Dear Friends,
Hair thinning and excess shedding are concerns that affect millions of people.
While genetics certainly play a role, nutrition also has a major influence on the health and appearance of hair.
Hair follicles are some of the most metabolically active structures in the body. That means they require a steady supply of nutrients to maintain normal growth.
Two nutrients that have long been associated with healthy hair are biotin and silica.
Biotin is a B-vitamin involved in cellular metabolism and keratin production, while silica plays an important role in connective tissue structure and collagen formation.
These nutrients have been widely used in hair supplements for years.
But until recently, there have been relatively few placebo-controlled research studies demonstrating measurable improvements in hair appearance.
A new research study published in the journal Cureus has helped fill that gap.
Before we get into the details of the study, it’s important to note the study didn’t use synthetic biotin or silica.
The nutrient sources were from plant-based biotin from the RGen-Bio brand, which is extracted from the sesbania plant, and RGen-Si, which is silica extracted from bamboo shoots.
Both nutrients are from naturally occurring, and renewable food-grade plant sources.
Study Details
The new study was designed as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, which is considered one of the most reliable types of research.
The 97 participants included both men and women, and the subjects were between the ages of 20 and 60 years old.
Although considered to be healthy, the subjects in this study did report concerns about their hair appearance at the start of the study.
These adults were randomly divided into three groups:
1) a placebo group,
2) a group receiving plant-based biotin, and
3) a group receiving a combination of plant-based biotin and plant-derived silica.
The test groups consumed a total daily amount of 2.5mg of biotin and the third group also received 40 mg of silica.
The nutrients were divided into two servings per day and taken after meals.
The study lasted 90 days, which is important because hair growth occurs slowly, and improvements often take several months to become visible.
The researchers evaluated several measures related to hair, skin, and nail health throughout the study.
Hair Results Particularly Impressive
After 90 days, participants receiving the biotin, or the biotin and silica combination experienced a significant reduction in hair loss compared to baseline measurements.
As you may know, some hair loss each day is normal – the rule of thumb is adults lose about 100 hairs a day.
By the end of the study, on average, those taking the plant-based biotin, or the biotin/silica combination experienced significant reductions in the number of hairs lost compared to the placebo group.
That alone is a win, but there was more.
Hair thickness and density were also measured using advanced imaging technology that allows researchers to evaluate the same areas of the scalp consistently over time.
After 90 days, on average, those taking biotin or the biotin/silica combination experienced significant improvements in both the thickness and density of hair, far exceeding the results of the placebo group.
In almost any study, comparing results to a placebo group is important to validate results. With hair studies like this one, it was even more essential because hair health can be affected by the different stages of the hair growth cycle and the seasonality of weather.
That’s why I’m sharing results with you that not only were significant changes in absolute terms, but relative to the placebo group too.
In this study, researchers also measured hair growth rate, which increased significantly in both nutrient groups.
These findings suggest that the biotin and silica were supporting the hair follicle’s natural growth cycle.
For anyone concerned about excessive hair shedding and hair health, these results are encouraging.
How Biotin & Silica Support Healthy Looking Hair
In case you don’t know how biotin supports hair health, it plays several important roles.
First, it supports metabolic processes that are essential for producing keratin, the structural protein that makes up hair.
Healthy keratin production helps strengthen the hair shaft and improve hair resilience and thickness.
Biotin is also involved in cellular energy metabolism. Since hair follicles are highly active cells, they require energy to sustain hair growth.
By supporting energy metabolism in hair follicles, biotin may help reduce excess shedding and support more consistent hair growth.
Silica contributes to hair health in a different but complementary way.
It plays a role in collagen formation and connective tissue structure. Collagen helps support the tissues that anchor hair follicles within the scalp.
Silica is also believed to help improve the structural integrity of the hair shaft itself. This may contribute to hair that appears stronger, thicker, and less prone to breakage.
When biotin and silica are combined, they may support both healthy hair growth and hair structure, which is believed to be why the combination performed well in the study.
Skin & Nail Benefits
Although the study focused primarily on hair health, researchers also observed benefits in other areas.
On average, participants taking the biotin or biotin and silica combination experienced improvements in skin elasticity, skin hydration and a reduction in the appearance of facial wrinkles in the “crow’s feet” area around the eyes.
In addition, the supplement user group experienced a reduction in fingernail roughness – all welcome results for those interested in their outward appearance.
This is not surprising, because hair, skin, and nails share many of the same structural proteins and nutritional requirements.
Supporting the health of one often benefits the others as well.
At NatureCity, we were fortunate to have an early glimpse of the results of this study, which is why our advanced TrueNuGrow+ hair and skin formula, includes these same plant-based biotin and silica ingredient sources in the exact amounts used in the published study.
TrueNuGrow+ also includes numerous additional nutrients backed by published scientific research, to give you the ultimate comprehensive formulation that helps support healthy hair and skin from multiple angles.
We believe that by using nutrients at the same levels shown to be effective in published scientific research, those looking to support their hair, skin, and nail health can be more confident in the supplement they’re taking.
Hair thinning and excess shedding can be frustrating concerns for many people.
While there is no single solution for everyone, supporting the nutritional needs of hair follicles is an important part of maintaining healthy hair.
This new placebo-controlled study provides encouraging evidence that plant-derived biotin and silica from RGen-Bio and RGen-Si may help support healthier hair growth and skin and nail appearance.
Yours for Good Health,
Carl Pradelli
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