What are the Best Foods for Healthy Hair?
Many people want to have strong and healthy hair, especially as they age. Interestingly, your hair grows about 1.25 cm per month and 15 cm per year. How fast hair grows depends on factors such as age, health, genetics, diet and hair care.
While you can’t change factors like age and genetics, diet and hair care are things you can control. In reality, a diet deficient in essential nutrients might cause hair loss. On the other hand, a balanced diet with the right nutrients can promote hair growth, especially if you’re experiencing hair loss due to poor nutrition. You can apply for a nutritionist or hair care service and they will help to reach a perfect result.
Here are 7 of the best foods you can eat to promote hair growth.
Eggs
Eggs are high in protein and biotin, two elements that might help hair grow faster. Hair follicles are largely formed of protein, thus getting adequate protein in your diet is vital for hair development. Hair loss has been linked to a protein deficiency in the diet. Biotin is required for the creation of keratin, a hair protein, which is why biotin tablets are commonly used to promote hair growth. People with a biotin deficiency can also benefit from taking additional biotin, according to research.
If you eat a well-balanced diet, biotin deficiency is rare. There is only a sliver of evidence that taking more biotin is beneficial to healthy people. Eggs are also a great source of zinc, selenium, and other hair-friendly nutrients. This makes them one of the best products for optimal hair health. Protein and biotin, both of which are necessary for hair health and growth, are abundant in eggs. Hair loss has been linked to a lack of any of these nutrients.
Berries.
Berries are high in vitamins and helpful chemicals that encourage hair development. Vitamin C, for example, has potent antioxidant effects.
Antioxidants can help protect hair follicles from free radical damage, which is caused by harmful chemicals. These molecules can be found both inside and outside the body.
In addition, the body uses vitamin C to produce collagen, a protein that helps strengthen hair to prevent breakage. Vitamin C also helps the body absorb iron from food. Anemia, which has been linked to hair loss, is caused by low iron levels.
Berries are rich in compounds such as antioxidants and vitamins that may promote hair growth. For example, strawberries are rich in vitamin C, which promotes collagen production and iron absorption, two factors that can promote hair growth.
Spinach
Spinach is a healthy green vegetable that is rich in beneficial nutrients such as folic acid, iron, and vitamins A and C, which may promote hair growth. Vitamin A helps the skin glands produce sebum. By hydrating the scalp, this oily substance maintains hair health.
Spinach contains folic acid, iron, and vitamins A and C, all of which may aid hair growth. Hair loss can result from a lack of certain nutrients.
Fish oil
Oily fish such as salmon, herring, and mackerel contain nutrients that can promote hair growth. Omega-3 fatty acids, which have been associated with hair development, are abundant in them. A study conducted on 120 women showed that taking supplements containing omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, as well as antioxidants, reduced hair loss and increased hair density. Women with thinning hair who took a fish oil supplement saw a significant decrease in hair loss and an increase in hair growth in another trial. However, research on omega-3 fatty acids and hair development is limited. Before medical specialists can make any recommendations, more research is required.
Fatty fish such as salmon, herring, and mackerel are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been linked to improved hair growth and density. However, only a few studies exist in this area, so more is needed.
Sweet potato.
Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of beta-carotene. This molecule is converted by the body 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 requirement. Vitamin A has been demonstrated in studies to enhance sebum production, which aids in hair health. What is more, vitamin A can also speed up hair growth and encourage thicker hair growth while preventing other hair follicles from regressing.
Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin A, which promotes sebum production. It also contains additional elements that can assist accelerate hair growth.
Avocado
If we talk about avocados, avocados are delicious, nutrient-dense, and high in heart-protective fats. They are also high in vitamin E, which can help with hair growth. One medium avocado (about 200g) supplies 21% of your daily vitamin E requirements. Vitamin E, like vitamin C, is an antioxidant that scavenges free radicals to help fight oxidative stress.
In one study, people with hair loss experienced 34.5% more hair growth after taking a vitamin E supplement for eight months.
Avocados also contain a high amount of important fatty acids. These fats are not produced by the body, but they are vital building blocks for your cells. Hair loss has been linked to a lack of essential fatty acids.
Avocados are high in vitamin E, an antioxidant that might help you grow your hair. In addition, they are an excellent source of essential fatty acids, which appear to be critical for hair growth.
Meat.
Meat is a staple food for many people and is rich in nutrients that can help hair growth. The protein contained in meat promotes the growth, restoration and strengthening of hair follicles. A 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of cooked sirloin steak provides a whopping 29 grams of protein.
Red meat, in particular, is rich in iron, which is easy to digest. And this mineral aids in the delivery of oxygen to all cells in the body, including hair follicles, through red blood cells. Hair loss has been linked to protein and iron deficits. It is famous that meat is a great source of protein, which is necessary for strong, healthy hair. Iron-rich red meat, in particular, can help to encourage hair growth.
Soya beans.
Studies have shown that compounds found in soybeans can promote hair growth. One such compound is spermidine, which is found in abundance in soybeans.
For example, a study of 100 healthy people showed that a spermidine supplement prolongs the phase of active hair growth called the anagen phase. The hair follicle will grow for as long as it is in the anagen phase.
Spermidine has also been found to enhance human hair development in test tubes.
However, the research on spermidine and hair growth is fairly new, so more research is needed before medical experts can make recommendations on spermidine intake.
Conclusion.
What you consume can have a significant impact on your hair’s health. Lack of essential nutrients, including vitamins A, C, D, and E, zinc, B vitamins, iron, biotin, protein, and essential fatty acids, can slow hair growth or even cause hair loss. Fortunately, correcting a deficiency in any of these nutrients can help treat hair loss and promote hair growth.
And if you think you’re missing out on any of these nutrients, try adding some of the above foods to your diet.