Nutrition For Hair

Your hair cells are the second fastest-growing cells in your body. Additionally, you have approximately 120,000 hair on your scalp that needs nourishment to grow. Since hair is not a vital organ or a tissue, the body doesn’t prioritise its nutritional requirements. Unfortunately, due to the expandable nature of our hair, a nutritional imbalance often shows up in the form of hair loss.  

The quality of our hair is determined by the food we eat. Certain proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals are extremely important for strong and healthy hair.

Just like our body benefits from healthy eating, our hair also requires some key nutrients to promote growth, prevent breakage and damage. While strong, shiny and soft hair is often limited to beauty, it is also an indicator of your well-being and nourishment. 

So, we must consider nutrients rich food to ensure good treatment for the system and the accessory parts of our body like hair and nails. (I’m putting this entire system in a big nutshell here, there’s far more that goes into it). If you suffer from hair conditions like dandruff, alopecia, bald spots, brittle hair or hair fall, then these can be attributed to poor nutrition, undiagnosed food allergies/intolerances, dysfunctional gut (undigested nutrition), stress, hormone imbalance or a chronic illness. You need to reconsider your lifestyle and review what you’re feeding your body. 

Give these healthy hair essentials a big thank you when you admire your beautiful locks. And if you’re looking to improve your hair, evaluate your eating habits to see what might be lacking; the advice of a nutritionist can also help.

PROTEIN

Fun fact: Your hair is made up of a protein called Keratin. If your diet is lacking enough protein or if your diet is heavily plant-based or vegan, then you could be missing out on delivering amino acids and common protein micronutrients to your body. 

Low protein diets can cause hair loss, receding hairline, brittle hair, change in hair colour, dandruff or dry scalp. Lean meats like chicken, turkey and fish are rich in protein. Low-fat mozzarella, cottage cheese, tofu and quinoa are also great options to consider. 

IRON 

The iron in your red blood cells provides nourishing oxygen to hair follicles. While your blood may have normal levels of iron, there’s a possibility that you may have low ferritin - the “bank” of iron your body has for when the time of need. Low ferritin can slow or halt hair growth, and can also cause shedding. You can simply avoid this by consuming iron-rich foods such as oysters, clams, lean beef, eggs tuna, soybeans, spinach, tofu and garbanzo beans. Make sure you get your ferritin levels checked before considering any supplements.

B VITAMINS

While all B Vitamins play a crucial role in good hair health, but the most important one is biotin. Biotin deficiency typically causes hair loss. B Vitamin deficiencies, except B12, are rare since they are available in so many whole foods - from plants to animal sources. B12, in particular, is found in animal proteins. So for people who follow a vegan diet are more vulnerable to Vitamin B12 deficiency. 

B Vitamins have a significant role in energy metabolism, nerve function, cell turnover, and carrying oxygen to cells throughout our body, including the scalp.

A healthy scalp contributes to stronger hair follicles, resulting in hair growth. Pork tenderloin is packed with these vitamins. Alternatively, if you don’t consume pork, you can load up on beans, chicken, oatmeal and low-fat dairy foods to provide Vitamin B to your body and hair.

OMEGA -3 FATTY ACIDS

Omega -3 is found in the cell membrane in the skin of your scalp. It is also found in the natural oils of your scalp that is produced by your hair to stay hydrated. These essential fatty acids prevent dry scalp and help your hair grow faster and become shinier. Adding wild salmon and other fatty fish like striped sea bass or mackerel twice a week to your diet will ensure a healthy amount of Omega-3s for your body. If you want plant-derived sources, you can have flax seeds, walnuts, soybeans and canola oil. 

VITAMIN-C

Vitamin C helps in the absorption of iron. Foods rich in Vitamin C are great when consumed with iron-rich foods. Vitamin C is also a great antioxidant. The most reliable sources include- blackcurrants, blueberries, broccoli, guava, kiwi fruits, oranges, papaya, strawberries and sweet potatoes. It also helps the body produce collagen which strengthens the capillaries that supply the hair shafts. Since Vitamin C also helps absorb iron, it leads to healthy hair growth.

Some other sources of Vitamin C are bell peppers, thyme, parsley, kale and brussels sprouts. 

ZINC 

Zinc binds the proteins in hair follicles, which further prevents hair loss.  It also protects your hair from dryness and dandruff by maintaining the proper functions of the oil glands. Shellfish like oysters, crab, lobster, clam and mussels are packed with a high zinc content. Just three ounces or about two medium-sized oysters have about 493% of the daily recommended value of zinc. Apart from this, sunflower seeds, peanuts, pine nuts, lamb, pork and cereals with whole grains and bran are great options for zinc-rich food products. 

VITAMIN A

Vitamin  A helps the body produce sebum- an oily substance created by the sebaceous glands of our hair. It functions as a natural conditioner for a healthy scalp. Lack of sebum can cause itchy scalp and dry hair. Food sources rich in beta-carotene - such as animal products, carrots, pumpkins and sweet potatoes- are highly recommended.

VITAMIN E

Vitamin E regulates the blood circulation in the body and scalp while supplying oxygen to the different parts of the body. Your hair becomes stronger and thicker when the receives a good amount of oxygen-rich blood. Green leafy vegetables are the best source of Vitamin E.