Thick and healthy hair is desired by everyone. But unfortunately, most people depend on hair care products and neglect nutrients needed for hair growth. In fact, proper nutrition can boost healthy hair growth and a balanced diet can help maintain hair, skin, and nails in great shape.
Following we have listed some most helpful and effective nutrients and easily accessible sources of those nutrients to help you make the preparation effortless and simple.
Essential Nutrients Needed For Hair Growth
Hair loss doesn’t only causes due to genetics. The other factors that contribute to hair loss are medication, stress, health problem, and diet. So it’s worth learning the nutrients to keep the growth of the hair
Vitamin A
Along with the fastest growing tissue like hair, all the cells in the human body require vitamin A for their growth.
Vitamin A also makes the skin glands an oily substance that keeps the hair healthy.
Though it’s necessary to get adequate vitamin A, an excessive amount can contribute to hair loss. The source of vitamin A is carrots, pumpkins, Sweet potatoes, spinach, and kale. You can also get vitamin A from animal products like eggs, milk, and yogurt. Cod liver oil is also a great source of vitamin A.
Fatty Acids
Fatty acid plays a great role to improve healthy hair growth. it also hydrates hair and keeps from many diseases. Unluckily human body can’t make fatty acids. So it’s essential to include them in the diet. The foods from which you can get fatty acids are sardines, salmon, walnuts, mackerel, avocado, and flax seeds.
B Vitamins
B vitamins particularly vitamin B5 and biotin prevent hair loss and becoming thin. Plus, it encourages fingernail growth and hair growth. The foods from where you can get B vitamins are eggs, Greek yogurt, brown rice, nuts, and oats.
Iron
Along with ensuring healthy hair growth, iron is helpful for overall health. you should eat food rich in iron and vitamin C to increase the ability of the body to absorb iron. The sources of iron are soybeans, grains, lentils, beef, shellfish, leek, leafy greens, dried fruit, cashews, berries, and figs.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is another helpful nutrient that increases collagen production to grow and strengthen the hair. It also adds extra benefits of preventing wrinkles. The foods you should eat to get vitamin C are strawberries, citrus fruits, guava, and red peppers.
Zinc
Likewise iron and zinc encourage healthy hair growth. if your diet doesn’t have sufficient zinc, it will cause hair loss. Food that can add zinc to your diet is brazil nuts, oysters, pumpkin seeds, beef, pecans, eggs, fortified cereal, lobster, and crab.
Protein
Hair is almost completely made of protein, thus consuming a sufficient amount is vital for the growth of the hair. A research on an animal shows that the deficiency of protein can lower the growth of hair and causes hair loss.
Some Commonly Found Rich Foods That Help Hair Growth
Hair grows and replaces continuously and the follicles create new hair continuously getting nutrients from the body. The foods people eat massively affect the growth and the quality of the hair. Food delivers fat, protein, vitamins, and minerals that are vital for having strong and healthy hair.
Apart from that nutritious diet boost nail and skin health. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, humans lose around 50 to 100 hairs every day. So it’s wise to check and get that food that is rich in nutrient and help healthy hair growth.
Eggs
Eggs are a great source of minerals and biotin that boost hair growth. Biotin deficiency can cause thin hair and hair loss. The other sign of lack of biotin is rashes around the face and anus, brittle nails, and skin infections.
Apart from eggs, the foods from where you can get biotin are nuts, seeds, meat, and vegetables like spinach, sweet potatoes, and broccoli.
Brazil Nuts
Brazil nuts are a good source of selenium and minerals that promote hair growth. According to the scientific review, selenium contributes to creating hair. Newly forming hair takes selenium after getting trace elements from the blood.
But taking an excessive amount of selenium can make the hair brittle and cause hair loss. it can also cause skin rashes, nausea, and nervous system problems.
The recommended dosage of selenium for adults is 400 mcg. Luckily Brazil nuts are rich in selenium and offer around 68 to 91 mcg. It means you shouldn’t take more than 4 nuts a day.
Fatty Fish
Healthful fats are essential parts of the diet and fatty acids especially omega 3 are good for the heart, skin, hair, and eyes. Fishes are excellent sources of omega 3 and vitamin D to improve hair health.
Apart from healthy hair, eating fish reduces various chronic diseases and lowers the risk of stroke and heart attack.
According to research on animals, fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acid and docosahexaenoic acid that enhance the activity of certain proteins in the body to boost hair growth.
The fishes are rich in omega-3 fatty acids are mackerel, tuna, salmon, sardines, and herring.
Spinach
Spinach is a good source of iron, magnesium, folate, and more importantly B vitamins. Kale is another helpful leafy green that delivers nutrient-dense benefits to the hair and skin. Despite this, dark green leafy veggies contain vitamin C that protects and preserve the cell membranes of hair follicles.
Chia Seeds
Chia seeds are a rich vegan or vegetarian source of omega-3s as well as fiber and antioxidants. It’s a powerhouse of nutrients that is full of protein and includes 20% more than soybeans. It means it can deliver luscious locks.
Chia seeds are tiny and shelf-stable seeds that can add smoothies, cereal, and puddings.
Pumpkin
A half cup of squash contains around 83 calories and just below a gram of fat. Despite this, it is rich in beta-carotene and iron which are important for the growth and strength of hair.
Pumpkin is packed with vitamin E and C that protect the body’s cells from getting damaged.
Avocado
Avocado toast is packed with healthy fats and contains Vitamin E which is a powerful antioxidant and improves hair growth. Avocados are also a good source of biotin and are effective in lots of DIY hair masks.
Grapes
Grapes are plant-based foods that contain antioxidant properties and polyphenolic compounds. These ingredients effectively reduce cellular damage.
Grapes also contain Oligomeric proanthocyanidins that prevent the production of dihydrotestosterone and it’s the main reason for hair loss.
The Oligomeric proanthocyanidins also boost the growth of hair follicles and eating a cup of grapes every day protects the tissues from inflammation.
Buckwheat
Buckwheat help amp up zinc, iron, fiber, and B vitamins in the diet to promote healthy hair. It is also considered a whole grain which is a nutritious gluten-free seed and brings endless benefits.
Buckwheat is packed with fiber and antioxidants that help people fill up faster.
FAQs
What nutrients cause hair loss?
The deficiency of biotin, riboflavin, folate, and vitamin B12 can cause thinning hair and hair loss.
Which fruit is best for hair?
The best fruit for healthy hair growth are blueberries, broccoli, guava, kiwi fruits, oranges, blackcurrants, papaya, strawberries, and sweet potatoes.
Does drinking milk cause hair loss?
Though many people believe that dairy is good for healthy hair growth, the reality is the opposite. Dairy items can cause hair loss as it contains a high level of gat which increase the level of testosterone in the body and cause hair loss.
Final words
Food is the safe and best source of vitamins and other nutrients needed for hair growth. But if you can’t add enough nutrients to the diet, you can take help from supplements. Despite this, it’s worth remembering that taking a large dosage of minerals and vitamins can be harmful.
So consult with a doctor to determine the right amount and avoid deficiency. Lastly, try to get nutrients by consuming a balanced, real-food–based diet that is made of nutrient-dense foods.
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21914489
