They say that our hair is our crowning glory. Like your skin, the hair is a reflection of your overall health. If you are not eating healthy, exercising, or managing your stress, your hair will show it. But much more than your stress levels, what you actually eat has a direct impact on your hair’s health. For it to grow healthily, it needs vitamins A, C, D, and E, as well as zinc, iron, protein, B vitamins, biotin, and essential fatty acids. Without these nutrients, your hair will be prone to breakage.
While you can use a lot of effective hair products online, there is another way to make sure that your hair gets the nutrients it needs. You have to eat a lot of healthy food that will make sure to lock in the nutrients your hair and scalp need. Here are the top kinds of food that will contribute to healthy hair and scalp:
Fatty Fish
If you’re not eating fish and nuts, that’s going to be a huge problem for you. Essential fatty acids, especially omega-3s, can be found in fish such as salmon, tuna, and other fatty fish. Flaxseed oil, walnuts, and almonds are also rich in omega-3. Not only will your hair benefit from essential fatty acids, but your skin and nails, too. Do you know that if you’re going on a date, it’s best to eat salmon a couple of hours before to get your skin that young and pinkish glow?
Eggs
These are rich in protein and biotin, two nutrients that promote hair growth. If you’re experiencing thinning of the hair, you might want to make sure to eat eggs every day. Hair follicles are made up primarily of protein. That’s why sources of protein, such as fish, chicken, eggs, and soy products, are essential to a healthy diet that considers hair growth.
Berries
Your nights of indulging yourself in strawberries might actually be paying off. Berries are packed with vitamin C, which has antioxidant properties. The presence of these antioxidants in the body stops damage to hair follicles caused by harmful molecules that already exist in the body and the environment. Vitamin C also plays a role in the production of collagen, a kind of protein that protects the hair from being easily damaged.
Spinach
You should start enjoying green leafy vegetables such as spinach because they contain folate, iron, and vitamins A and C. All of these promote hair growth. If you don’t eat enough of these leafy vegetables, especially spinach, you risk suffering from hair loss.
Avocados
These are rich in vitamin E, which can protect the scalp from stress and damage. One of the leading causes of poor hair quality, hair loss, and fewer hair follicles is damaged skin on the scalp. A 200-gram (medium-sized) avocado can provide 21% of your daily vitamin E needs.
Of course, it is also advisable to take multivitamins to get all the nutrients and minerals your body needs to stay healthy. While the health of your hair and scalp can be directly attributed to your diet, there are other causes of hair loss. Genetics, pre-existing medical conditions, and hormone issues can cause changes in hair growth.
