Let’s start with some basics. Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles in the dermis (layer in our skin). Hair is one of a defining characteristic of all mammals. The human body, apart from areas of bare skin, is covered in follicles that produce thick terminal and fine vellus type of hair. Most common interest in hair is focused on the hair growth, hair types, and hair care, but hair is also an important biomaterial which has a lot of health information hidden within.
Did you know that hair grows approximately 1 cm per month, and stays on a head 2-6 years before it falls out! So, a single hair sample gathers and stores all types of information about us. For example, a hair shaft absorbs and accumulates chemicals, and any toxins that our body is exposed to (e.g. food, water, air, environment).
What is hair made of?
A single hair is made up of hair follicle and the hair shaft. The hair shaft, a part that extends outside of the skin is made up of the following parts:
Medulla – A honeycomb-like core of glycogen (a sugar) and citrulline (an amino acid)
Cortex – A hard keratin, protein layer surrounding the medulla
Cuticle – An outer protective layer that gives hair its shine
The cortex and the cuticle also contain a pigment called melanin, which determines your natural hair color. However, hair requires more than just a protein to help its growth. These are the vital nutrients helping hair to grow long and strong:
Biotin
Biotin is a water-soluble form of vitamin B, also known as vitamin B7 or sometimes “vitamin H”. Biotin supports hair growth by metabolizing amino acids from foods. Amino acids make up the building blocks of protein, and thus help to form the keratin in hair. Biotin also helps to improve the strength and resiliency of the cortex to defend hair from environmental damage.
Iron
Iron is necessary for hair growth because it helps to form red blood cells. Red blood cells deliver oxygen and nutrients to the hair follicles, supplying them with the necessary materials to support hair growth. Hair loss is often a symptom of iron deficiency anemia.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C helps the body to absorb iron, thus making sure the body has adequate red blood cells to support hair growth. Vitamin C is also a powerful antioxidant, and protects hair follicles from damaging free radicals that contribute to discoloration and even hair loss.
Zinc
Zinc supports DNA production, which is required for the division of all cells, including hair follicle cells, and thus, is important for hair growth. Zinc also helps to balance hormones, which is beneficial because unbalanced hormones can be a major factor in some types of hair loss, especially in women. Without enough zinc, the protein structure of the hair follicle can deteriorate, causing hair shedding.
Niacin
Niacin is another B vitamin that is necessary for healthy hair growth. Niacin (vitamin B3) helps to repair the DNA in hair follicle cells. DNA tells all cells, including those in the hair follicles, how to behave, so without enough niacin, follicles may not produce hair efficiently.
Why Iron is essential?
Iron is a mineral and essential element for blood production. About 70% of your body’s iron is found within the red blood cells (erythrocytes), called hemoglobin and in the muscle cells called myoglobin. Hemoglobin is essential for transferring oxygen throughout your body from the lungs via blood circulation. Myoglobin, in muscle cells, accepts, stores, transports and releases oxygen.
Iron is naturally available in the foods we eat, and there are two main types of iron found in the human diet — heme iron, which comes from animal protein, while nonheme iron comes from plants. Your body can absorb heme iron more readily. Our sex and age influence our needs for daily intake of Iron.
Thanks to ferromagnetism Iron attracts information
Ferromagnetism is the basic mechanism by which certain materials (such as iron) form permanent magnets, or are attracted to magnets. In physics, several different types of magnetism are distinguished. Ferromagnetism (along with the similar effect ferrimagnetism) is the strongest type and is responsible for the common phenomenon of magnetism in magnets encountered in everyday life.
We need to know that there is the difference between iron in blood and iron as a metal. The main difference is how they are arranged. Metal iron forms a crystal box structure. The iron in our body is contained in two proteins called hemoglobin and myoglobin. But they are both made of the same iron atom. We need hemoglobin in our blood to help carry oxygen. The molecule of hemoglobin contains iron in its molecular structure which is the exact same chemical element as the metal.
In the 1930s, it was found that hemoglobin has magnetic properties that are different depending on whether it is carrying oxygen or not. When the hemoglobin is not carrying oxygen it is more sensitive or paramagnetic than oxygenated blood. It has only been in the last fifteen years that this difference in magnetic property has been used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) research. MRI uses a very strong magnetic field so this difference in the magnetic properties of oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin in blood can be detected.
Human bodies are magnetic
To better understand how the body interacts with and responds to magnetic fields, we must appreciate how much our bodies themselves are electromagnetic. The body’s own internal magnetic fields are generated by the extraordinary amount of internal electrical activity that keeps our bodies alive. These biomagnetic fields interact with all of the other magnetic fields on the planet and control our basic chemistry.
The adult body is comprised of more than 70 trillion individual cells, and that’s not counting the millions of bacteria we carry in our gut. Each of those trillions of cells carries out several thousand metabolic processes every second. In order for that level of complexity to function smoothly, there must be a great deal of communication between and within these trillions of cells. Thankfully, our cells are programmed for this type of communication, and are able to make changes in a fraction of a second when necessary.
The biomagnetic fields of the body, though extremely tiny, have been measured with techniques including magnetoencephalography (MEG) and magnetocardiography (MCG). These techniques measure the magnetic fields produced by the electrical activity in the body. The findings through objective basic research of these endogenous fields serves to determine their magnitudes as well as leading to the development of new non-invasive means of measuring cellular function. This is clinically useful in order to help guide treatment of the brain and heart.
Cells normally go through at least 7,000 chemical reactions per second, which is an indication of the complex and continuous process involved in adaptation. This level of complexity is beyond the scope of simple biochemistry. By using electromagnetic stimulation, modern measuring techniques have increased the understanding of electromagnetic bio-communication that makes the coordination of the living system possible.
The body’s electrical activity happens primarily in the cell membrane. It is hugely important that the cell membrane maintain an appropriate “charge” or voltage. A healthy cell has a transmembrane potential of about 80 or 100 millivolts. A cancer cell, for comparison, has a transmembrane potential often as low as 20 or 25 millivolts. When a cell becomes damaged or sick, the voltage of the membrane drops, causing an increased voltage in the interior of the cell. When the membrane voltage is low, the membrane channels can’t function properly, leading to a domino effect of disease-causing actions (or inactions).
The cell membrane is there both to protect the contents of the cell and to act as a sort of gatekeeper – opening and closing channels (like doorways) through which ions can flow. These channels are sometimes referred to as “pumps.”
The cell membrane itself has a voltage called a “potential” (or membrane potential, or transmembrane potential). Membrane potential refers to the difference in electrical charge between the inside and outside of the cell. The channels in the membrane are opened or closed based on the polarity of the membrane. When the channels are closed, a cell membrane is at its “resting potential” and when it is open it is at its “action potential.”
To conclude
Thanks to building blocks in hair, especially Iron, we can access to a lot of hidden health information. Our hair samples are unique bioindicators that can reveal any mineral deficiencies, presence of heavy metals and other toxic elements, as well as food intolerance and/or nutrients overloads. Furthermore, they can determine which supplements would be the best to support your health, for example homeopathic and Bach flower remedies, or types of essential oils.
We invite you to watch a short video on this subject on Plasma Saal YouTube channel
Want to find out more, please visit: www.plasmasaallab.com
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hair
https://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/hemoglobin-and-functions-of-iron
https://blog.viviscal.com/understanding-what-hair-is-made-of/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferromagnetism
https://www.drpawluk.com/education/magnetic-science/biomagnetic-fields/
https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/1010-does-blood-have-magnetic-properties
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-much-iron-per-day#recommendations
