Food for Hair Growth and a hair regrowth diet can be exactly what your locks need.
Food for Hair Growth and why it matters
Our diet has huge power over the fate of our health, and similar to skin, the condition of your hair is a sign of your internal health. This is because the cells of hair require a continuous supply of nutrients such as protein, vitamins, and minerals that is taken up from systemic circulation for its maintenance.
Food for hair growth is so important.
Whenever the deficiency of these nutrients occurs due to poor dietary choices such as consuming too much nutrition-less processed food, the health of hair along with the body starts to deteriorate.
Additionally, the health of your hair and the speed of its growth also depends on factors like age, medical condition, and genetics other than diet.
Although you cannot possibly have direct control over these factors, your diet is the most powerful weapon in your arsenal that you can use to get that thick and lustrous hair you always wanted.
Food for Hair Growth & how often hair grows
The facts suggest that our hair grows continuously and also gets replaced each day. An average healthy individual loses 50-100 hairs a day and they grow roughly 6 inches per year. Moreover, the hair grows from the roots so it is important to keep the scalp and hair follicles healthy in order to promote hair growth.
Diet and hair growth are closely related, and hair regrowth diet includes consuming varied nutrition-rich food which not only helps in reversing dietary causes of hair loss but also improves the overall health of the body.
Food for hair growth – which food is best?
Let us take a look:
-
Berries ( Foods rich in vitamin C )
Berries such as strawberry, blackberry, etc are full of antioxidants, of which the most important to promote hair growth is vitamin C.
Antioxidants reduce the oxidative stress in the body by neutralizing the harmful free radicals in the system. These free radicals if allowed to accumulate can damage the proteins in hair that can lead to breakage and split ends.
In addition to this, vitamin C also helps in the production of collagen, a protein that strengthens the capillaries that supply blood to the hair shafts and keeps the scalp healthy. Besides, it also helps in the absorption of iron which is indirectly linked to maintaining hair growth.
Apart from berries, you can also include guavas, bell peppers, kiwis, kale, broccoli, lemons, oranges, etc in your diet as they are also high in vitamin C.
-
Food for Hair Growth – Fatty fish ( Omega-3 fatty acid-rich foods)
Omega 3 fatty acids are extremely important polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) which should come from the diet because our body is not capable of making them on its own.
Omega 3 fatty acids are found in the oil glands of cells that are present in the scalp which keeps both hair and scalp moisturized that prevents dry and flaky scalp.
Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, etc, are an excellent source of omega-3s, along with that they also contain a good amount of vitamin D3 and B complex, which are required for healthy scalp and hair growth.
Some studies also back this claim, as it was found that fish oil supplements reduced hair loss and increased the hair growth as well as its density in humans. Another study on animals showed to promote hair growth by accelerating the protein activity in the body by such supplements.
Individuals who prefer a vegetarian diet can get Omega-3 PUFA from flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, hemp seeds, kidney beans, soybean oil, edamame, etc.
Food for hair growth
-
Food for hair growth – Eggs
Perhaps eggs are the most well-known food to promote hair growth, as they contain a high amount of protein and biotin.
Protein food for hair growth is as essential as the backbone is for the body because hair follicles are mostly made of protein. Thus, protein deficiency can lead to dry, brittle, and weak hair. This situation if continued can stunt the hair growth and can even cause hair loss.
Besides that biotin plays an important role in the production of keratin, this protein is an important structural building block for your hair, nails, and skin. Thinning and extreme loss of hair are due to biotin deficiency.
Additionally, eggs also contain hair healthy nutrients such as choline, zinc, selenium, Vitamin A, D, B12, and many others that help in one or other way to maintain healthy scalp and hair growth.
You might like my recipe for slimming world quiche and my tips on a high protein vegetarain diet
More food for hair growth
-
Spinach – excellent food for hair growth
Spinach is a nutrient-dense green leafy vegetable that is loaded with goodness.
It contains iron, magnesium, folate, vitamin B complex (B2, B6, B1) along with vitamin A, K, E, and C. These all nutrients help in proper growth of hair in many ways.
For instance,
- Vitamin B and C increase the collagen and keratin levels in the body, Vitamin A Helps in the production of sebum (oil that moisturizes the scalp).
- Iron helps in the supply of oxygen to the hair follicles, which ensures the best health for your hair.
- Spinach also has anti-inflammatory properties which may provide soothing effects to the scalp.
-
Avocados – Food for Hair Growth
Avocados are a delightful and nutritious food for hair growth that contains a good amount of healthy fats (MUFA, PUFA) and is an excellent source of vitamin E.
Due to its healthy oil content, they are extremely nourishing and moisturizing for the scalp, especially for people with dry, brittle, and dehydrated hair. Thus, avocado works to make hair stronger and look shinier.
Moreover, vitamin E acts as a powerful antioxidant that reduces damage to hair done by free radicals which directly promotes hair growth.
Along with that, avocados are also rich in vitamin B-complex, vitamin A, D, and biotin, all of which are helpful to maintain hair health. On top of that, they can also help to unclog the hair follicles and rejuvenate the dormant ones so that new hair can grow again.
Avocados are a great food for hair growth and perfect for a hair regrowth diet
brilliant Food for Hair Growth
-
Food for hair growth – Nuts
Nuts are full of healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. They also contain a good amount of vitamin B complex, Zinc, and MUFA, PUFA. All of them are essential for healthy scalp and hair growth.
Different nuts have different properties that aid in hair growth For instance,
Almonds are high in Vitamin E (antioxidant) and an ounce of serving provides 37% of the daily requirement.
Brazil nuts are high in selenium, which has depicted excellent results in inducing hair growth because studies have shown that newly budding hairs require selenium.
Selenium is not only good to promote healthy scalp and hair growth but also help to prevent hair loss. ]
However, excess of this mineral can cause hair loss and brittle hair, the recommended intake is 400 micrograms. Therefore, it is wise to moderate its intake.
-
Seeds – super food for hair growth
Seeds are an excellent vegetarian and vegan source Omega-3 fatty acids. It also contains good amounts of protein, Vitamin E, B complex, zinc, and selenium.
Just as nuts different seeds also have different properties for example,
- Flaxseeds are high in PUFA and can help to nourish the scalp which prevents dry and brittle hair.
- Chia seeds are high in fiber, antioxidants, and omega 3s. It is also a vegan source for complete protein that helps to promote stronger hair.
- Sunflower seeds are extremely high in vitamin E. An ounce of it provides almost 50% of the daily required value of vitamin E.
Thus, to receive the maximum benefits, it is advisable to consume a mixture of all edible seeds. I love to toast sesame seeds and they are such a great food for hair growth
-
More food for hair growth – Lentils and beans
They are an affordable source of plant protein and also contain a high amount of Zinc, iron, folic acid, and biotin all of which are essential for the healthy hair growth cycle.
Moreover, soybeans are often designated to promote hair growth due to a compound present in them called spermidine. However, this finding is quite new and the recommendations are yet not available. Why not try my lentil and lemon salad recipe
lentils are great food for hair growth
-
Sweet potato is great for a hair regrowth diet
Sweet potatoes are rich in beta-carotene which the body converts into Vitamin A. The content of beta- carotene is so high that just a medium sweet potato is more than enough to provide you with daily recommended values.
And as discussed earlier Vitamin A, promotes the production of sebum that moisturizes the scalp. In addition, it also speeds up the process of hair growth.
Yummy Food for Hair Growth
-
Greek Yogurt – yummy food for hair growth
Unsweetened Greek yogurt a delicious food for hair growth. It is also fullof protein which is the building block for the hair. Plus, it also works as a probiotic which means it increases the number of good bacteria in the gut which in turn helps in better nutrient absorption.
Greek yogurt is also rich in vitamin B5 which helps prevent hair thinning and hair loss. Additionally, this food is versatile and you can add it in your diet in many ways like smoothies, dips, etc.
-
Oysters – our final food for hair growth
Oysters are loaded with zinc, and zinc helps in the growth and repair of damaged hair. It also keeps oil glands surrounding the hair follicles working properly. It is also believed that zinc deficiency leads to the weakening of hair follicles which means hair falls off sooner than it should.
Hair loss and hair fall are common symptoms of zinc deficiency (hypozincemia.) It can be reversed by taking zinc supplements or zinc-rich foods.
However, there are some studies that indicate that too much zinc can aid in hair loss because it hinders the absorption of other minerals such as iron and magnesium. Therefore, it is recommended to consume zinc from dietary sources.
The bottom line on food for hair growth
What we consume has a profound effect on our health. Poor nutrition can lead to premature hair fall, damage, and permanent loss. Fortunately, eliminating certain food and taking proper nutrients helps. try including protein, vitamins like C, E, B, D, A, minerals such as Zinc, Iron, and healthy fats like omega 3s may help in maintaining a healthy scalp and hair growth.
I really recommend adding the foods mentioned above in your diet if you are experiencing such an issue. Consuming this food for hair growth will help you feel all kinds of good.
Further reading on from Food for Hair Growth
If you found this post on food for hair growth useful you might also like my post on how to have beautiful hair throughout your life
and my post on curly hair men
