What is the best way to get rid of dandruff?

Know the connection between nutrition and your scalp

- CHESHIRE QUE, RND, RN, RD

Over 55 percent of the world's population has been suffering from physical discomfort and social embarrassment due to dandruff.

Have you been suffering from dandruff for so long? Have you found temporary relief from medicated shampoos, only to experience flareups in a seemingly cyclical manner?

If you live in a tropical country where humidity is always high, the chances of getting an itchy and flaky scalp from a fungus known as Malassezia globosa are high. This fungus thrives on the scalp by feeding off the sebum or oil that glands produce in the scalp lining. This process produces a byproduct called oleic acid that triggers scalp inflammation characterized by an increase in the shedding of skin cells in the form of flakes or dandruff.

Sebum or oil is necessary to keep the scalp moisturized. Overproduction, however, will make the dandruff-causing fungus proliferate. There are many factors that contribute to sebum production and inflammation, such as stress and increased oxidative stress. These increase the production of the stress hormone cortisol that stimulates the sebaceous glands in the scalp to produce oils. However, stress is ever-present, and we need to develop healthy coping mechanisms to manage it.

The most important thing to pay attention to if you want to get rid of chronic dandruff is your diet. What you eat will either feed or starve and eventually kill the dandruff-causing fungus invading your scalp.