Top 5 Causes Of Hair Loss In Women

Hair loss is a surprisingly common symptom reported by women in clinic, and can understandably cause much distress.  While some hair loss is normal, if you feel you are losing extra hair or have noticed your hair has become thinner, there are a few underlying factors which may be contributing.

IRON

Low levels of iron or iron stores (ferritin) are very common in women, and may be relevant to you if you have also been feeling fatigued and have lowered immunity.  While the specific way iron causes hair loss is not well established, it has been shown to be deficient in women with hair loss, and I have seen improvements in hair growth when iron levels are improved.  You can read more about iron here.

THYROID FUNCTION

Many women have under-active thyroid function, and just having your TSH tested with your GP does not rule out thyroid issues.  While your TSH could be in range, your other thyroid hormones (T3 & T4) could be less than ideal.  Your thyroid influences many processes in your body including metabolism and how you build up and break down cells (anabolism and catabolism) - including hair cells!  It's thought that thyroid hormones have an influence on the hair follicles and subsequent growth cycles.  Low iodine, low iron, stress and chemicals can all impact thyroid function over time.  While low thyroid function is more commonly seen, increased thyroid function can also result in hair loss - again demonstrating how our bodies like to be in balance!

ZINC

Low zinc levels may also contribute to hair loss.  Zinc is essential in many different processes throughout the body, and due to soil depletion of minerals, there is less of this vital mineral in our foods.  Vegetarians or those consuming lots of grains and legumes may  be more at risk of deficiency - as plant compounds in these foods (phytic acid and lectins) can bind to and reduce zinc absorption.  Other signs of zinc deficiency include increased infections, poor skin healing and white spots on nails.

CORTISOL

Excess or low cortisol can impact hair growth and loss.  Excess cortisol is produced during more acute stress, while low cortisol can occur after chronic stress - resulting in adrenal fatigue.  Cortisol also impairs thyroid function and can contribute to other hormonal imbalances.  Stress management is one of the most important tings we can practice daily to support our hair and total body health!  A saliva test with multiple samples over one day can give you the best view of your cortisol pattern - which should be high in the morning and low at night. 

PROGESTERONE AND ESTROGEN

Low progesterone is a common finding in clinic which can underly hair loss and changes in mood.  An imbalance between estrogens, progesterone and testosterone can create a range of symptoms from painful periods, increased PMS, weight gain and hair loss.  These imbalances can develop over time from stress, medications, chemicals and a poor diet.  Using a saliva test is the best way to assess your hormone levels and work on correcting any imbalances.

**NOTE - Excess hair growth can also be contributed to hormone imbalances, most commonly excess testosterone and insulin resistance.  This type of imbalance is common in PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome).

If you'd like to investigate the reasons you are losing hair, I'd love to help you find the cause.

Marion McConnell is a degree qualified Naturopath who helps women with stress, hormone imbalances, anxiety and fatigue.  The clinic is located in New Farm Brisbane, and consultations are also available via Skype.  You can contact Marion here.

Why Am I So Moody?!

Do you find PMS is lasting longer than it used to?

Are your moods more erratic or intense?

Are you feeling more flat, anxious or overwhelmed?

Changes in mood can be one of the major symptoms experienced by women who present with health concerns in clinic.  While a hormonal imbalance may be underlying our moods, there can also be other factors involved.

Low Progesterone (especially in relation to estrogen) is a common finding in women who are experiencing increased moodiness or low mood.  This imbalance can develop over time from multiple influences, especially ongoing stress and use of the pill.

Thyroid function is also impaired by stress and also plays a vital role in mood regulation.  If you've only had your TSH tested (this is what's usually tested by GP's), it's ideal to also get T3 and T4 tested with a Naturopath to really assess how well you are producing and activating your thyroid hormones.  The TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) can still look 'normal', even if the T3 and T4 are less than ideal.

Iron and B12 are also commonly low in clients.  These nutrients are important for mood and energy, and there's an increased chance of having insufficient levels if you are vegetarian or have digestive issues which can impair absorption.

Vitamin D deficiency has also been linked to low mood and energy.  This is another important one you can get checked through your Naturopath, as Medicare no longer routinely covers this test for GP's, and many Australians are deficient.  This would be one of my most important nutrients to get checked as it also plays a huge role in our immunity and disease protection. Optimal levels are over 100 pmol/L.

Bacteria balance and our gut function is also strongly linked to our mood and mental health - known as the Gut-Brain Axis.  A large number of our neurotransmitters, which influence our mood, are produced in our digestive tract.  If there is an imbalance in bacteria, an overgrowth of yeast, parasites or ongoing infection or inflammation - our gut environment and subsequent impact on our mood will be less than ideal!

Inflammation in our bodies and brain has been associated with depression and mood disorders.  Our diet and lifestyles strongly influence the level of inflammation in our bodies.  Stress, sugars, processed foods, trans fats, chemicals, excess refined grain products and alcohol can all contribute to inflammation.

Quality fats, protein, vegetables and filtered water to support our brain function, and neurotransmitter and hormone production.  If the diet is lacking these nutrients our bodies and mind will be unable to operate optimally.

If moodiness is a symptom you'd like to address, I'd love to help you discover which of these underlying imbalances are relevant to you.

Marion McConnell is a degree qualified Naturopath who helps women with stress, hormone imbalances, anxiety and fatigue.  The clinic is located in New Farm Brisbane, and consultations are also available via Skype.  You can contact Marion here.

Have You Had Your Iron Checked?

While iron is important for men and women, it is especially important for women as we are losing iron every month during our reproductive years!  Iron requirements are also increased during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and low levels are associated with increased risk of infection and low birth weight.  Teenage females also require more as they are going through extra growth and have started menstruating.

Low iron is one of the most common deficiencies I see in clinic.  Are you experiencing any of these symptoms?

• Fatigue

• Dizziness

• Poor memory or concentration

• Hair loss

• Shortness of breath

• Infections / Poor immunity

• Ridged or brittle nails

• Pale skin, lower eyelids and poor capillary refill

• Low mood

• Restless legs

Iron is essential for transporting oxygen around our bodies, supports muscle function and is also involved in producing energy.  Our immunity relies on iron to function optimally as does our ability to convert thyroid hormones to the active form. 

Reasons your iron may be low include - 

• Heavy periods (possibly caused by a hormonal imbalance)

• Pregnancy and/or breastfeeding

• Eating minimal or no red meat

• Vegetarian or vegan diet

• Digestive issues, gluten intolerance, IBS, polyps etc which reduce your ability to absorb iron

• Antacid use or low stomach acid production

• High intake of flour, grains and legumes, coffee, tea or wine. These contain phytates or polyphenols which can bind and inhibit iron absorption

• Underlying infection, inflammation or bleeding

• Regular blood donation

• Worm or parasites which can cause gastrointestinal bleeding

• Heavy metal toxicity, especially lead, or high copper levels (commonly related to low zinc)

TESTING

An iron studies blood test will show you levels of your blood iron and also your iron stores (ferritin).  Ideally your blood level should be over 15 umol/L while ferritin should be over 100 ug/L.  Ferritin can be falsely increased if there is inflammation or infection present, and recent dietary intake can impact test results, so it’s best to do a fasting blood test.

If you have had blood tests that are ‘fine’ but you don’t feel ‘fine’, please see a Naturopath who can give you ideal levels to aim for, rather than just being in the test range which is quite large.  Many women have been told their results are fine, even though they are right at the low end of the range, which is definitely not ideal for feeling great! 

It’s also good to take into account your hemaglobin and red blood cell levels, as these will also decrease with insufficient iron.  

TYPES OF IRON

HEME – animal meat (containing hemaglobin)                                               15-35% absorbed

NON HEME – plant foods (vegetables, spinach, legumes, nuts)                  2-20% absorbed

Non Heme iron is impacted more by other foods in the diet, such as phytic acid (flours, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds) and polyphenols (black tea, coffee, wine) which inhibit absorption. 

Including both types of iron and eating foods away from coffee/black tea/wine as much as possible, and sprouting/fermenting/soaking grains, legumes and nuts to reduce phytic acid, will help you to support optimal iron absorption.   Consuming vitamin C foods such as citrus, capsicum and broccoli can also help increase non heme iron absorption.

Having not eaten red meat for many years, I’m currently having this dilemma – trying to include some meat again or having to take a supplement indefinitely!  I believe it’s best to get as much nutrition as possible from quality foods, as it’s the combination of all the nutrients, and probably other compounds that we aren’t even aware of yet, that make food superior to supplements, which are usually synthetic compounds.  

However, quality supplements do have a place and are a great way to help increase low levels.  It’s good to get your levels checked once or twice a year if you are prone to having low iron, or if you’re supplementing – just to check the supplements are helping and to check you still need supplements, as too much iron is not ideal either! 

Getting your levels checked is also a great way to determine if you are including enough iron in your diet, as the ideal amount to include will vary between women.

Many pharmacy iron supplements can cause constipation and nausea, and are not the most absorbable forms of iron, so it’s best to ask your Naturopath for a good quality supplement.  It’s best to take iron away from other minerals such as zinc, and to take on an empty stomach if tolerated. Good quality iron supplements will also contain vitamin C to help improve absorption.

If you would like to have your iron tested and assess any other areas of your health, I'd love to help you. 

Marion McConnell is a degree qualified Naturopath who helps women with stress, hormone imbalances, anxiety and fatigue.  The clinic is located in New Farm Brisbane, and consultations are also available via Skype.  You can contact Marion here.

Still Tired Even After A Holiday?

TOP 7 CAUSES OF FATIGUE

Are you feeling refreshed and full of energy for the new year?  If not there's likely an underlying reason!  Fatigue is a very common symptom for the women I see in clinic - here are the top 7 causes and the tests we use to figure out which one is relevant to you.

NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES

These can be some of the quickest to notice improvements in energy levels with the right supplement.  However it's also our job to figure out why you developed this deficiency - is your digestive function impaired, are you lacking certain nutrients in your diet, are your periods excessively heavy?

The most common deficiencies I see in regards to fatigue are

• Low Iron and/or Ferritin (iron stores)

• Low B12

• Low Vitamin D

A simple blood test can help us assess your levels and determine the best dosage and supplement.

UNDER-ACTIVE THYROID

Even if your GP has said your thyroid is fine - just being in the test range does not mean your levels are ideal or optimal!  You can have an under-active thyroid which affects the amount of thyroid hormone (T4) produced and/or the amount converted to the active form (T3).  This can be happening without having 'diagnosable' hypothyroidism.  

An under-active thyroid is especially common in women who have ongoing stress - as stress really impacts thyroid function.  Weight gain, poor cognition, dry skin, constipation, hair loss and high cholesterol are other common symptoms of an under-active thyroid.

A simple blood test from your Naturopath which tests the 3 thyroid hormones (TSH, T4 and T3) is essential, to give a total picture of how your thyroid is functioning.  Due to medicare, GP's usually only test TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) - which alone doesn't tell us enough about your thyroid hormone production and conversion to active T3.

ADRENAL FATIGUE

Women today are pushing themselves more and more - and burning themselves out in the process.  We all have a tipping point and can handle stress for a certain time before our body starts to seriously malfunction and fatigue.  Your adrenal glands produce cortisol (and other hormones) in response to any type of stress - and while some cortisol in short bursts is fine, many of us have high cortisol 24/7!  Eventually your adrenals cannot keep up with demand and your cortisol production will fall, or your regular cortisol pattern over the day will become dysregulated.  This will mean your cortisol and energy will be higher at night, instead of in the morning, which can then contribute to sleep issues, further exacerbating fatigue.

We use a saliva cortisol test which measures 4 or 6 samples over one day to assess your levels and 24hr pattern.  Depending on the extent of your adrenal fatigue it can take months to recover from, so don't ignore the hints your body is giving you!

Keep an eye out for part 2 coming next week....

If you would like help getting to the bottom of your fatigue and improve your energy for 2018, book your consultation today!

Marion McConnell is a degree qualified Naturopath who helps women with stress, hormone imbalances and thyroid issues.  The clinic is located in New Farm Brisbane, and consultations are also available via Skype.  You can contact Marion here.