Taking care of the health of the hair and maintaining a hygienic routine is of utmost importance for both men and women. No one likes to go out to the workplace, date, or party with dry, frizzy, or unhealthy hair. Washing your hair daily is not the only thing that will keep your hair in good shape, hair care is about proper grooming of your hair and also using the right products that suit your hair.
Everyone wants strong and healthy hair as they grow up. One’s hair grows around 1.25 cm per month and 6 inches per year. The growth of hair depends on many factors like age, health, diet, and of course genetics. Since you can’t change factors like genetics and age, you can certainly take care of the food you consume on daily basis by following a healthy diet. Hair fall can even arise from not having the necessary nutrients in your daily food take. Following a balanced diet with the right nutrients can help to promote hair growth and keep it healthy. I’ll suggest ten healthy food that will help you to make your hair healthy and strong.
Top ten healthy food to eat for healthy hair
1) Eggs
Eggs are the most important source of protein and biotin that promotes the growth of hair. Consuming adequate protein is essential for hair growth because hair follicles consist of mainly protein. Lack of protein leads to hair loss. Keratin is a protein that helps in the production of hair and it directly depends on biotin, that’s why biotin supplements help in hair growth. Research also shows that consuming food rich in biotin helps in the growth of hair and also keeps it strong. Eggs are the best food you can consume on regular basis for good hair health since they are great sources of selenium and zinc which are hair-healthy nutrients.
2) Berries
Berries are filled with vitamins and compounds which are beneficial and promote hair growth, they include Vitamin C, which has very strong string antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help to protect hair follicles against damage from dangerous molecules like free radicals. They generally exist within the body and environment. By having a cup of strawberries you can have nearly 141% of daily Vitamin C. It is essential because our body uses vitamin C to produce collagen, a protein that helps to make the hair strong and prevents it from becoming brittle and unhealthy. Vitamin C also helps the body to absorb iron from the diet, whose deficiency may cause anemia which causes hair loss.
3) Spinach
It is a very healthy green vegetable that contains a ton of beneficial nutrients like iron, vitamins A, and C, and folate which helps in hair growth. Vitamin A initiates the skin glands to produce sebum an oily substance that helps to moisturize the scalp to keep hair healthy. It is also a great plant-based source of iron which helps in hair growth. Iron on the other hand helps to produce red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout the body to help metabolism.
4) Sweet Potatoes
They are an essential source of beta-carotene, which the body converts this compound to Vitamin A, which directly helps in the growth of hair. Consuming sweet potato(114 grams) on regular basis contains enough beta carotene that provides four times the daily Vitamin A needed for the body. They also help in the production of sebum which keeps the hair healthy, strong and fights against hair fall. Vitamin A helps prevent hair follicles from regressing, speeds up the growth rate, and makes the hair thicker and stronger.
5) Avocados
They are not only delicious and great sources of healthy fats but also contain a lot of nutrients. They are a great source of vitamin E, which helps in hair growth, and consuming one medium avocado provides 21% of the daily Vitamin E needed for our body. Vitamin E also has antioxidant properties that help to fight oxidative stress by neutralizing free radicals which are dangerous. It also helps to protect areas of skin like the scalp from oxidative damage. The damaged skin on the scalp causes a bad quality of hair and lesser hair follicles. Since avocados are a great source of fatty acids that are essential for our bodies. These fats can’t be produced by the body itself and are essential for new cells. One of the reasons for hair loss is a deficiency of fatty acids.
6) Nuts
They are not only tasty and convenient but also contain various nutrients to help hair growth. They also contain a variety of Vitamin B, zinc, and essential fatty acids. A deficiency in any of the above may lead to hair loss. They help in other health benefits other than hair growth like reduced inflammation and lower risk of heart diseases. Thus it’s a must addition to your diet.
7) Seeds
They contain a lot of nutrients with very few calories, most of these nutrients also promote hair growth including Vitamin E, zinc, and selenium. Certain seeds like chia seeds and flax seeds also provide omega-3 fatty acids. They help in hair growth and keep it strong. It may not be as strong as omega-3s found in fatty acids but a good addition to your diet.
8) Oysters
They are a great source of zinc which is a mineral that helps hair growth and repair cycle. A lack of zinc in one’s diet may lead to telogen effluvium, a common but reversible form of hair loss caused by a deficiency of nutrients in your diet. Taking zinc supplements can reverse the effects of hair loss. However taking too much zinc may cause hair loss, that’s consuming food like oysters is better than supplements since they contain Zinc in small amounts.
9) Meat
They are one of the staple food present in most people’s diets and they’re rich in nutrients to help hair growth. The amount of protein in meat helps in aiding hair growth and helps to strengthen and repair hair follicles. Most particularly Red Meat is rich in a type of iron that’s easy to absorb and this mineral helps the red blood cells in our body to deliver oxygen to all cells including hair follicles.
10) Beans
They are a great plant-based source of protein that is instrumental to hair growth. They also aid the hair growth and repair cycle since they are a good source of zinc. They also provide nutrients like folate, iron, and biotin which are healthy for hair. Adding to all of these benefits, they are versatile and cheap, making them easy to put on your diet.