Hair Foods

Stress, aging, dehydrating habits such as smoking, environmental pollution, and harsh chemicals all harm our hair. In one of Dr. Bernard Jensen’s sixty or so books on optimal nutrition, he recommends black cherrry concentrate and oat straw tea to strengthen hair from inside out. Black cherry is a source of iron and oat straw is a source of silica a mineral we all need for strong hair and nails.

It is easy to find Black Cherry Concentrate in the health food store. You can add it to water and make a nice beverage to reduce joint aches (gout). But oatstraw is not easy to find. I decided not to search the barn yard or healthfood store. Besides, if I found the tea, it would probably taste like straw. So instead, I add 1 tsp. black cherry concentrate to an 8oz glass of water and one dose of homeopathic silica 6x. It disolves easily and makes a semi-sweet beverage with or between meals. The homeopathic silica takes the iron where it needs to go to grow and protect hair–to the blood and bone marrow, our source of hair nutrients.

People lose hair after cancer chemotherapy because the poisons used to kill cancer cells also kill healthy cells in the blood and bone marrow. Cancer chemo is famous for endangering bone marrow. So this beverage does more than protect hair from hair loss and breakage. It deeply supports vitality.

Scalp treatments that protect hair growth also clear the scalp of sebum that may clog pores. If skin or scalp pores are stuffed with sebum we get blemishes because pores cannot breathe. Hair roots cannot grow but are choked off at the scalp. One oil useful for clearing sebum is jojoba. You can add a few drops of pure essential oil of lavender to 1/4 tsp jojoba oil and massage that gently into the scalp before or after washing. Lavender oil stimulates circulation bringing blood to the scalp which nourishes the hair root.

Chemical shampoos and hair colors also weaken hair. To reduce breakage, dilute your all natural shampoo (made without harsh chemicals especially parabens) with 1/2 water. It foams better and dries the hair less. Never apply conditioner to the scalp but only on the hair ends because conditioner can clog pores. 

One of my health clients suggested this hair treatment to deeply moisturize and protect the hair as it enhances color naturally. Mix 1 level tsp. slippery elm powder to 1 cup of cold tea. Bring it to a simmer and stir until the powder becomes a thick paste. Continue adding tea to thin and paste and darken the color. Let it cool.

Apply this tea/slippery elm mixture to clean hair. Let it penetrate the hair fiber for up to 1/2 hour or more. Wrap a plastic bag over your hair to keep it warmer. That helps the herb penetrate the hair. Then when you are ready, wash it off completely with warm water. The tea will color hair and slippery elm will make is very soft and manageable. If you want to experiment, use different sorts of tea for different hair colors. Black tea gives red or brown hair a redish cast. For blonde or very light hair, to maintain the light color, use only slippery elm powder and water without tea. You will feel so much better using foods to texturize and replenish hair moisture. 

Herbs used to help prevent falling hair include Eclipta alba, which supports the health of blood, bone marrow and the liver. It is sometimes recommended for liver damage from chemicals or alcohol consumption. For more information on hair beauty and health see Healthy Beauty by Letha Hadady.

Letha Hadady is the author of Asian Health Secrets: The Complete Guide to Asian Herbal Medicine. Her website is www.asianhealthsecrets.com