Healthy hair is often seen as a sign of overall well-being. Just like the rest of your body, your hair needs a variety of nutrients to grow healthy and strong. While factors such as age, genetics, and hormones also affect hair growth, optimal nutrient intake is crucial. A balanced diet full of vitamins and minerals can make your hair stronger, shinier, and less prone to damage. Here are twelve foods that are essential for maintaining healthy hair.
1. Eggs
Eggs are an excellent source of protein and biotin, two nutrients that are essential for hair growth. Hair follicles are made mostly of protein, and a lack of protein in the diet has been shown to promote hair loss. Biotin is necessary for the production of keratin, a protein that makes up the hair, nails, and skin. Eating adequate biotin can help improve hair growth, and eggs are one of the best natural sources of this nutrient. Additionally, eggs contain other hair-healthy nutrients, such as zinc, selenium, and other hair-boosting nutrients.
2. Berries
Berries are loaded with beneficial compounds and vitamins that may promote hair growth. This includes vitamin C, which has strong antioxidant properties. Antioxidants can help protect hair follicles against damage from harmful molecules called free radicals. These molecules exist naturally in the body and the environment. For example, one cup (144 grams) of strawberries provides an impressive 141% of your daily vitamin C needs. Also, the body uses vitamin C to produce collagen, a protein that helps strengthen hair to prevent it from becoming brittle and breaking.
3. Spinach
Spinach is a healthy green vegetable that’s loaded with beneficial nutrients like folate, iron, and vitamins A and C, all of which may promote hair growth. Vitamin A helps the skin glands produce sebum, an oily substance that moisturizes the scalp to keep hair healthy. A cup (30 grams) of spinach provides up to 54% of your daily vitamin A needs. Spinach is also a great plant-based source of iron, which is essential for hair growth. Iron helps red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body to fuel your metabolism and aid growth and repair.
Also read this: Which Vitamin Deficiency Causes Hair Loss?
4. Fatty Fish
Fatty fish like salmon, herring, and mackerel have nutrients that may promote hair growth. They are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been linked to hair growth. A study found that taking an omega-3 and omega-6 supplement, along with antioxidants, reduced hair loss and increased hair density. Fatty fish are also a great source of protein, selenium, vitamin D3, and B vitamins, nutrients that may help promote strong and healthy hair.
5. Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are a great source of beta-carotene. The body converts this compound into vitamin A, which is linked to good hair health. A medium sweet potato (about 114 grams) contains enough beta-carotene to provide more than four times your daily vitamin A needs. Research has shown that vitamin A promotes the production of sebum, which helps keep hair healthy. Additionally, vitamin A can also speed up the rate of hair growth and encourage the growth of thicker hair, all while preventing other hair follicles from regressing.
6. Avocados
Avocados are delicious, nutritious, and a great source of healthy fats. They are also an excellent source of vitamin E, which may promote hair growth. One medium avocado (about 200 grams) provides 21% of your daily vitamin E needs. Like vitamin C, vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps combat oxidative stress by neutralizing free radicals. In one study, people with hair loss experienced 34.5% more hair growth after taking a vitamin E supplement for eight months. Vitamin E also protects areas of the skin, like the scalp, from oxidative stress and damage. Damaged skin on the scalp can result in poor hair quality and fewer hair follicles.
7. Nuts
Nuts are tasty, convenient, and contain a variety of nutrients that are important for hair growth. For example, an ounce (28 grams) of almonds provides an impressive 37% of your daily vitamin E needs. Nuts also provide a wide variety of B vitamins, zinc, and essential fatty acids. A deficiency in any of these nutrients has been linked to hair loss. Nuts have also been linked to a wide variety of other health benefits besides hair growth, including reduced inflammation and a lower risk of heart disease.
8. Seeds
Seeds provide a massive amount of nutrients with relatively few calories. Many of these nutrients may also promote hair growth. These include vitamin E, zinc, and selenium. An ounce (28 grams) of sunflower seeds provides nearly 50% of your daily vitamin E needs, with a wide variety of hair-healthy B vitamins. Certain seeds like flaxseeds and chia seeds also provide omega-3 fatty acids. Two tablespoons of flaxseeds provide over 6,000 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids. To get the widest variety of nutrients, it’s best to consume a mixture of seeds.
9. Sweet Peppers
Sweet peppers are an excellent source of vitamin C, which may aid hair growth. In fact, one yellow pepper provides nearly 5.5 times as much vitamin C as an orange. Vitamin C helps promote collagen production, which can help strengthen your hair strands. It’s also a strong antioxidant, which can protect hair strands against oxidative stress. Oxidative stress occurs when free radicals overwhelm the body’s antioxidant defense system. It has been linked to hair loss and the graying of hair. What’s more, sweet peppers are also an excellent source of vitamin A.
10. Oysters
Oysters are one of the best food sources of zinc. Zinc is a mineral that helps support the hair growth and repair cycle. A lack of zinc in the diet may promote telogen effluvium, a common but reversible form of hair loss caused by a lack of nutrients in the diet. Studies have shown that taking a zinc supplement can reverse the effects of hair loss caused by a zinc deficiency. However, too much zinc can also promote hair loss. That’s why getting zinc from foods like oysters may be better than taking supplements since foods provide zinc in small but healthy doses.
11. Shrimp
Shrimp are popular shellfish rich in many nutrients that have the potential to promote hair growth. For example, shrimp are a great source of protein, B vitamins, zinc, iron, and vitamin D. A 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of shrimp provides 38% of your daily vitamin D needs. Despite being very low in fat, shrimp also provide a small amount of omega-3 fatty acids. Diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids have been linked to improved hair growth.
12. Beans
Beans are a great plant-based source of protein, which is essential to hair growth. Like oysters, beans are a good source of zinc, which aids the hair growth and repair cycle. A 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of black beans provides 7% of your daily zinc needs. They also provide many other hair-healthy nutrients, including iron, biotin, and folate. On top of all these benefits, beans are highly versatile and inexpensive, which makes them an easy addition to the diet.
Conclusion
Eating a diet rich in these nutritious foods can greatly benefit your hair’s health and growth. Remember, a healthy diet provides the building blocks for all the cells in your body, including your hair follicles. If you’re experiencing significant hair loss or any other concerning symptoms, it’s a good idea to consult with a healthcare professional to determine any underlying issues. Combining these hair-healthy foods with proper hair care practices will help you achieve the lustrous locks you desire.