Food

Foods That Could Help Fight Hair Loss 

Where Else Can You Get Vitamin C? We know that oranges are the apparent source of vitamin C, but other citrus fruits serve this purpose. You… Trista - June 23, 2020

Thick, shiny, and long hair — oh my! It’s something most people strive for in terms of healthy hair. We try so many different products that promise to improve the condition of our hair. While hair products certainly help the process when it comes to hair loss, there are other important factors to consider, like what you eat.

Having a balanced diet and getting all the nutrients you need can help grow luscious locks. Not only will certain foods have a significant impact on your hair but your skin and nails as well. If your hair is thinning or you are experiencing balding patterns, try some of these foods to help regrow your hair. Eat these foods and say goodbye to hair loss.

You know the saying, you are what you eat – so you should be giving your body all the good stuff. Shutterstock.

You Are What You Eat

What you eat can also lead to hair loss and not hair growth. You need to consider very carefully what you are putting into your body. If you are not consuming enough nutrients or are engaging in bad habits, this could prevent your hair from flourishing.

Are you already dealing with hair loss? Consult with your doctor and then start to look at aspects of your lifestyle that you can change – namely, your diet. Carry on reading to find out what food your hair needs to look amazing.

Incorporate salmon to your meals as it contains incredible nutrients that help reverse hair loss. Shutterstock.

Add Salmon To Your Grocery List

One of the first things you should be adding to your grocery list is salmon. This fish is such an incredible source of omega-3 fatty acids as well as protein. Salmon will go a long way for making your hair a lot stronger than it is.

The omega-3 in salmon is also an anti-inflammatory. It could be that inflammation is causing you to lose your hair. Including this in your diet will help to give you the nutrients you are lacking and to combat any possible inflammation you may have, not only in your hair.

Omega-3 is essential for your health in general and will do wonders for your hair as well. Shutterstock.

Eat Omega-3s

Omega-3s are crucial for your overall health. They help you to stay fit and healthy. They also contribute to your hair growth, and it’s shine. If you struggle with insulin resistance, salmon helps your body to process insulin better.

Salmon also has vitamin D, which helps to stimulate the follicles. Some of your hair follicles might have fallen asleep at the wheel, and this vitamin can help to wake them up or prevent them from going dormant in the first place.

Load up on oatmeal in the morning to have the thickest and healthiest hair. Shutterstock.

Breakfast Could Give You Great Hair

Oatmeal is one of the easiest breakfasts, and it is also fantastic for your hair. The reason for this is that the oats are so rich in all the good stuff. These beneficial minerals include fiber, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids, as well as polyunsaturated fatty acids.

All of these are a terrific combination that will help to stimulate hair growth. Little did you know that your breakfast could be something that helps your hair grow thick and healthy. You can even include oats in other recipes and not just in oatmeal form.

Try peanuts during the day to give you protein, fiber, and a healthy dose of antioxidants. Shutterstock.

Snack On Peanuts For Healthy Hair

Everyone loves peanuts for their taste, but they also are great for your health and hair. They are a source of biotin. Biotin is something that is proven to stimulate hair growth and also helps to prevent hair loss that you may experience.

Just a ¼ cup of proteins will give you protein, fiber, and antioxidants. Peanuts are ideal for snacking on during the day because they are filling. You could also enjoy some peanut butter instead of the actual nut, as this has the same source of nutrients for healthy hair.

Eggs give you an assortment of vitamins – namely vitamin D, that will keep your hair shiny. Shutterstock.

Your Hair Will Look Eggs-ellent

This food is something you already have in your kitchen, which means you can start your journey to great hair. We’re talking about eggs. Eggs have much protein and amazing nutrients to help you on your hair health journey.

These include choline, vitamins A, D, and B12. Some people eliminate the egg yolk from their diet, but this is the part of the egg that will give you the highest vitamin D dose. Eggs will help your hair to grow and stay shiny.

Keep your hair thick with the vitamin D from eggs that helps new follicles to grow. Shutterstock.

Get Your Dose Of Vitamin D

In an egg, you have two carotenoids: lutein and zeaxanthin. These play a role in cellular health and are especially suitable for the health of your eyes, skin, and of course, your hair. But, vitamin D in eggs is, without a doubt, the best.

Vitamin D in eggs is because it has been proven by a study that vitamin D helps create new hair follicles. These follicles allow new hair to grow. This action then translates into thicker hair and also reduces the amount of hair you lose with aging.

If your body is zinc deprived, this is what could be causing your hair to look lackluster. Shutterstock.

How Can Oysters Help?

Oysters are known to help inspire many things, but you might not know that this tasty appetizer can help stop your hair from thinning or falling out. Oysters have an incredible amount of zinc in them, and when you have a lack of zinc, it can cause hair loss.

The great news is that a zinc deficiency can be rectified by eating more of this critical nutrient. You will need 5mg per kg of body weight to induce hair growth. You can do these by snacking on all the oysters the next time you go out to eat.

Order six oysters, and you’ll be on your way to stunning and thick hair. Shutterstock.

Give Your Body The Zinc It Needs

If you have six oysters, you will have 30mg of zinc! It’s a fabulous amount that your body and hair will thank you for. This amount is double the DV of the nutrient. If oysters aren’t your thing, there are other foods to give you zinc.

Instead of oysters, try meat and beans. You can also buy vitamins that you can take as daily supplements as it is understandable that not everyone can slick down six oysters every day so that their hair looks terrific.

Popeye loves spinach, and you should learn to love it too with all the benefits it gives. Shutterstock.

Eat Spinach For Healthy Hair

Spinach is another excellent food to include more of in your diet if you want healthy hair. Spinach has magnesium, iron, and folate. It offers many benefits for your skin and your hair. It also has vitamin C, which helps to protect the cell membranes of hair follicles.

It is essential to have a balanced diet, and you can get this checked by your doctor or nutritionist. They will check for protein levels, iron, iron storage, and vitamin D. This will show them if you have any deficiencies.

Almond butter is also ideal for your hair because of how nutrient-dense it is. Shutterstock.

Buy A Jar Of Almond Butter

Just like peanut butter, almond butter is great for your hair health. The reason for this is because of all the nutrients it contains. Peanut butter includes protein, vitamins, and healthy fats, which are known to promote hair health.

An essential vitamin found in nuts is vitamin E. This is known to keep your hair looking amazing and can aid in your hair growth. So, how much almond butter should you have each day to help this process?

One tablespoon of almond butter gives your body a high dose of vitamin E. Shutterstock.

Replace Almond Butter With Normal Almonds

It’s impressive because just one tablespoon of almond butter will nourish your body with 3.87mg of vitamin E. The recommended daily allowance of this vitamin is 15mg so that you can have quite a few tablespoons, and you’re on your way to better hair health.

Not everyone is the biggest fan of almond butter, so trying to eat a few tablespoons a day might not be high on your to-do list. Instead, you could eat regular almonds. Just one ounce of dry roasted almonds will give you ⅓ of your daily value for fat-soluble vitamin E.

Salmon might be out of your budget, but sardines can get the job done just as well. Shutterstock.

If Salmon Isn’t Within Budget

Just like salmon, this fish is a wonderful source of vitamins to help with your hair health. Sardines have omega-3 and vitamin D. The great thing about sardines is that they are very cheap and you can find them easily at your supermarket.

Salmon can get quite expensive, so this is a great alternative. You need to make sure that you purchase the sardines that are packaged in water instead of oil. You could put sardines in salads or even use them in a spread.

Carrots are not only good for your eyesight; they’re good for your hair health too. Shutterstock.

Try More Carrots

Everyone believes that carrots do wonders for your eyesight, but they can also help your hair! This fact is because they have a lot of vitamin A in them. Carrots help to protect against dry and dull hair because it stimulates glands in your scalp.

When it does this, it produces an oily fluid, which is known as sebum. Carrots are easily included in your diet, in both their raw and cooked form. Add them to salads or roast some extra carrots when making a vegetable mix with your dinner.

Eat chia seeds for hair health if you are vegetarian or vegan as it gives you vital omega-3s. Shutterstock.

Chia Seeds Are Great For Vegans

If you are a vegetarian or vegan, you need to ensure that you are still getting in omega-3s that you usually get from proteins like salmon. You can replace this with chia seeds as they are full of omega-3s.

Not only do they have omega-3, but they also have fiber and antioxidants. Chia seeds are considered to be a nutritional powerhouse. They have 20% more protein than soybeans do, which helps to give you beautiful hair.

Do some research and find recipes that will give you an assortment of different vitamins and antioxidants. Shutterstock.

Creating Your Balanced Diet

Even if you aren’t a vegetarian or vegan, you can add these to your diet. Chia seeds can help to thicken up certain things like smoothies and puddings. You can also add them to cereals and even when you are baking up a storm.

Experiment with different foods that you haven’t had before, and you might just stumble across things that you like, and that can contribute to your overall health. Google some recipes and get cooking with those chia seeds.

Did you know that red peppers have an incredible amount of vitamin C in them? Shutterstock.

Include Red Peppers In Your Dishes

Red peppers are an incredible vegetable. They give you a fantastic dose of vitamin C, which is one of the main factors contributing to your hair being long and healthy. How many red peppers should you be eating?

Just half a cup of red peppers will give you more than your recommended dose per day, and its antioxidants will do wonders for your hair development. Your body can’t produce vitamin C on its own, so eating this will help your body in so many ways.

Vitamin C helps your body to absorb iron better, so mix your peppers with spinach to achieve this meal. Shutterstock.

Mix Vitamins And Iron

You might discover that even though you are putting a lot of vitamin C into your body, you don’t see the effects of this consumption. It’s because you need other vitamins and irons to help your body in the absorption process.

You could combine red peppers and spinach, and this will be a winning combination. Your body will be able to absorb both the iron and vitamin C a lot better, which will benefit your hair and make your hair a lot stronger than it has ever been.

You can eat the entire pumpkin pie at family events because it is ideal for your hair health. Shutterstock.

Enjoy Your Slice Of Pumpkin Pie

We can finally justify that extra slice of pumpkin pie at family gatherings – well, we kind of can. Pumpkin is another excellent food source of iron and beta-carotene. These minerals are known as a precursor to vitamin A, which is needed for hair growth.

Not only that, but pumpkin has a lot of vitamin C and E. This will help to repair your body’s cells from damage. You can enjoy pumpkin in desserts, in salads, sauces, and even as a side to your protein dishes to keep your hair shiny and healthy.

Tangerines are a fantastic source of vitamin C that you could include in a fruit salad. Shutterstock.

Where Else Can You Get Vitamin C?

We know that oranges are the apparent source of vitamin C, but other citrus fruits serve this purpose. You could include tangerines in your diet as they have a high vitamin C content which again helps your body with iron absorption.

Iron deficiencies are one of the most significant contributing factors to hair loss, and it might just be because your body doesn’t have enough vitamin C to process it properly. That’s why it is so important to have a balanced and wholesome diet.

Avocados are a popular food because of the taste, but they also have extra health benefits. Shutterstock.

Avocados Have All The Healthy Fats

We couldn’t forget about avocados on this list. Everyone loves avocado for its amazing creamy taste and texture, but avocados are good for more than just our taste buds. It’s time to load your toast with avocado and fill your salads with it too.

Avocados come with so many healthy fats and vitamin E. This food, as you know, is a powerful antioxidant that helps your hair grow strong and healthy. Avocados also have biotin, and you can even make an at-home hair mask with avocados too.

Here’s a fun fact for the day: guava has five times as much vitamin C. Shutterstock.

Guava Is The Vitamin C Superhero

Another yummy fruit you can enjoy and enjoy the benefits through your hair is guava. They also have a high vitamin C content, and this is essential for hair growth for those who have hair that is starting to thin.

A surprising little fact for you is that guava has four to five times as much vitamin C as an orange does. Make a fruit salad with tangerines, oranges, and guavas, and you’ll be doing your hair such a favor.

Add grapes to your diet to reap the rewards from their antioxidant properties. Shutterstock.

Grapes Are Great, Too

You can also pop some grapes into your hair health fruit salad. They may not contain vitamin C, but they have polyphenolic compounds that have antioxidant properties. The benefit of this is that it may help to reduce any cellular damage you may have.

OPC is found in grapes and is something that helps to prevent (get ready for a huge word) dihydrotestosterone production. This notion is one of the leading causes of hair loss. Eating a cup of grapes a day will help stimulate hair follicle growth and prevent inflammation.

Make sure you are getting enough magnesium as well to keep a healthy insulin level. Shutterstock.

Halibut Is Wonderful For Your Hair

Apart from iron and vitamin C, you also need magnesium. Magnesium is vital because it helps your body to keep a healthy insulin level. Diabetes is linked to hair loss, so this is very important to maintain your insulin levels.

Halibut is a significant source of magnesium and is considered one of the best foods you can eat for hair growth. It has many other great health benefits, but the main one we are currently concerned about is our hair!

Fiber is vital in your diet, and you can enjoy it in the form of buckwheat. Shutterstock.

Replace Rice With Buckwheat

Fiber is another important component we need in our diets, and buckwheat is excellent for that. This type of fiber is 100% whole grain and is better for you than the refined white carbohydrates. Buckwheat gives you fiber, zinc, iron, and B vitamins.

These are all essential to the health of our hair. We know we recommended oatmeal as a breakfast option to facilitate hair health, but you could swap that out with some buckwheat or use it as an alternative to rice.

Swap out ordinary potatoes for sweet potatoes as they have high levels of vitamin A and fiber. Shutterstock.

Nothing Like A Sweet Potato

Sweet potato not only tastes delicious, but it is healthy for you as well. It has beta-carotene in it, and this antioxidant turns into vitamin A. Vitamin A is vital in preventing your hair from becoming dry, brittle, and dull.

Sweet potatoes are a much better option to ordinary potatoes because of their high levels of vitamin A. They also have the right amount of fiber. They help with your hair health, but it also keeps your immune system feeling good.

Let blueberries do the work of reversing any oxidative stress you have in your body. Shutterstock.

Big Things Come In Small Blueberry Packages

Blueberries are an incredible little burst of sweetness and flavor. But, they are also rich in antioxidants, which include vitamin B and proanthocyanidins. The reason this is good for you is that it counteracts oxidative stress.

Research has shown that oxidative stress is connected to hair loss as well as poor scalp health. Keeping your scalp in good condition is essential for your hair health, and you do this by consuming antioxidants that will reverse oxidative stress.

Prevent dryness from building up on your scalp by adding flax seeds to your yogurt or smoothies. Shutterstock.

Maintaining The Health Of Your Scalp

Because scalp health is essential to your hair health, you need to make sure that your scalp is nourished so that you can prevent dryness. Something to help with this is flax seeds because they have polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Simply add a sprinkle of ground flax seeds to your yogurt or a smoothie that you usually have. It is an easy way to help bring these necessary fatty acids into your diet and make sure that you are taking the best care of your scalp.

Copper is a trace mineral that helps you maintain your hair color and prevent you from going gray. Shutterstock.

You Need Copper In Your Diet

Did you know that copper is needed for keratin fiber strength? This trace mineral plays a role in keeping your hair color what it is. It is also known to prevent you from going gray. Where can you get copper from, though?

Cook up a cup of shiitake mushrooms, and you will get 1,299 micrograms of copper. This amount more than covers your recommended daily allowance. If you don’t like mushrooms, you can also get this trace mineral from seaweed and sesame seeds.

Things like chickpeas and beans are a great addition to your diet to get plant-based protein and fiber. Shutterstock.

Get Your Plant-Based Protein

Chickpeas, lentils, beans, and peas are suitable for you and your hair. They are mostly the dry and edible seeds of vegetables. They come fully loaded with all critical plant-based protein and fiber, making them a great alternative to meat.

Not only that, but they are also full of folic acid. Did you know that folic acid is a B-complex vitamin that helps keep your hair looking its best and renews the cells that are needed for your hair to keep growing? Make sure to add these to your shopping list.

Organ meat like liver and onions might not sound appealing, but it contains terrific iron that you need for healthy hair. Shutterstock.

Don’t Become Iron Deficient

We now know the importance of iron in our diet and how a lack of iron can lead to hair loss. This notion is something that happens to women rather than men. Organ meats have an incredible amount of iron in them.

They might not sound that appealing, but if you can eat it – you should. Foods like liver are fantastic for your hair health, but if eating liver isn’t going well, you could always try out liver pâté instead of the actual organ.

Nuts are a great source of fatty acids, and you can snack on them throughout the day. Shutterstock.

Go Nuts

We are nuts about nuts when it comes to the health of our hair. When you are deficient in certain fatty acids such as omega-6 fatty acids and omega-3 fatty acids, you can start to lose hair on your head and even your eyebrows.

Not only that, but it can also cause your hair to lighten. To prevent this, you need to consume these fats. You can use walnuts for this as it is packed with linolenic and alpha-linolenic acids that will help you keep that healthy hair.

Certain foods like swordfish could be contributing to the poor condition of your hair. Shutterstock.

What Foods Aren’t Good For Your Hair

You now have a pervasive list of foods that will help you maintain or boost your hair health, and they’re all very delicious. But, there may be things in your diet that are preventing your hair from being its best.

One of these things is swordfish. Swordfish is higher in its mercury content than other seafood, and high levels of mercury could be linked to hair loss. If you are experiencing hair loss, steer clear from this fish for a while, and also tuna.

Put away the bottle for a while, and see the effect it has on your hair and your skin’s health. Shutterstock.

Alcohol Is Not Ideal For Your Skin Or Hair

Alcohol is another thing that could be preventing your hair from growing or being beautiful and healthy. This idea is because alcohol slows down the levels of zinc that you have in your body. And zinc is essential for hair health and growth.

Another downside of drinking alcohol is that it dehydrates your body. This dehydration can lead to your hair being brittle. Taking a break from drinking could be an excellent idea for your skin and hair health in the long run.

Sugar prevents our bodies from adequately absorbing protein, which is vital for our hair to be healthy. Shutterstock.

Sugar Isn’t Sweet For Your Hair

We all love a bit of sweetness in our lives, which usually comes in the form of sugar. As much as we love it, it could be hurting the health of our hair. It speeds up hair loss – how can sugar do this to you?

Protein is something that our hair craves to promote its growth, and sugar stops our bodies from being able to absorb it properly. If you are struggling with hair loss, try eliminating sugar from your diet and seeing its effect.

Replace starchy refined grains with whole wheat to give your hair the best chance of success. Shutterstock.

Get Rid of White, Starchy Grains

Another food type you should be avoided if you are looking out for your hair health is starchy refined grains. These types of foods are things like white bread, pastries, white pasta, and also cakes. These are all overly processed starches.

They will all be converted into sugar in your body, and this can lead your hair to thin. Replace these starches with whole wheat and natural sugars to allow your body to absorb the protein that it is craving.

Sources:

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/g26975180/food-for-hair-growth/

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/what-eat-healthy-hair

https://www.eatthis.com/foods-for-healthy-hair/

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