Healthy hair is one major indication of a person’s overall physical wellbeing. Hair takes years to grow to a long length, so the quality of your hair is a map of your lifestyle through those years. Just like the skin, the condition of your hair is an outward sign of inside health.
Enjoying a healthy diet will do wonders for your hair. Staying hydrated and eating whole, nutritious foods can make a big difference in the appearance of your hair and the rate it grows. Fill your plate with these foods to get the shiny, lustrous hair you’ve always wanted.
- Salmon
Fish like salmon, sardines, and mackerel are packed with healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Your body cannot make these healthy fats, so you have to get them from food or supplements. They help protect you from diseases, but your body also needs them to grow hair and keep it shiny and full.
- Greek Yogurt
It is packed with protein, the building block of your locks. It also has an ingredient that helps with blood flow to your scalp and hair growth, known as Vitamin B5 and may even help against hair thinning and loss. You may recognize this as an ingredient on your hair and skincare product labels.
- Spinach
Like so many dark green leafy vegetables, spinach is full of amazing nutrients. It has tons of vitamin A, plus iron, beta carotene, folate, and vitamin C. These work together for a healthy scalp and mane. They keep your hair moisturized so it does not break. Kale is another great green choice if you want to mix it up a little.
- Guava
This tropical fruit is brimming with vitamin C. It protects your hair from breaking. One cup of guava has 377 milligrams of vitamin C. This is more than four times the minimum daily recommended amount, which is an additional bonus for the body.
- Iron-Fortified Cereal
Getting too little iron can lead to hair loss. But you can find this important nutrient in fortified cereal, grains, and pastas, and in soybeans and lentils. Beef, especially organ meats like liver, have lots of it. Shellfish and dark leafy greens do too.
- Lean Poultry for Thickness
When you do not get enough protein, hair growth slows down, or even stops. Since it stops and older hairs fall out, you can have hair loss. To get protein from meat, pick lean options like chicken or turkey, which have less saturated fat than sources like beef and pork.
- Sweet Potatoes
If you have dry hair that has lost its shine, eating sweet potatoes will help you regain the shine, They are filled with a good-for-you antioxidant called beta carotene. Your body turns beta carotene into vitamin A. That helps protect against dry, dull hair. It also encourages the glands in your scalp to make an oily fluid called sebum that keeps hair from drying out. You can also find beta carotene in other orange vegetables like carrots, pumpkin, cantaloupe, and mangoes.
- Cinnamon for Circulation
Sprinkle this spice on your oatmeal, toast, and in your coffee. It helps with blood flow, also called circulation. That is what brings oxygen and nutrients to your hair follicles.
- Eggs for Growth
Your protein and iron bases are covered when you eat eggs. They are rich in a B vitamin called biotin that helps hair grow. Not having enough of this vitamin can lead to hair loss. Biotin also helps strengthen brittle fingernails.
- Oysters for Fullness
These are rich in zinc. When you do not have sufficient amounts of this mineral in your diet, you can have hair loss, even in your eyelashes. Cells that build hair rely on zinc to help them work their hardest.
In conclusion, nutrition plays a key role in hair growth and helps to fortify the hair and scalp. Always remember, to care for your hair inside out, eat a healthy and balanced diet to improve hair health. Eating the right foods for healthy hair is the way to go!