How we look can often be a direct result of the types of foods we put into our bodies. Eating whole, natural and unprocessed food can make all the difference, contributing to glowing skin, a healthy weight and luscious hair.
Ever wonder what nutrients your hair needs? Read below to learn about some super foods for your hair.
1) Salmon
Salmon is packed with omega-3 essential fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids will keep your hair shiny and full. According to an article by the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, “the human body can make most of the types of fats it needs from other fats or materials, but this isn’t the case for omega-3 fatty acids.”
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fats the body cannot make from scratch, so you need to get them from food. Additional foods that are high in omega-3s include fish, vegetable oil, flax seeds and leafy green vegetables.
2) Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt is packed with protein, which is the building block for your hair. According to WebMD, hair is made up of a protein called keratin. Greek yogurt also has vitamin B5, known as pantothenic acid. B5 helps with blood flow to your scalp, promoting hair growth.
3) Spinach
Spinach has a ton of nutrients that promote healthy hair. Spinach and leafy greens contain vitamin A, iron, beta-carotene, folate, and vitamin C. All of these nutrients keep your hair moisturized, and prevent it from breaking and becoming brittle.
4) Sweet Potatoes
Similar to leafy greens, in this respect, sweet potatoes are filled with beta-carotene. Consume sweet potatoes to protect yourself against dry, dull hair.
According to WebMD, your body turns beta-carotene into vitamin A. Vitamin A encourages glands in your scalp to make sebum, an oily fluid that keeps hair shiny and luscious. Beta-carotene can also be found in orange vegetables such as carrots, pumpkin, cantaloupe and mangoes.
5) Oysters
Fitness magazine calls the oyster a hair-healthy food. Oysters are a great source of zinc. Zinc aids in skin cell repair and renewal and keeps your hair, skin and nails healthy.
6) Eggs
Healthy and lustrous hair requires you to have enough protein and iron in your diet. An iron deficiency means that the blood does not have enough red blood cells. RBCs transport oxygen to cells in your body, giving you the energy you need.
In order for hair follicles to grow, you need an adequate amount of iron. As described above, your hair is made up of a protein called keratin. Killing these two birds with one stone, eggs are rich in protein and iron. They are also rich in vitamin B7, also known as biotin, that keep your hair and nails strong.
7) Blueberries
Blueberries are rich in Vitamin C, an antioxidant that helps in the production of collagen. Collagen strengthens the capillaries, which are tiny blood vessels that pass blood from arteries to veins. Capillaries supply the hair shaft.
Strong capillaries promote healthy hair by providing the hair shaft with essential nutrients to promote hair growth. Additional sources of Vitamin C-rich foods include black currants, blueberries, broccoli and oranges.
So there you have it! You now have a shopping list of foods to promote healthy hair.
Sources:
Fitness Magazine. The top ten superfoods for gorgeous hair and skin. January 17, 2015.
http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/healthy-eating/superfoods/top-10-...
Goodfood. What to eat for healthy hair. January 17, 2015.
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/what-eat-healthy-hair
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Omega 3-fatty acids: an essential contribution. January 17, 2015.
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/omega-3-fats
NDTV Food. Hair loss prevention: why iron and protein are essential. January 17, 2015.
http://food.ndtv.com/beauty/iron-and-protein-getting-to-the-root-of-hair...
WebMD. Hair. January 17, 2015.
http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/picture-of-the-hair?pa...
WebMD. Top ten foods for healthy hair. January 17, 2015.
http://www.webmd.com/beauty/hair-nails/ss/slideshow-foods-healthy-hair
Reviewed January 18, 2016
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith