During her post-divorce reinvention, Judy Allor decided to do something about the gray hair that had been coming in at her temples and around her ears since her early 50s. Highlights didn't seem to take — so when Allor saw an advertisement in SkyMall magazine for a nutritional supplement that promised to stop the gray, she put in an order.Within three months of taking two pills a day of Go Away Gray, Allor said she started noticing her natural light blond color replacing the gray spots. She said her hair felt as soft and silky as it had when she was younger, and her trips to the salon for highlights became fewer and further between."I call it vitamins for my hair," said Allor, a retiree who splits her time between Florida and California.Go Away Gray, a nutraceutical without FDA approval or any clinical trials supporting its effectiveness, is among several products being marketed to prevent gray hair.Creator Cathy Beggan, a former real estate agent whose company, Rise-n-Shine LLC, sells 17 products promising help for everything from wrinkles to joint pain, said Go Away Gray is by far her company's biggest seller (buy two bottles and get one free for $49.50).
She points to customers like Allor as proof that it works, and claims that within six to eight weeks customers can see their natural hair color coming in at the root (it doesn't change existing gray hair).But is that proof enough?Gerard Mullin, associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and author of the book "The Inside Track: Your Good Gut Guide to Great Digestive Health," cautions people to save their money."There's been no credible research to validate their claim," he said. "What they're claiming is very hypothetical."Beggan created Go Away Gray in 2009 after coming across a study by researchers at the University of Bradford, in the United Kingdom, that found that reduced production of the enzyme catalase, which breaks down hydrogen peroxide, may contribute to graying hair. Hair cells naturally produce small amounts of hydrogen peroxide, but without catalase it builds up over time and blocks the normal synthesis of melanin that gives hair its color, according to the study, which was published in The FASEB Journal (it stands for Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology).
Beggan contracted with a vitamin manufacturer to produce a supplement containing 5,000 units of catalase plus other ingredients believed to promote healthy hair.Mullin said the ingredients at the doses recommended are harmless. But "there is no proof whatsoever" that catalase ingested orally can survive the gastrointestinal process and affect the hair follicle. For those wishing to give it a shot, it would be cheaper to eat a bowl of catalase-rich blueberries, blackberries or radishes, he added.Beggan said several overseas companies that wish to distribute the product require clinical trials, which she said are currently underway.Catalase-based products aren't the only ones touting anti-gray cures. L'Oreal has been researching a fruit extract that mimics the enzyme TRP-2, which helps make pigment-producing cells called melanocytes, and several media outlets reported the cosmetics company is working on a pill with an anticipated 2015 launch. Young mother shot in the head on South Side: 'My baby's fighting for her life'Pulaski Day closingsNew Owner Demolishes O.j. Simpson Mansion
Prosecutors: Man hid 1.5 pounds of heroin in vacant house10 reasons why you want the jobPrincess Grace`s Fatal Crash: Her Daughter`s AccountPrenatal vitamins are a must for pregnant women who need higher amounts of vitamins and minerals like folic acid and iron to keep their growing babies healthy. Taking these vitamins can also be a good idea for women who are trying to conceive, since certain developmental problems may develop very early on in a pregnancy, possibly even before a woman knows she is pregnant, and can often be prevented by sufficient amounts of folic acid. However, some women who aren’t pregnant or even trying to get pregnant choose to take prenatal vitamins for other, more cosmetic reasons – but is this a good idea and is there any evidence to back it up? That’s what Teresita wants to know: The short answer is that there is no scientific evidence to suggest that taking prenatal vitamins can help hair or nails grow longer, faster or stronger. It is true that many pregnant women find that their hair becomes thicker or shinier and their nails stronger during their pregnancies.
Some women attribute these changes to their prenatal vitamins, but the reality is that elevated estrogen levels and other changing hormones during pregnancy are likely responsible. Plus, rather than growing more hair than usual, pregnant women are actually just shedding less. A few months after they give birth, most women notice that they begin to lose a lot of hair until their hair returns to pre-pregnancy status. But not only is taking prenatal vitamins unlikely to help your hair or nails if you’re not pregnant, it may also carry some risks and most experts recommend against it. Usually, prenatal vitamins contain a mixture of folic acid, calcium, iron, vitamin C, zinc, copper, vitamin B6 and vitamin D. Levels of folic acid and iron are typically higher than what you might find in a multivitamin since pregnant women need extra iron to help prevent anemia for themselves and their babies, and folate helps prevent neural tube defects. For a non-pregnant woman, getting too much iron can cause digestive distress like constipation, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting.
In rare, extreme cases, you can die from taking too much iron. Rarely, taking high levels of folic acid can mask the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency, which could lead to depression, memory loss, dementia and other symptoms if it’s not treated. It’s also important to know that other vitamin doses in prenatal vitamins (like calcium) are often less than what you might find in a multivitamin and are meant only to supplement a well-rounded diet. Pregnant women should always ask their doctors if they should supplement their prenatal vitamins with any other vitamins that may help healthy growth for their babies, such as omega-3 fatty acids or vitamin D. Non-pregnant women should never rely on prenatal vitamins to get the nutrients they need. Instead, they should be sure to get a well-rounded diet with lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fish, and should take a multivitamin once a day. You can learn more about what essential supplements to take and how to take them here. When it comes to having healthy hair and nails, be sure you’re getting enough B vitamins (especially biotin), calcium, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, zinc and iron.