Longer Stronger & Shinier Hair is on the wish list of every woman out there. A women’s hair is her crowning glory and she always We end up looking for various products for our hair to be bouncy, shiny and luscious but in the end we realize that beauty is achieved at its best when our body is supplied with wholesome and nutritious food and ensuring to intake that extra amount of essential nutrients, which our body needs to stay happy and beautiful.
A well-balanced diet enriched with nutrients can give you your beauty glow and that bouncy hair that you have been longing for. Well obviously, your genetics and hormone changes also play a very crucial role in your hair growth and texture. In order to know what foods are essential for your hair to grow it's necessary that you know that your hair is made of a basic protein Keratin.
Eggs
Eggs are one of the best foods for hair growth as they provides the two most essential nutrients for hair health, protein and biotin. Protein is important for the structure of hair. Protein helps in hair growth by forming hair follicles. Lack of protein can lead to hair fall.
Biotin is important for keratin formation which is an integral part of hair structure. Biotin also helps in hair growth and helps to improve hair texture and volume (1). Eggs are also rich in selenium and zinc. Selenium is known to activate enzymes to help in hair growth. On the other hand, selenium is found to reduce dandruff and fungal growth.
Berries
Inflammation is one of the main reasons for hair fall and conditions like alopecia areata and androgenetic alopecia. Inflammation caused by processed foods, smoking and other lifestyle factors accelerate the inflammation.
Berries are the best food for hair health. Berries have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Berries are rich sources of vitamin C and phenolic compounds, such as anthocyanins, ellagic acid, and quercetin.
Antioxidants help to protect hair follicles against damage from free radicals. The body also uses vitamin C to produce collagen protein which is essential for hair strengthening. This makes berries the best food for hair growth and thickness (2).
Spinach
Spinach is a green leafy vegetable rich in nutrients that are important for hair growth such as folate, iron, and vitamins A and C, which are important for hair growth. Some studies have shown that a diet rich in leafy green vegetables is an ideal diet for hair growth.
Vitamin A present in these leafy green vegetables helps in hair growth. Other nutrients like plant-based iron help red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body to fuel your metabolism and aid growth and repair.
One study found that a diet like the mediterranean diet which is rich in green leafy vegetables helps promote hair health and growth in people with androgenetic alopecia (3).
Fatty Fish
Consuming fatty fish rich in omega 3 fatty acids is one of the best ways to take care of your health. Omega 3 fatty acids are well known for their hair health benefits. Fatty fish are also a natural food source of vitamin D. Vitamin D is important to prevent hair loss. Vitamin D is also important to maintain a normal hair growth cycle and initiate the anagen or growth phase of the hair (4).
Fatty fish also provide nutrients like protein, selenium and b12, all essential for improving hair health. The best fatty fish to include in the diet are salmon, mackerel and herring.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are one of the best hair growth vegetables. Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of beta carotene, a compound important for hair growth. The body converts beta carotene into vitamin A which is linked to better hair health. A medium sized sweet potato provides enough beta carotene to the body to fulfill 160% of vitamin A requirements.
Some research suggests that vitamin A can affect the production of sebum, which helps keep hair healthy (5).
Avocados
Avocados have multiple health benefits for the body such as weight loss, source of healthy fat and hair health. Avocados provide healthy nutrients for hair like niacin, vitamins E and C, folate, and magnesium.
Vitamin E is one of the main nutrients present in avocados which helps in hair growth. Vitamin E also helps to protect areas of the skin, like the scalp, from oxidative stress and damage. Skin damage around scalp can result in poor hair quality and fewer hair follicles (6).
Vitamins like C and E also provide antioxidant benefits against free radicals responsible for damaging scalp.
Nuts
Nuts are healthy and convenient foods for good hair. Nuts are good source of vitamin E providing 48g of daily requirement per 30g. Vitamin E helps to improve hair growth by improving scalp health. Nuts also provide B vitamins, zinc, and essential fatty acids which are important for hair nourishment (7).
Seeds
Seeds like pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are essential for improving hair health. Many of these seeds are rich in vitamin E, zinc, selenium and omega 3. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that protects hair from damage from the free radical. Consuming seeds early in the morning is the best way to enjoy all the benefits of these skin.
Lentils
Lentils are an excellent source of protein which are common in the Indian diet. Protein is one the most important nutrients for hair growth. Protein is responsible for developing a strong hair and scalp structure. Lack of protein in the diet can lead to hair loss, poor hair structure and hair pigmentation. Lentils are rich in amino acids needed to support proper hair growth, including leucine, isoleucine, lysine, and valine (8).
Beans
Beans are also a good source of protein just like lentils. They are also rich in zinc which aids the hair growth and repair cycle. Consuming 100g of beans can fulfill 10-14% of daily zinc requirements. Beans also provide iron, biotin and folate. Beans are versatile and easy to incorporate in the diet.
Soybeans
Soyabean is rich in a compound called spermidine, a polyamine compound important for hair health. One study found that a spermidine-based nutritional soybean diet prolonged a phase of active hair growth called the anagen phase. The longer a hair follicle stays in the anagen phase, the longer it will grow. The longer a hair follicle stays in the anagen phase, the longer it will grow (9).
Meat
Meat provides protein and iron, both of which are important for healthy hair. Protein helps to repair and strengthen hair follicles. Meat is also rich in iron which is easy to absorb. Iron helps the red blood cells deliver oxygen to all cells in the body, including hair follicles (10). Meat can also help the body produce collagen which is important for hair growth.
Conclusion
Foods that we eat can impact our hair health. A lack of vitamins and minerals like A, C, D, and E, zinc, B vitamins, iron, biotin, protein, and essential fatty acids, may slow hair growth or cause hair loss.
Eating a diet rich in foods like avocados, lentils, eggs, nuts and seeds can help to prevent hair loss, improve scalp health, prevent brittle hair and provide a strong structure to health. Make sure to consume these foods in the right amount as overconsumption of these foods can negatively impact hair health.
FAQs
1. What foods make your hair healthy?
Foods like fatty fish, eggs, beans, green leafy vegetables, berries, meat nuts and seeds make your hair healthy.
2. What foods help heal hair?
Foods rich in protein like meat, chicken, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds help to heal hair. They provide amino acids required for hair repair and growth.
3. Which fruit is rich for hair?
Berries are fruits best for hair.
4. How to improve hair quality?
To improve hair quality, eat a healthy diet, maintain a healthy lifestyle, avoid pollution, manage stress and take adequate sleep. Â