By Nutritionist Mary Toscano
When you look at your hair–how healthy or unhealthy it is–many people look at what you put on it. But in actuality, the health of your hair has a lot to do with what you put in your body. Take dandruff, for example. Most would think it has something to do with a dry scalp or putt the wrong product on your hair. But did you know that the food you eat can cause those flakes to appear? It’s true.
There is a microscopic fungus called Malassezia that lives on all of our heads. This yeast–a single-celled fungus–doesn’t do any harm, surviving off the natural oils present on our scalp and leaving oleic acid as a by-product.
Unfortunately, many of us are sensitive to oleic acid. Malassezia’s by-product can irritate the skin, leading to the body fighting back by increasing skin cell turnover.
Basically, your body tries to get rid of the problem by shedding irritated skin.
Inflammation is the body’s natural response to threats, such as injury or an allergic reaction. Blood rushes to the affected area resulting in swelling, or heat and pain.
So, what is the link with our diets? A diet rich in sugary, low glycaemic index foods can encourage inflammation. Think processed foods and simple carbs – they offer little nutritional value and can cause insulin spikes.
This can present as overproduction of sebum – the oily substance that comes from our follicles and other “waxy” areas of the body. On the face, this may result in spots, but on the scalp, it could just cause those unwanted flakes.
Foods that can Cause Dandruff
Refined Sugar
It’s a chain! Sugar in any form spikes insulin formation in our bodies that in turn triggers the output of oil, leaving an unhealthy, dry and flaky scalp. Result? Dandruff. Sugar in any form, refined or processed, leads to inflammation in our bodies that promotes flakiness. The solution is to cut down on some sugar from your diet to curb the side effects.
Various Cheeses
A cheese platter, cheese-burst pizza, cheesy sandwich, or a dish with cheese for topping, which one did your mouth water for? As delicious as they sound/taste, cheese instigates dandruff. While the reason for dandruff is still unknown, researchers claim that cheese is hard to digest and contributes to body inflammation, which adds to the chain, causing dandruff.
Dairy Cream
Another full-fat dairy product, cream, is a promoter of the lousy dandruff flakes on your scalp. Cream causes inflammation and boosts itchy and flaky scalp. Hence, it is ideal to part ways with the delicious fatty ingredient to avoid dandruff.
White Wine
Soothing your senses with a glass of white wine and your favourite music always seems the perfect plan to end a tiring day. Well, think before you pour that wine. White wine is sweet and is known to disrupt your body’s blood sugar level, increasing your scalp’s flakes. It’s now your call between white wine and dandruff.
Champagne
Toasts and celebrations always remind us of champagne. But wait, hear us out before you plan your next drinking plan. Like white wine, champagne is sweet and affects your body’s blood sugar levels, thus promoting dandruff.
Caffeine
Have you ever counted the cups of coffee you consume while running from one meeting to the other? Well, the amount of caffeine you ingest can aggravate your dandruff problem.
