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Sep 03, 2023

Which vitamin deficiency causes hair loss? All about B12, Vitamin D

Throughout the pandemic, doctors have reported an uptick in stress-related hair

Throughout the pandemic, doctors have reported an uptick in stress-related hair loss. COVID-19 brought about death and illness, shuddered schools and businesses, and put people's lives on pause. The resulting emotional stress had significant repercussions, among them an unprecedented hair-loss event across the country.

While stress is certainly one contributing factor in the loss or thinning of one's hair, it's far from the only one. Preventable vitamin deficiencies cause hair loss as well.

Hair loss is a common disorder defined as an interruption in the body's cycle of hair production. It can happen to anyone, but is more common in men. Male or female pattern baldness is thought to affect some 50 million men and 30 million women in the United States, though some research shows that as many as 50% of all men are afflicted with the disorder by age 50.

Hair loss, also called alopecia, has many causes including aging, hormones, genetics, intense physical or emotional stress, hairstyles, drugs and chronic illness – though heredity is the most common contributing factor. And while male or female pattern baldness can be managed with medication or surgery, other causes of hair loss can be prevented, in part, with proper nutrition and maintenance.

"Much like mental fitness, hair health is partly the result of overall diet and lifestyle choices," says Uma Naidoo, MD, director of nutritional and lifestyle psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and the author of "This is Your Brain on Food."

Indeed, multiple vitamin and mineral deficiencies have been associated with hair loss and even premature graying. "While hair loss and its causes and treatments are complex, we can look at what's possible from the viewpoint of nutrients," says Naidoo.

The most important vitamins and minerals "noted to promote long, strong, thick hair," she says, include the following:

Though all such vitamins and minerals are helpful in maintaining a healthy head of hair, vitamin B12 deficiency is one frequently marketed by some organizations as causing hair loss. Though such research is mixed, maintaining enough B12 in one's diet is essential for growth and development, high function of one's central nervous system, and healthy red blood cell formation.

And while most people consume adequate amounts of vitamin B12 from a healthy diet, the recommended daily amount of the vitamin is 2.4 micrograms for adults, and more for groups at risk for vitamin B12 deficiencies such as the elderly, vegetarians and people with gastrointestinal problems.

Maintaining adequate amounts of B12 and all of the vitamins and minerals associated with healthy hair growth production can be done by including vitamin- and mineral-rich foods in one's diet, and possible supplementation through safe pills or multivitamins. "When we choose wholesome, nutrient-dense foods like veggies, berries, clean proteins and healthy fats, and tend to our physical beings through exercise and self-care," Naidoo says, "we naturally feel better both emotionally and physically."

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