A study of the minerals in hair of the women's students

• Published in: SEIKATSU EISEI (Journal of Urban Living and Health Association) Vol. 47; no. 5; pp. 269 - 275
• Main Authors: ODACHI, Junko, KAN, Chanmi, KUSUMOTO, Kaoru, FUNASAKA, Kunihiro, (KOJIMA), Akiko YUASA, YUASA, Isao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: Osaka Urban Living and Health Association 2003
• Subjects: clinical laboratory test; female students; hair analysis; mineral content of diet; mineral content of hair; nutritional conditions; physical examinations
• ISSN: 0582-4176; 1883-6631
• DOI: 10.11468/seikatsueisei1957.47.269

Hair has been used in the past as an index of environmental pollution and to study the effect of toxic substances, but not to evaluate nutritional conditions. We studied the mineral content of the hair of female college students and its relation to diet and to the results of physical examinations and clinical laboratory tests. The students tended to have poor nutrition, to be thin, and there were some with a tendency to anemia. Although the mineral content of hair was not correlated with that of the diet, there was a negative correlation between iron content of hair and arteriosclerosis index, and between sodium content and fat ratio; the reason for these remains to be clarified. Additionally, high calcium content in the hair is thought not to be a positive indicator of health; the reason for the high content in the hair of the women studied is not known. Further investigation is needed to clarify the basis of the correlations observed.