Hair health is an important contributor to overall health that often goes unnoticed until hair loss begins to occur. Fortunately, improving overall health and diet has been shown to work wonders for maintaining hair health. Some of the best foods for hair health include berries and leafy vegetables such as spinach. Foods high in healthy fats, such as avocados, nuts, and eggs, keep sebum glands and hair follicles properly moisturized. Learn more about which foods are best at maintaining hair condition and promoting a healthy scalp and hair follicles.
The health and condition of your hair is directly correlated to your diet. Unhealthy and poor eating habits such as the following can contribute to hair loss:
From spinach to avocados, and many other healthy fruits and vegetables, these foods have been found to prevent hair loss and promote hair health.
Spinach is a popular green vegetable high in a plethora of essential vitamins and nutrients. One serving of spinach contains at least 20% of the daily recommended value of iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, folate, and calcium, all of which promote hair growth. The spinach in vitamin A works to help the scalp produce sebum, a natural oily substance that keeps the scalp moisturized and healthy. Spinach is also a reputable source of iron, which helps red blood cells carry oxygen to the scalp and hair follicles.
Avocados are a fantastic source of healthy fat and vitamins. One avocado contains 21% of your daily value (DV) for vitamin E, an essential vitamin. The antioxidant properties of vitamin E can help it to reduce oxidative stress and free radicals in the scalp that lead to hair loss.
Almonds, cashews, and peanuts are a few of the most nutritious nuts known to promote hair health and mitigate hair loss. In fact, one serving of almonds (23 almonds) contains as much as 37% of the daily value of vitamin E.
Nuts also provide an ample amount of vitamin B, zinc, and essential fatty acids, all of which are fundamental to hair health and overall well being.
Whether scrambled, boiled, or fried, eggs are fantastic sources of protein and biotin, two nutrients essential to sebum production. Hair follicles are composed primarily of protein, making adequate protein intake necessary for the maintenance of healthy hair.
The biotin in eggs is necessary to the development and secretion of a type of protein known as keratin. Overly frizzy hair and broken hair follicles can be aided by increasing your daily intake of keratin.
Sweet potatoes are fantastic sources of beta-carotene, a nutrient which your body turns into vitamin A. Vitamin A is beneficial for many reasons, including reducing the symptoms of age-related diseases and Alzheimer’s. Beta-carotene is able to effectively promote hair health by encouraging sebum production and protecting hair against wear, aging, and weather effects.
One serving of oysters contains 673% of the daily value of zinc, which plays a key role in tissue growth and hair maintenance. A lack of zinc in one’s diet has been found to contribute to telogen effluvium, a type of hair loss brought on by a lack of essential nutrients.
It is also important to note that eating too many oysters can also cause hair loss due to the excess zinc they provide. Health experts recommend that most people eat no more than 6 oysters during a single meal.
Many berries are rich in vitamin C and thus help promote blood circulation to the scalp and improve nutrient circulation. The best berries for hair health include raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and cranberries. Click here to read more about the health benefits of fruit, including berries.
Multiple studies have shown that a variety of seeds can mitigate hair loss and promote hair growth. A study of 100 people found that a nutritional supplement of spermidine, a nutrient prevalent in seeds and soybeans, increases hair growth by prolonging the anogen, or growth phase of the hair cycle.
Shrimp are great sources of protein, zinc, iron, and multiple vitamins. A 3.5-oune serving of shrimp contains 38% of the daily recommended value of vitamin D. A lack of vitamin D has been shown to negatively impact bone, cartilage and hair health, leading to hair loss in many cases. Learn more about the causes and side effects of vitamin D deficiency here.
As previously mentioned, adequate protein intake is one of the most crucial factors of hair health. Adequate protein intake ensures that the body is able to produce enough keratin to keep hair follicles from breaking and falling out. Beans are one of the best plant-based sources of protein, providing 8 ounces of protein in a half-cup serving. Also high in zinc, beans work to promote and prolong the growth phase of the hair cycle.
Chicken is a lean meat that is high in protein and other essential nutrients. Not only does chicken contain ample protein, it also provides an essential amino acid called L-lysine, which helps promote zinc uptake and retention. Maintaining healthy zinc levels works to ward off degenerative hair conditions such as telogen effluvium.
Fish, especially those high in healthy fats, are low-calorie foods that are known to promote scalp and hair health. Many fish are extremely high in omega-3 fatty acids. Multiple studies published in the National Library of Medicine found that fish oil and omega-3 fatty acid supplements were able to promote hair growth in women. Fatty fish is also high in vitamins D3 and B3, selenium, and protein, all of which work to improve hair health.
In addition to dietary changes, it is also possible to promote hair health through exercise, hair growth shampoos, and proper hair treatment practices. The following tips from licensed dermatologists can be used to help maintain healthy hair.
The health of your hair is inextricably tied to the health of your immune system and entire body.
The best foods for hair health and growth include spinach, chicken, fish, and sweet potatoes. Many foods high in healthy fats, such as beans, nuts, eggs, and berries are also known to promote hair health by encouraging the production of keratin, a type of protein essential to the formation of hair follicles.
