Healthy and beautiful-looking hair is something we all cherish. However, proper care of your hair with a comprehensive regimen is important to maintain its growth and shiny appearance. A healthy diet with proper ingredients that stimulate healthy hair growth is important. Including certain vital vitamins and nutrients in your diet can help your hair to stay shiny and lustrous.
VITAMINS AND NUTRIENTS CRUCIAL FOR HEALTHY HAIR
- Vitamin C: It is the building block for collagen, a vital structural protein essential for strong, healthy hair, as well as skin and nails. Its deficiency can lead to split ends and hair loss too. So include more oranges, peppers, broccoli, strawberries, and pineapple in your diet.
- B Vitamins: The vitamin B complex promotes cell growth and division, which is important for healthy hair growth. Vitamin B12 is the most important in the list. Good sources include meats, eggs, nuts, grains, and vegetables.
- Vitamin E: It helps to repair and build tissue, which is vital for healthy hair growth. So include more greens, nuts, seeds and fatty fish like tuna and salmon.
- Vitamin A: It supports sebum production in the scalp that prevents hair strands from drying out. Good sources include dark orange fruits and vegetables like carrots, cantaloupe, peaches, sweet potatoes, and spinach.
- Vitamin D: It is important for healthy follicle growth and its deficiency leads to inability to grow more hair. Include vitamin D-rich foods like tuna, wild-caught salmon, and eggs. Be in the sun for at least 15 minutes every day.
- Protein: It is important to feed your hair follicles with protein or else it will leave your hair dry and brittle. Protein helps the hair grow strong and also increases the speed at which it grows. Include enough plant-based sources of protein such as quinoa, spinach, and broccoli in your diet.
- Biotin: Include its intake if you want longer, healthier hair. It also promotes faster hair growth. Good sources include mushrooms, avocados, eggs, salmon, peanut and butter.
- Iron: It helps to carry oxygen to the roots of the hair which in turn aids growth and the overall health of the hair. Its lack causes the hair to become thin, dry and dull. Consider including in your diet lentils, spinach, garbanzo beans, sesame seeds, seaweed and Swiss chard which are good sources of iron.
- Magnesium: Hair follicles need magnesium for strength and its deficiency leads to hair loss, and potentially balding. Have more spinach, Swiss chard, sesame seeds and nuts.
These are among the most recommended vitamins and nutrients that are essential for hair growth. Zinc and niacin are two other important ingredients that can promote hair health.
