Harvard study: People with gray hair are less likely to get cancer? Science or Rumor? tell you the truth

"Why did I start growing white hair when I was only in my fifties? Aunt Zhang's hair next door is still black and beautiful." Aunt Li looked in the mirror and pulled the hair on her head, trying to cut it with scissors.

"What's the matter? I saw her dye her hair at the barber shop last month. Don't mess with your hair. I saw on the Internet that people with white hair are less likely to get cancer . It's a good thing for you to have white hair. Woolen cloth!"

"Don't fool me! I really believe it..."

In daily life, it is a very common thing to have gray hair. Some people will "gray as a teenager", but when most people get older, their hair gradually turns gray, which is a normal physiological phenomenon.

But there is a saying that "people with long white hair are not prone to cancer", is there any scientific basis?

1. People with long white hair are less likely to get cancer? Don't be fooled

There is a popular saying on the Internet that "Harvard professor's research found that people with long gray hair have a lower risk of cancer", and the phenomenon of long gray hair is very common, but is it really related to the risk of cancer?

This statement actually comes from a mouse experiment conducted by Japanese researchers in 2009.

The study believes that after DNA damage, the melanin stem cells in the hair follicle will not die, but will transform into mature melanocytes, which will continue to produce melanin, but it can no longer produce melanin, so the hair of mice will turn gray.

And Harvard professor David Fisher has interpreted it, not a researcher.

Harvard professor David Fisher believes that after DNA damage, if melanin stem cells are not transformed into melanocytes, but still exist in the form of stem cells, there is a risk of cancer ; otherwise, it may reduce the risk of cancer.

Note, however, that this does not compare the cancer risk of "people with dark hair" and "people with graying hair."

In addition to this statement, Si Lu, deputy chief physician of the Department of Renal Cancer Melanoma Medicine, Beijing Cancer Hospital, also explained that there are many reasons for gray hair, including congenital ( albinism ) and acquired (mental stress, malnutrition, insufficient sunlight, etc.) 2 A major factor that is not associated with the risk of developing cancer.

2. Where does the white hair grow, where does the disease come from?

Under normal circumstances, with the gradual increase of age, the melanin in our hair follicles will also decline step by step, especially after the age of 40, the melanin produced by melanocytes will drop significantly , and gray hair will begin to appear.

By the age of 50, 50% of Asians will grow white hair, usually starting from the sideburns on the sides and gradually developing to the top of the head.

But there is a saying that "where the white hair grows, the disease comes from". What does the white hair that grows on the forehead, the top of the head, the back of the head, and the temples imply?

Zhang Xianhui, director of the Health Management Center of the International Department of Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said that from the perspective of traditional medicine, premature graying of hair is mostly related to the dysfunction of personal organs.

1. Forehead white hair: spleen deficiency

The forehead is where the "Stomach Meridian" of Foot Yangming passes. When the spleen is deficient, symptoms such as white hair, pale complexion, loss of appetite, and loose stools are likely to occur.

2. White hair on the top of the head and the back of the head: insufficient kidney qi

The top of the head is where the Du meridian and the Ren meridian run, and the relationship between the Ren Du meridian and the kidneys is very close. When the kidney qi is insufficient, it is easy to cause partial gray hair.

3. White hair on the temples: Liver stagnation

The temples belong to the gallbladder meridian of Foot Shaoyang, and have a close connection with the liver and gallbladder. When there is a problem with the liver, the temples are prone to gray hair, and are often accompanied by irritability, bitterness, dry mouth and other discomforts.

In short, gray hair appears in different parts, and the causes are different, and the conditioning methods are also different. You can make targeted conditioning according to the location of your gray hair, so that you can see more obvious effects.

3. More and more white hair? May be lack of nutrition

The occurrence of gray hair is also related to nutritional imbalance. What nutrients are lacking, which will lead to more and more gray hair?

Gray hair is an unavoidable phenomenon in the aging process, but in addition to normal aging, other factors, such as diseases, heredity, lack of trace elements, smoking, mental factors, etc., can also lead to gray hair.

The gray hair caused by the above factors is basically irreversible from a medical point of view due to the depletion of hair follicle pigment stem cells .

Among them, the relationship between nutrient deficiency and gray hair is very close, so we will focus on the problem of nutrient deficiency. Generally speaking, graying hair is related to the lack of these nutrients:

1. B vitamins

Including B2, B3, B5, once these substances are deficient, they can affect the production of melanin, and it is easy to appear gray hair.

Therefore, it is recommended to pay attention to supplementing the vitamin B family at ordinary times to promote cell regeneration. You can eat more foods such as milk, eggs, beans, green leafy vegetables, and liver .

2. Iodine

This nutrient has the effect of promoting hair growth. If it is lacking, it will lead to a decline in the function of the hair follicles, making it more prone to gray hair. Therefore, it is recommended to eat more foods rich in iodine, such as iodized salt, seaweed, kelp , etc.

3. Trace elements copper and iron

This is an important raw material for synthesizing melanin. Once these substances are lacking, the content of nickel in the hair will be increased, thus making the hair white.

Therefore, it is recommended to pay attention to supplementing trace elements such as copper and iron, and eat more black fungus, animal liver, sesame, nuts and other foods.

In addition, if you want your hair to turn gray slower, you should adhere to good living habits every day, including regular work and rest, try to maintain a happy mood, eat a reasonable diet, quit smoking, reduce hot dyeing, and properly perform head massage .

There are many reasons for gray hair. If you want to improve it, you must first find out the specific reasons and make targeted treatments.

As for the saying on the Internet that people with long white hair are not prone to cancer, let’s take a look at it, don’t take it seriously, and the prevention work that should be done should be as much as possible, so as to reduce the occurrence of cancer.

References:

[1] "Don't panic when you have white hair, the risk of cancer will be reduced", is there such a good thing? ". The whole people are true - Tencent News. 2021-11-04

[2] "7 types of people are prone to grow gray hair earlier, and the gray hair in different positions is improved in this way". Life Times. 2022-05-28

[3] "Is the sudden increase in gray hair old? Doctor: It may be that the body lacks these 4 nutrients! ". Health Times. 2022-04-25

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