| Author | Message | ||
     Brian Hardaway New member Username: Left_behind Post Number: 103 Registered: 07-2006 |
Good article on blood sugar issues and inflammation. Both huge factors in MPB. http://www.usaweekend.com/03_issues/030309/030309eatsmart.html My diet was mostly correct. The right fats, lots of vitamin e and c, b vitamins etc... But my blood sugar was still out of whack. My problem wasn't sugar, but I was eating way too many carbs. Too much pasta. Complex carbs or not, Glycemic LOAD matters just as much as Glycemic Index. Blood sugar has alot to do with chronic inflammation. | ||
| Tom Hagerty Moderator Username: Admin Post Number: 3204 Registered: 01-2003 |
Brian: That's a good article. I didn't know this before - "Don't cook on high heat. Grilling, broiling and frying meat and poultry create damaged proteins called AGEs (advanced glycosylation end products) that trigger inflammation." | ||
| Brian Hardaway New member Username: Left_behind Post Number: 104 Registered: 07-2006 |
I didn't realize that either. But I also don't generally eat alot of grilled or fried stuff, definitely no fried foods. I didn't realize that my reactive hypoglycemia was being caused by eating too many carbs. My insulin was WAY out of whack. The funny thing is, in this first part of this new low-carb diet I'm doing I'm experiencing the same withdrawal symptoms I had when I stopped drinking. I think carbs and the insulin response (the feeling better after loading up on carbs response) are addicting and act as a sort of drug. I've been drinking this new "Boost Blood Glucose Control" stuff to help. It's got a little corn and canola oil which I'm not thrilled about, but it does have some high oleic sunflower oil and tons of Vitamin E and C. Since lowering my carbs, despite this initial withdrawal response (which is reported to happen to most who lower their carbs for the first couple of weeks) my mood is totally different. Depression is gone, anxiety is much lower, and my mental clarity is where it should be. I'm almost certain I was/am seriously close to diabetes so catching this carb thing now is a good thing. Should speed up the SE results as well I'd assume, considering insulin and fluctuating blood sugar levels are huge contributors to inflammation. Anyone who has MPB should check out their blood sugar levels and carb intake. They're closely related. | ||
| Tom Hagerty Moderator Username: Admin Post Number: 3209 Registered: 01-2003 |
Brian, did you read my article on the Anti-inflammation Diet? | ||
| Brian Hardaway New member Username: Left_behind Post Number: 106 Registered: 07-2006 |
Yeah I did, but I guess the amount of carbs, not just the type, never hit home with me. Until recently. My scalp, since changing this, is no longer oily at all. It feels like the rest of my skin now. Probably a very good sign. Maybe my blood sugar is the reason I've only sprouted a few new hairs at my hairline at 16 months. | ||
| Gina W New member Username: Ginawat Post Number: 45 Registered: 09-2006 |
This is all very interesting. Brian - do you know what your Fasting Glucose level was? I recall one of the docs I saw mentioning my level being within normal but still on the high end for a female my age/weight (I'm 37yrs old/5'7"/130lbs). I think I was a 96 in October and then it dropped to a 92 after 3 months w/a slight diet change. Just curious where your was and what the trigger point is for inflammation. I have what seems an unhealthy scalp environment....and have been know to eat too many carbs. Thanks | ||
| Brian Hardaway New member Username: Left_behind Post Number: 107 Registered: 07-2006 |
Didn't check my glucose levels. In fact, technically I don't think my blood sugar was actually low. What was happening was, I would eat a very high carb meal (usually pasta) and my pancreas would kick out a very large amount of insulin (an inflammatory hormone in itself), which after an hour or two begins to drop my blood sugar level too low. Then my adernaline system would kick in and dump insane amounts of adrenaline and cortisol to help keep me going and keep the blood sugar from going too low for me to stay alive. Those two are also very inflammatory, and this basically creates a constant state of stress that I've been in for about 3-4 years now. When I changed to eating alot of good fats and vitamins/brewer's yeast and such my scalp health improved alot. But not quite all the way. If I didn't shampoo for a day it would still get quite oily and greasy. I knew something else had to be wrong. Turns out it was my blood sugar. Not only this, but my mental health was rapidly declining. I was forgetful, and felt stupid alot of the time. Seriously socially phobic and horribly depressed. This is because of the adrenaline system being active and flooding my system pretty much 24/7. No room for the "feel good" chemicals to get in there. They are suppressed while this system attempts to drive me through the blood sugar lows. Since changing this, I can still get a tiny tiny surge of anxiety in certain situations. Maybe this will die completely over time. But I'm not depressed AT ALL, and I feel like I can mentally focus like I could years ago before all of this. I think this issue was actually the core thing that triggered my MPB early. Genetically nobody in my family started losing hair until their 30s at the earliest, some didn't at all. It began patterning exactly like my dad's, just faster and earlier. Interesting thing to note is my dad was pre-diabetic too until he went on a low-carb diet and it erased his problem too. I have a feeling the SE will be much more effective now because my insulin levels are so much lower, and my adrenaline system is not working when I don't need it. Not only this, but the low carb diets if done the right way, makes your body go from relying on solely carbs for fuel, to relying on protein and more so fat for fuel. Considering I eat mostly olive oil, almonds/walnuts, fish oil and pumpkin seed oil...this will probably allow those good fats to do even more good because my body will be using them, not storing them. You have to be careful though. Some carbs is good. I get anywhere from 61-85 grams per day. I usually try for 61. I'm sure you can go too low. Right now I'm in the ketosis stage. My body is in the middle of changing to using fat and protein for energy instead of carbs. And also, despite what critics think, apparently this diet PRESERVES muscle mass if done correctly. I've also read a couple of studies saying that low carb diets increase Human growth hormone levels in the body. Excellent if you're combating hair loss. There are moments in the beginning where you will feel weak and a little tired, only because you're losing too much potassium. You lose mostly water weight in the beginning so it's recommended that you take a potassium supplement for the first couple of weeks. My scalp feels great, and hopefully this will speed up the SE results. | ||
| Brian Hardaway New member Username: Left_behind Post Number: 108 Registered: 07-2006 |
One thing I forgot to mention. The one problem I have with most low-carb advocates that I've been reading about is the fact that they promote eating alot of saturated fat (steak, butter, mayo, cheese, eggs) and the lot. I'm not doing this. I consume 61-85 grams of carb (36-60 if you subtract the fiber in my diet) true. But I eat mostly alot of olive oil, fish oil, pumpkin seed oil, almonds/walnuts for my fat intake. Some saturated fat is necessary. But not like these guys promote. | ||
| Tom Hagerty Moderator Username: Admin Post Number: 3219 Registered: 01-2003 |
Brian: "Right now I'm in the ketosis stage." You don't want to stay in the ketosis stage too long - really bad for your general health. | ||
| Gina W New member Username: Ginawat Post Number: 46 Registered: 09-2006 |
Brian ~ I actually think the doc referenced my fasting glucose level as being HIGH - not low. Doesn't the higher the glucose level mean prone to diabetes? I'm confused about all of this! I assumed you meant your levels were out of whack in that you were heading towards diet induced diabetes? Looking back over the years I can tell you I was a carb-aholic (still am!). I could "live" on pasta & breads and think that is what got me in to the state I am in health-wise. I come from an Italian family and pasta goes with every meal  But I am older and wiser now and trying to correct that via diet. Thankfully I have only always used olive oil when I cook and my family growing up did the same. I have always eaten fresh foods (produce & fruits) - but where I went wrong was I for a time stopped all red meat and only ate chicken & fish occassionally. I have also been blessed with a high metabolism and therefore "look" fit as a fiddle in terms of weight - no matter how much I eat so I never had to consider my diet for weight issues. Little did I know I was and am whats often referred to as "skinny-fat"! I look skinny & healthy externally (except for my hair/scalp) - but probably have a ton wrong internally. As for my scalp condition - I also have bouts when my scalp is very oily and scaly. I need to wash every day. I was diagnosed with seborrheic dermatitis last year and have been keeping it in check with Nizoral...however...I have good a bad periods. Sometimes it feels normal and others I can tell its in full force - problem is I can't determine the trigger. I do know that the condition of my scalp is directly related to my hair issues. This is all pointing to the low iron stores/bad diet of too many carbs/higher than norm glucose levels. I wish you knew your glucose level BEFORE and NOW! Do you think it is listed on your lab work? Did you fast before? G | ||
| Brian Hardaway New member Username: Left_behind Post Number: 109 Registered: 07-2006 |
I never had my blood sugar tested. I just know my stuff when it comes to this stuff. I do alot of research/reading. 1-2 hours after a meal my adrenaline system would go into over-drive and stay there. This is my body attemptimg to keep my blood sugar levels at a normal level. Reactive Hypoglycemia is the first stage of Type II diabetes. This means your pancreas is producing way too much insulin. Eventually this leads to insulin resistance, and once Type II sets in the pancreas is pretty much dead. This is when you must take insulin shots. High blood sugar only happens in the later stages, whe the insulin/pancreas are ineffective. If you're in the RHG stage you can keep Diabetes away with a perfect diet, apparently. However as I've been told, once you reach this stage you have reached a point of no return. Your sugar metabolism is destroyed, for good. So you can not go back to a high-carb diet again. But you can stay away from diabetes, which aside from my hair health, is my goal here. | ||
| Gina W New member Username: Ginawat Post Number: 47 Registered: 09-2006 |
Brian - thanks so much for your responses... Can you give me a little bit more detail on your diet plan. some meal examples....anything. I know I'm still eating too many carb....and the wrong ones at that.... Thanks | ||
| Tom Hagerty Moderator Username: Admin Post Number: 3221 Registered: 01-2003 |
Gina W: Here's a good description of the process that Brian is concerned with. It's by Jon Barron: Despite long intervals between meals and the erratic intake of high glycemic carbohydrates, blood sugar levels normally remain within a narrow range. In most humans, this range is from about 70-110 mg per dl. (Note: a blood sugar reading of 100 equates to about 1/5 of an ounce of sugar (5 g) total in the bloodstream of an average 165 lb (75 kg) male. That's it: 1/5 of an ounce. | ||
| Brian Hardaway New member Username: Left_behind Post Number: 110 Registered: 07-2006 |
I've been doing alot of reading, and the general consensus is that insulin plays a large role in vertex balding. IGF-1 (Insulin Like Growth Factor) apparently has alot to do with this. Excess insulin is the link between syndrome X and MPB. | ||
| Klaas H New member Username: Jkkezh Post Number: 97 Registered: 08-2006 |
That would explain why most fat guys have vertex balding, and thinner guys have more problems with the temples. | ||
| Brian Hardaway New member Username: Left_behind Post Number: 111 Registered: 07-2006 |
I'm starting to think that insulin resistance may be an actual cause of MPB. I read of a study that increased the amount of androgens (forget how) and the androgens had zero effect on the metabolic syndrome (insulin resistance). I wonder if the large amount of insulin in the blood causes DHT to be manufactured in the scalp. I read that when insulin is lowered, there's a binding material in the blood, forget the name, that binds itself to free testosterone which is not allowed to become DHT. When insulin is high, this binding chemical is basically non-existent, along with HGH. I've also read of studies with women who had PCOS and that PCOS is actually related to insulin resistance. These women had male pattern baldness BEFORE menopause, and facial hair growth. When insulin was lowered in these women the MPB reversed, and their facial hair went away. Add to that, that when I thought about it the other day I've never known ONE single man with MPB who didn't have a diabetic/insulin/blood sugar issue. My dad is very thin on top, and has been borderline diabetic for a while. My boss is completely bald and has reactive hypoglycemia (insulin resistance). Obviously I've had blood sugar issues for several years now, and began losing my hair early. In fact, my hair loss and scalp inflammation back in 03-04 is exactly the same time my blood sugar problems started. I've never met or known anyone with MPB who didn't have some degree of insulin resistance or insulin problem. Remember alot of people don't even realize they have insulin problems, or blood sugar problems. Now that my insulin level is SO MUCH lower considering how few carbs I'm eating, my adrenal/cortisol response is gone. No more anxiety. I still sweat alot up top when it gets warm, but when the temp. gets normal again my scalp feels exactly the same as the skin on my cheeks/face. Very smooth, and zero oil. Before, even though I had mostly gotten rid of the visible/painful inflammation...it was still VERY oily. This insulin/blood sugar issue may explain why I've seen sporadic and random regrowth yet seems thinner all around. The fact that I'm not producing very much sebum at all anymore I assume is a very good sign. We'll see. Guess now that I have my blood sugar in check and insulin down, I'll have to give it another 6-8 month go to see if more hair regrows. | ||
| Tom Hagerty Moderator Username: Admin Post Number: 3232 Registered: 01-2003 |
Brian H: "I read that when insulin is lowered, there's a binding material in the blood, forget the name, that binds itself to free testosterone which is not allowed to become DHT." It's called Sex Hormone Binding Globulin or just SHBG. A diet high in fat reduces the amount of SHBG. This protein keeps T inactive until the body needs it. If it's inactive, that is, not free, it can't be converted into DHT. At least, that's how the story goes. | ||
| Gina W New member Username: Ginawat Post Number: 52 Registered: 09-2006 |
Hi Brian - I think you are on to something and in my continual search for answers found a link between your theory (elevated blood sugar/inflammation) and my newest theory (HCL deficiency/malnutrition) Since my diet seems better than most I began to wonder whether or not I was absorbing all the good nutrients in my foods and if not maybe it would be due to low levels of my stomach acids (HCL) - so low that they are hindering absorbtion and causing deficiencies. I am connecting that to your blood sugar theory and in my travels stumbled across this: Hydrochloric acid reacts with the duodenal membrane to produce a hormone called secretin which stimulates the pancreas to release insulin, increase the formation of bile and upgrade the activity of the gallbladder. If we were to summarize the sequence of events occurring as a result of hydrochloric acid deficiency we would list the following: Improper digestion Fermentation and later putrifaction Reduced absorption Reduced liver and pancreas function Ulcer formation Elevated blood sugar Reduced oxidation of lactic acid Retention of carbon dioxide Reduced activity of the white blood cells Reduced destruction of bacteria Unbalanced mineral levels Essentially this all means that if we don't have the acids to break down our proteins and destroy bacteria this could lead to not only the inability to absorb all the nutrients from the good foods...but elevate our sugar and that leads to loads of other issues - hair loss due to low iron, elevated sugar, fungal infection (yeast) overlaod, etc. Your thoughts? Tom? | ||
| Brian Hardaway New member Username: Left_behind Post Number: 112 Registered: 07-2006 |
That's interesting. For me, I don't think this was the problem. My pancreas was still working fine, but was working overtime because of the amount of carbs in my diet. I've been researching the connection between DHT/androgens-Insulin and sebum production. I have absolutely ZERO (well not exactly zero, but the absolute minimal, non balding amount) sebum on my scalp at all times. I've been looking at DHT blockers and the like, and I believe this is a sign that DHT is no longer doing anything in the scalp. In fact it might not even be converting anymore. A long shot I suppose, but I'm almost convinced now that elevated insulin and high carb (complex or simple doesn't matter) diets can cause DHT to be converted locally. Everytime I would get a low blood sugar episode or anxiety attack my scalp would get oily, and it would tingle and itch until the attack went away and then it would stop. I had alot of the diet right, but didn't realize about the carb count. I was probably still inflamed and didn't even realize it. I'm almost 100 percent sure I've stopped the balding process with the SE and resetting my blood problems. Maybe wishful thinking. But a no sebum/smoothe as a baby's butt scalp has to mean something good is happening. | ||
| Brian Hardaway New member Username: Left_behind Post Number: 113 Registered: 07-2006 |
Another note. I've been going through a carb fast. Here's the link to the site that covinced me to try this. Eventually I will hopefully be able to add a little bit of carbs back in, little fruit and some more veggies and stuff. You go through a period once starting this (if you completely eliminate the carbs) where your body struggles to find a source of energy. This is because it's used to getting high doses of glucose and insulin, if you're a RHG sufferer like I was. Not suggesting it per se, but for me I think it's working great. I've passed the switchover and feel incredible. I eat tons of the good saturated fats in coconut oil, still lots of olive oil, eggs for breakfast and chicken for lunch and dinner. Highly restrictive, but I agree with the author of this page. It's MUCH better than the type II Diabetes I was headed for. In fact I've read of some cultures that eat a strictly carniverous diet, with only small non-starchy veggie servings, and they are supposedly some of the healthiest people in the world. By the way I include a good amount of spinache on this fast. Spinach won't effect the carb fast because the carb count is so low, and I like the nutrients it has. As long as it's non-starchy and you eat small portions, these are allowed. I also disagree with allowing cheese, however. I ate cheese and it stopped the process. There are carbs in cheese, and there is no fiber. Let me know what you guys think. I know Tom will probably cringe at the idea, but so far my scalp is in incredible shape. Still doin the SE regularly too. | ||
| Brian Hardaway New member Username: Left_behind Post Number: 114 Registered: 07-2006 |
Oops. Sorry. Left the link out. http://www.opinions3.com/reactive_hypoglycemia.htm | ||
| Gina W New member Username: Ginawat Post Number: 53 Registered: 09-2006 |
This section taken from your link is what I had asked you about a few posts ago - I had asked what your fasting glucose level was because I think this is important in determining if you are headed towards Type II: What happens to that stored insulin? Does it just wait there in the fat until glucagon comes to call it out for energy? I don't know, and haven't been able to find out. I'm still searching. There are low levels in the blood at all times to help stabilize blood sugar in non-diabetics. When RHG sufferers test their fasting blood sugar in the morning, they will find it elevated. (Normal blood sugar in the fasting range should be between 80 and 100 mg/dl.) Their blood sugar will frequently be between 115 and 135. Over a period of careful diet and attention to other factors, like hormone supplementation, that fasting blood sugar should fall to more normal readings. My level was on the high end at the start (96) but after three months of a diet change (not as severe as this one) it dropped to a 92. My goal is 80 - I'll be curious to see where I am at the end of this month. Just curious why you aren't monitoring your levels via blood work? I realize you are in tune with your body - but wouldn't having simple blood work done on a routine basis help you see (in black and white) the strides you have taken via diet? Gina |
