Many factors having to do with the quality of our hair are based on genetics and age. We don’t get to pick whether our locks are curly or straight, or what color our hair naturally grows. The texture, thickness, and speed of growth are likewise controlled by Mother Nature.
But there are things that you can do to promote the growth of strong tresses as well as prevent excess hair loss. It starts in the kitchen (for everything else, there is bound to be a product). Following are 9 excellent foods to consume for healthy hair:
1. Eggs
Eggs top our list of hair-healthy foods because they contain a lot of protein and biotin, as well as other nutrients like zinc and selenium. Hair follicles are mostly made of protein, and not enough protein in the diet is known to cause hair loss.
Biotin is an essential nutrient for the production of a particular kind of protein called keratin. If you have a biotin deficiency, consuming more may help improve hair growth. Many supplements that purport to improve hair quality contain biotin for this reason.
2. Berries
Berries are a fantastic addition to your diet because they contain certain compounds and vitamins that promote hair growth. One of the biggest is vitamin C, which has strong antioxidant properties.
Antioxidants help to protect hair follicles from being damaged by free radicals, which exist naturally in the body and are linked to aging. Our bodies also use vitamin C to produce collagen, a protein necessary to prevent hair from becoming brittle and breaking. And finally, vitamin C helps the body absorb iron and prevent anemia, which has also been linked to hair loss.
3. Spinach
Spinach is a great all-around source for nutrients like folate, iron, and vitamins A and C. Each of these has a role to play in healthy hair growth. Vitamin A especially helps the skin glands produce sebum, an oily substance that moisturizes the scalp and in turn, keeps hair healthy.
Iron is great for helping red blood cells carry oxygen through the body to aid growth and repair. One cup of spinach nets you 54% of your recommended daily vitamin A, plus 4% of RDA for iron for women and 10% of RDA for men.
4. Fatty Fish
Fatty fish like salmon, herring, and mackerel promote hair growth due to their concentration of omega-3 fatty acids. A study including 120 women who took a fish oil supplement plus antioxidants found that their hair, on average, was denser and that they lost less of it.
Another study concluded that fish oil supplements can significantly reduce hair loss in women with thinning hair. If you are not a fan of fish, a fish oil supplement is an excellent alternative. However, fish also contains other hair-healthy nutrients, including protein, selenium, vitamin D3, and B vitamins.
5. Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes make the list because of their beta-carotene. This compound is converted by the body into vitamin A, which we know helps in the production of sebum. Sebum is critical to scalp health and by extension, helps keep hair moisturized.
Vitamin A may also increase the rate of hair growth and encourage thicker strands, as well as prevent other hair follicles from regressing. You can get more than 4x your RDA of beta carotene in one medium sweet potato.
6. Avocados
Avocados contain healthy fats along with a nice amount of vitamin E, plus they are just yummy. Like vitamin C, vitamin E is an antioxidant that is great at neutralizing harmful free radicals and promoting hair growth.
One study of people with hair loss found that participants experienced 34.5% more hair growth after eight months of taking a vitamin E supplement. E also plays a strong role in protecting the scalp from oxidative stress and damage, and dry or damaged scalp often results in fewer active hair follicles.
The essential fatty acids founds in avocados are vital building blocks for your cells, being deficient in EFAs is known to contribute to hair loss.
7. Oysters
Oysters are kind of an acquired taste, so if you don’t like them, don’t worry. They are great for hair growth because of their zinc content, but zinc can also be found in high amounts in foods like red meat, legumes (chickpeas, lentils, and beans), dairy, eggs, whole wheat, nuts, and seeds.
Zinc is a mineral that supports your hair’s growth and repair cycle. A deficiency in zinc has been linked to a form of hair loss called telogen effluvium, which luckily, is reversible by getting more zinc into your diet.
Be aware, however, that too much zinc can also cause hair loss. Getting your RDA from food sources is advised, because they provide small but healthy doses, whereas supplements may overload you.
8. Shrimp
Shrimp is a great all-around food for healthy hair because it contains protein, B vitamins, zinc, iron, and vitamin D, all of which may promote strong locks. Shrimp also contains a small amount of omega-3 fatty acids, despite being very low fat in general.
EFAs are linked to improved hair growth, while a deficiency in vitamin D3 seems to contribute to hair loss. You may also want to speak to your doctor about taking a D supplement – because this is a nutrient primarily synthesized in response to sun exposure, more and more adults are being found deficient because we spend so much time inside.
9. Beans
If you’re looking to cut back on meat but don’t want to neglect your protein intake, beans are a perfect solution. But beyond a nice amount of protein, beans deliver iron, biotin, zinc, and folate, all of which are essential for healthy hair growth. Even better, beans are very versatile and quite affordable, so you can eat a lot of them.
If you are struggling with hair loss that is not genetic or hormonal in nature (such as post pregnancy or male pattern baldness), or if your hair grows much more slowly than average (0.5 inches per month or 6 inches per year), diet may be part of the cause.
Focus on eating foods that are high in protein, vitamins A, C, D, and E, essential fatty acids, and iron. Zinc, folate, and biotin are also linked to healthy hair growth. A well-rounded diet cures a multitude of ills, and a thick, lustrous head of hair is just one indication that you are healthy inside and out.
