Some interesting info on Vitamin D and hair growth. Here is an insert from the Thirteenth annual Vitamin D workshop that featured an array of renowned researchers:

   Dr. Dixon presented fascinating evidence that high vitamin D blood levels prevent sunburn! Of course, it makes sense. When vitamin D levels are low, the skin stays as white as it can to make as much vitamin D as it can, just in case you ignore Dr. Gilchrest’s advice. When vitamin D levels are high, the skin rapidly tans to prevent excessive vitamin D skin production. A number of people have emailed me that observation: now that their levels are high, they tan very quickly. I’ve noticed the same thing.

   Dr. Marie Demay presented her basic science research that vitamin D is involved in hair follicles. I loved her talk although she’s a scientist and I’m a psychiatrist so I didn’t understand much of what she said. However, I’ve always thought that vitamin D will really take off once science shows it’s involved in any of three things: sex, athletic performance, or hair growth. In Victoria, we saw evidence for neuromuscular (athletic) performance and hair growth. Two out of three isn’t bad; great job, Dr. Demay! In the way of full disclosure, my semi-baldness has not improved on vitamin D, but it has stopped getting worse.

   Dr. Cedric Garland recounted how, 26 years ago, he and his brother Frank first thought about the relationship between vitamin D and colon cancer. The brothers, together with colleague Ed Gorham, were the first to provide epidemiological evidence that vitamin D deficiency is involved in numerous cancers. Their seminal 1980 paper is going to be reprinted, a well-deserved honor. Int J Epidemiol. 1980 Sep; 9(3):227-31

   Vitamin D3 is the most bioavailable form of Vitamin D and its derived from cholesterol and functions as hormone precursor. The suggested dose is 1000 IU-5000 IU’s daily.

More on L-Taurine and Hair Loss
   Here is a study showing L-Taurine to be a systemic antifibrotic agent, a definite boon for hair growth. Fibrosis is an age related body wide process by which collagen constricts and ridgidifies due to cross linking. L-Taurine apparently inhibits this cross linking and is unique in its ability to inhibit fibrosis. This confirms the mechanisms of earlier findings earlier findings from L’Oreal that oral administration of L-Taurine in combo with Grape Seed/red wine (resveratrol) had a significant impact on hair growth.

   1: J Diabetes Complications. 2005 Sep-Oct; 19(5):305-11.
   Taurine prevents fructose-diet induced collagen abnormalities in rat skin.
   Nandhini TA, Thirunavukkarasu V, Ravichandran MK, Anuradha CV.
   Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar 608002, India.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of taurine administration on the content and characteristics of skin collagen in high-fructose-fed rats. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Adult male Wistar rats were divided into four groups of six each: a control group (CON) and a taurine-supplemented control group (CON+TAU), a high fructose diet-fed group (FRU), and a taurine supplemented fructose diet-fed group (FRU+TAU). After 30 days, collagen was isolated from the skin, and its physicochemical properties were studied. RESULTS: Fructose administration caused an accumulation of collagen and extensive cross-linking. This was evidenced by increases in glycation, fluorescence, and peroxidation in collagen samples. The physicochemical properties of collagen, like shrinkage temperature, aldehyde content, solubility pattern, and susceptibility to denaturing agents, were altered in the fructose-fed rats. The sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic (SDS-PAGE) pattern of collagen from fructose-fed rats showed and elevated beta component of Type I collagen. Simultaneous administration of taurine alleviated these changes.
CONCLUSION: The positive influence of taurine on both collagen content and its properties suggests a potential mechanism for the ability of taurine to delay diabetic complications.
   PMID: 16112507 [PubMed – in process]