I believe that the testosterone/DHT theory is true. However, it is only part of the picture. I believe that high levels of insulin, and even worse insulin resistance are the core cause of this conversion locally in the scalp.
High levels of insulin significantly lower if not totally cut off two other hormones. Glucagon and Sex Hormone Binding Globulin. Glucagon is basically insulin's adversary, also produced in the same part of the pancreas. Glucagon removes artherosclerotic plaques, lowers triglycerides and improves overall blood flow.
SHBG is the more important thing relating to hair loss though. Without it, testosterone is "free", free to be converted into DHT or be used by the body for its other important uses. When SHBG is not in the blood stream in the quantities the body normally would require, I am of the opinion that allot of this excess free testosterone is then converted in the scalp to DHT. It has been shown that BOTH free T and DHT adversely affect hair follicles. More SHBG means much less free T.
People will come back at me with the fact that 1. many balding people are not actually insulin resistant. and 2. some insulin resistant people are not balding.
My responses would be 1. Some people are obviously less tolerant of high insulin levels than others and 2. this is where the genetic factor of baldness comes in. The androgens.
The people who are insulin resistant but are not balding lack the Alpha reductase and androgens to convert t to DHT locally. If you have elevated insulin levels, and DO have the capacity to convert T to DHT locally, you will bald.
This, I believe, is the connection between insulin resistance syndrome and male pattern baldness. Remember with insulin resistance you have astronomically high amounts of insulin in your system because you are eating a very high carbohydrate diet which would shoot your insulin levels up too high anyway, and your cells are to whatever degree resistant to its effects, so the pancreas has to produce more and more and more for the cells to utilize the blood glucose for energy.
Don't believe what ANYONE tells you about low-carb/zero-carb.
Here's the list of "degenerative diseases" I have cured eating only meat, (yes, NO veggies at all):
- Anxiety disorder
- Depression
- Insulin resistance/type II first stage
- Reactive hypoglycemia/type II first stage
- Overweight
- Fatigue
- Social anxiety
- Memory loss
- Overall appearance of aging
- Circulatory problems.
I should mention that since going to eating only meat, and zero vegetation or grains, my blood flow is that of a brand new baby. I'm not kidding. For the last few years since developing my blood sugar problems and hair loss when I would lift my arms for even a few seconds they would begin losing feeling FAST.
I never remember that from when I was younger, and when I would sit on the toilet my legs would lose feeling within 1-2 minutes (not completely, but they would begin to fall asleep). Now? After a month of this way of eating I can lift my arms over my head to do over 10 min. of Tom's advanced SE and I still have perfect blood flow to both of them. When I'm on the toilet I can sit there for what seems like forever and my legs don't fall asleep at ALL.
Another thing that happens is, When you become diabetic, as I was at the first stage of diabetes, your nerves in your hands and feet will begin to die off. Mostly because of very restricted blood flow to these areas. The skin right at my toe nails on three of my toes, including the big toe, on my right foot had become black and dead. It was gross to look at and I didn't make the correlation until I read up on diabetes complications.
Wouldn't you know that since doing this all meat diet the skin in these areas has begun to regenerate itself and has color again!?!?! Not to mention I've had a blister, that I thought was just a callus, on that same foot that actually hurts now.
Our paleolithic ancestors did NOT eat anything but meat. The so called "paleodiet" you see on websites is so wrong it's ridiculous. Eating only lean meat and lots of veggies will kill you because fat is the most important nutrient your body needs. In fact, saturated fat, is the healthiest you can eat. Saturated fat will only cause problems if you're eating high carb diets. Saturated fat CAN NOT oxidize in the blood because all of its bonds are occupied, so oxygen can not get in to oxidize the fatty acid. Fatty acids and cholesterol MUST oxidize before ANYTHING bad can happen. This process is elminated when you stop eating carbs, and eat only meat.
