Insufficient Staple Foods Leads to Hair Loss
Not eating staple foods (rice, wheat, and other grains) harms the spleen and stomach and damages the liver and kidneys.
Hair growth, shedding, moisture, and dryness depend largely on the abundance or deficiency of kidney essence and liver blood. Hence, "hair is the remainder of blood." In youth, when liver and blood are abundant, hair grows fast and shines. With aging, essence and blood weaken, hair turns white and falls out—this is a natural metabolic law.
However, premature hair loss and early graying are mainly due to deficiency of liver and kidney essence and blood, termed "liver and kidney yin deficiency" in TCM. The direct cause is insufficient nutrition from staple foods provided by the spleen and stomach. From a modern medical perspective, grains are rich in starch, carbohydrates, proteins, and various vitamins—humans’ most fundamental and essential nutrient source—making their dominant role irreplaceable.