The story of how my husband's gray hair regained its color after eating black sesame seeds — Thinking about why it was only him
# The story of how my husband's gray hair regained its color after eating black sesame seeds
### — Thinking about why it was only him
For about half a year, we were eating about a tablespoon of black sesame seeds every day.
(I was grinding black sesame seeds onto everything, from natto rice to chashu pork bowls.)
Then, my husband's gray hair started to turn a bit brownish.
I noticed that the color was coming back around the third month.
On the other hand, my gray hair didn't budge at all.
Even though we were eating the same thing, in the same amount, for the same period.
Why is that?
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## How Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) views "gray hair"
In TCM, there is a concept called "Kidney."
This is a bit different from the "kidney" in Western medicine. In TCM, the "Kidney" is a system that governs aging, reproduction, bones, teeth, and hair in a much broader sense. It is like an energy reservoir that gradually decreases with age.
In TCM, hair is considered to be the part where the state of the Kidney is visible on the outside.
If Kidney energy is sufficient, hair is black and shiny. If the Kidney declines, gray hair appears.
What is important here is that the "depth of decline" of the Kidney varies from person to person.
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## In our case
My husband had only started getting gray hair about a month prior.
In other words, his Kidney had just started to decline. He was in a state where he still had enough power to produce color if he was supplemented just a little bit.
I have had gray hair for over 20 years.
My Kidney has declined deeply over a long period of time. A tablespoon of black sesame seeds is not enough "supplementation" to pull it back to the point where the color returns.
I was honestly happy that my husband's gray hair started to get some color. My gray hair didn't change, but for some reason, I feel like my stiff shoulders have eased up a bit. I'm fine with that.
This is the interesting part: in TCM, supplementing the Kidney does not just affect the hair. Since the Kidney is a system widely involved with bones, the lower back, ears, and hair, even if the "supplementation" from black sesame seeds doesn't reach the gray hair, something might change in another part of the body.
Even with the same food, if the state of the body is different, the results will be different.
In TCM, this is considered a matter of course. Before getting happy or sad about whether something "worked" or "didn't work" after hearing that "so-and-so is good for gray hair!" and trying it, you should look at "what state your own body is in." It is natural for the way changes appear to be different if the body's premise is different, even with the same ingredients.
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## 🧪 A science-major daughter's supplement: What is happening from the perspective of components?
Black sesame seeds contain sesamin (lignans), zinc, iron, copper, and vitamin E (tocopherol).
The cells that create hair color are called melanocytes. They exist inside the hair root and are like a factory that creates melanin pigment and passes it to the hair. Gray hair occurs when this factory stops or the factory itself disappears.
Melanocytes need several materials to create melanin. Copper is an essential metal for the active center of the melanin-synthesizing enzyme (tyrosinase). Zinc is involved in the cell division of melanocytes. Sesamin protects melanocytes from oxidative stress through its antioxidant effect.
In other words, black sesame seeds supply "materials for melanocytes to work and components to protect melanocytes" all at once.
However, there is a premise here—that the melanocytes are still alive.
In the early stages of gray hair, the melanocytes' activity is just weakened, but they still exist. At this stage, there is a possibility that the factory will restart if you provide the materials.
But with long-term gray hair, the melanocyte stem cells themselves may have been depleted. It is a state where the factory is gone along with the building. Even if you transport materials, there is no one to receive them.
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## TCM and component science are saying the same thing
What is interesting is where TCM and component science overlap perfectly here.
The "depth of Kidney decline" mentioned in TCM and the "remaining amount of melanocyte stem cells" mentioned in component science are referring to the same phenomenon in different words.
|TCM Perspective|Component Science Perspective|
|-------------|-------------------------------|
|Kidney has declined slightly (early stage)|Melanocytes are still alive. Possibility of restart if materials are added|
|Kidney has declined deeply (long-term)|Melanocyte stem cells are depleted. No receiver even if materials are added|
In my mother's words, it is a state of "if you supplement a little more, color will return" or "a state of decline that cannot be fully supplemented."
In my words, it is a state of "the factory is stopped" or "the factory itself is gone."
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## That is why "black sesame seeds are good for gray hair" is half right and half insufficient
There is a possibility that black sesame seeds will bring about changes in your hair. But that depends on "what stage your body (Kidney) is in."
It is not that "no change = it was a lie,"
but perhaps "no change = the premise of your own body was different."
If you know the way of thinking of TCM, you can get off the journey of looking for "ingredients that produce the same results for everyone."
Instead, a habit of thinking about "what does my body need right now" begins.
That is what I want to think about together with you from now on on this account.
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*A science-major daughter born in 1998 🖊 and a TCM mother born in 1971 🌿
*Focusing on redness, dryness, and sensitive skin, we examine skin problems from both the perspectives of components and physical constitution.