probably just one more thread on a hair loss forum looking to find the solution to MPB that will go nowhere but it couldn't hurt.

My first example is weight lifters. Aside from the higher t levels they also get more protein than most people. Back in high school I had one friend who exercised regularly and he and I were the only ones in our group of friends to lose our hair while still in HS. I also remember a few of the football players with receding hairlines.

Of course we've all heard of people coming to this country and having hair loss issues because they eat a more "westernized" diet but maybe it's not just the higher consumption of red meat but protein in general. If you look at the diets of the people in Central and South America, some Asian countries and basically any third world country, their protein levels are definitely lower than ours. Rice, beans, fish and vegetables are their staples. I'm sure some of these places get a smattering of pork, chicken and beef but not at the levels we consume. Most photos of adults i've seen from these nations seem to have much more hair than in America. I realize my evidence is purely anecdotal but I've decided to change my diet for a month or two to see if I can at least stop my scalp from itching constantly.

rogar6 - Dr. Joseph Mercola who is mostly bald, credits his years of eating grain and carbohydrate to his scalp.

I eat a diet that is largely based on red meat, this has been no problem for me. The Australian Aborigines ate largely meat and baldness was very rare.

Besides our food and water being thyroid toxic, the sheer amount of processed food, hydrogenated oils, transesterified fats, canola oil and vegetable oil cooked food, pasteurized milk and cereal people eat in the USA especially, seems enough to increase the chances.

I agree with CS regarding meat consumption, although I mainly aim to fast and eat raw during the day and eat meat at night with a large portion of greens. I find that this diet works for me and my lifestyle--several larabars is a component of my daytime food.

For me protein powders/bars with a gross amount of protein per ounce are a big no-go. I think they put added stress on my kidneys, which leads to inflammation and hair loss, making me feel somewhat tweaked.

It's not the protein, it's the kind of protein. Regular meat from the store is typically riddled with hormones and antibiotics, and the cows/chickens are fed grain instead of grass/chicken feed. Eat grass-fed meat free of hormones and what-not, and you'll be fine. Meat also tends to raise insulin levels, so take R-Lipoic Acid with it.

What got me thinking about the protein angle is that I noticed if I eat just a few bites of a chicken breast my scalp will begin to itch within 20 min and I know its from the chicken because my stomach had been empty for several hours. I've eaten several cookies on an empty stomach at times but didn't have this reaction.

Granted, the chicken wasn't organic but it's hard to believe it would make much of a difference.

Are you sure about protein raising insulin levels, I've never heard of this?

I've seen a few here mentioned the protein and insulin factor, but it's really not a concern. The reason is that the ingestion of meat stimulates both insulin and glucagon secretion but the glucagon release is much faster and greater. In fact, glucagon is a countermeasure to insulin. And when blood glucose levels are low, glucagon allows the livers glycogen reserves to be converted into insulin. This is a good thing.

Also take a look at these studies on a paleolithic diet.

http://www.cardiab.com/content/8/1/35

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19209185

I wonder if the chicken/inflammation is an indication of an allergy

Wow, ya, allergy! That could very well be the problem. Thanks for the information on protein/insulin IH!

i mentioned the animal protein . uric acid problem connection

this is not a problem with vegetable protein , whey protein etc but it is with excess animal protein ie dairy, meat eggs etc over 30 gm per day

Here's a patent for increasing intracellular glutathione content with whey protein:

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/5747459.html

HanginInthere wrote:i mentioned the animal protein . uric acid problem connection

this is not a problem with vegetable protein , whey protein etc but it is with excess animal protein ie dairy, meat eggs etc over 30 gm per day

I don't believe animal protein to be a concern with respect to uric acid. I once read quite a number of books touting the dangers of meat consumption and uric acid, but the healthy physiologic changes in patients doesn't concur.

I can say that uric acid is especially problematic vegetable oil and fructose consumption. In a recent study, it showed the primary mechanism of fructose induced hypertension and obesity was due to the uric acid elevation caused from it.

As an extremely heavy meat eater I do much better than when I abstained from meat. This isn't to say that meat is necessary for everybody, as this pertains to an individual nutritional type. Dr. Joseph Mercola's Optimal Wellness Institute has studied patients for over 20 years and ultimate got the best results with customizing their diet to an individual metabolic or nutritional type.

So in other words, there would be three potential categories, protein type, mixed type and carbohydrate type. I believe with hair loss in mind, the one common theme is to avoid processed grains, starches, sugars and vegetable oils, as these have been shown to spike insulin and have the greatest propensity to increase DHT.

Like CS my diet is heavy in meat...primarily red and it's never been a problem. Dr Mercola eats red meat daily and he's insulin levels and blood sugar are flawless keeping in mind that Dr Mercola is actually a Type 2 diabetic. I have flawless blood work in regards to diabetes one would never even know I had metbolic syndrome and I also eat red meat daily.

I think a diet high in tuna and some other types of fish can be as bad for hair as any high-protein diet, due to the mercury content. A diet high in meat from mega-farms probably isn't very smart. Also, I distrust some protein powders. They might contain unhealthy impurities, and mineral imbalances and amino acid overload are possible, at least in theory.