Who doesn’t dream of healthy, strong, and shiny hair? However, many of us experience untimely hair fall due to diverse reasons. For natural hair growth, it’s important to keep the scalp healthy by maintaining a balanced diet and avoiding some foods. Here is a list of the best and worst foods and drinks for hair growth.
Best Foods for Healthy Hair Growth
Eggs
Protein is known as the building block of hair. Lack of protein in hair may lead to hair fall. Biotin is the main source of the production of a hair protein namely keratin. If you have a biotin deficiency, you need to consume foods that contain more biotin. Essential protein and biotin can be consumed from eggs.
Spinach and Other Dark Leafy Greens
Spinach and other dark leafy greens provide iron which is one of the basic minerals required for your hair cells. Research has shown that if you have a deficiency of iron in your body you may lose hair. If your body cannot run sufficient iron, oxygen and nutrients cannot be transported to the hair roots and follicles adequately which can ultimately hamper growth and make your strands weak.
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Citrus Fruits
Citrus fruits give you the Dose of Vitamin C that your body requires for iron absorption. According to nutritionists, one lime each day is sufficient to get your daily dose of Vitamin C. You can take it as lemon juice with honey or refined sugar. You can take an orange which is also a good source of Vitamin C.
Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and Seeds are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids that nourish the hair and support thickening. Your body cannot produce these healthy fats naturally, so you need to gain them from your diet. Almonds and walnuts are enriched with Omega-3 fatty acids. Likewise, you can take flax seeds as a mid-meal healthy snack to get essential fats to your hair.
Carrots are Rich in Vitamin A
Carrots are a good source of Vitamin A and the hair contains the fastest-growing tissues in the body. Vitamin A is required for the growth of every cell. Drinking carrot juice regularly can help with the quick growth of your hair. Vitamin A helps the scalp to produce natural sebum oil which keeps the roots of the hair healthy and boosts hair growth.
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Almond Butter
Almond butter has a huge range of nutrients like protein, healthy fats, and certain vitamins and they all have been linked to hair health. Almond is an excellent source of vitamin E that is extremely good for keeping your hair thick and glossy.
From one tablespoon of almond butter you will get around 3.87 milligrams of Vitamin E and the recommended daily Vitamin E allowance is 15 milligrams. So you will be all set if you can eat more than one tablespoon per day.
Yogurt
Do you know the misty thick, full, wavy hair of Greeks? Perhaps, it’s due to the thick, protein-rich yogurt that Greeks and other cultures have been taking for hundreds of years because Greek yogurt contains vitamin B5, also known as pantothenic acid, and B vitamins. Pantothenic acid and Vitamins B can help you maintain healthy skin and hair.
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Oatmeal
Oats contain iron, fiber, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids that revive hair growth, making it thick and healthy.
You can take a bowl of oatmeal along with some chia seeds in the morning if you want to up the hair-boosting power. Oats are called nutritional powerhouse and they are considered a complete protein that can help promote beautiful and shiny locks.
Lentils
Lentils are enriched with folic acid which helps your body produce red blood cells. Those red blood cells bring oxygen to your organs, including your skin and scalp help grow and strengthen your hair.
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Liver
We have already mentioned that iron deficiency can lead to hair loss, especially in women. Organ meats- the liver has iron in abundance.
Strawberries
From a cup of strawberries, you can get more than a day’s worth of vitamin C. Vitamin C is needed to form collagen, which is the main component of your hair.
Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts have multiple nutritional benefits that make them exceptional food for your hair growth. A cup of Brussels sprouts meets your daily vitamin C requirements in maintaining healthy hair.
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Sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes contain beta-carotene and this compound is converted by the body into vitamin A, which is linked to hair health.
Sweet peppers
Sweet peppers have antioxidant-rich vitamin C, which may support hair growth. In fact, one yellow pepper provides up to 456% of the daily vitamin C needs of women and 380% for men.
Soybeans
Studies have shown that compounds namely spermidine abundant in soybeans help hair growth.
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Meat
Meat, especially red meat, is rich in nutrients that assist hair growth because the protein available in meat helps repair and strengthen hair follicles.
Fish
Fatty fishes are excellent sources of nutrients and omega-3 fatty acids that may prevent scalp drying and promote hair growth. Deficiencies of omega-3 fatty acids may result in dull hair, dry scalp, or lifeless hair.
Worst Foods and Drinks for Healthy Hair Growth
The following foods contain some nutrients that can damage hair rather than promote hair growth. If you want healthy and glossy hair, avoid these foods:
Swordfish
Seafood like swordfish has outrageous levels of mercury that are linked to hair loss.
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Sugar
Sugar speeds up hair loss as it hinders the absorption of Protein, the essential element of hair growth. So, don’t take foods that have sugar.
Starchy, Refined Grains
Avoid white bread, cakes, pastries, white pasta, and other refined, over-processed starches because these also go hand-in-hand with sugar and they cause your hair to thin.
Alcohol
Alcohol dehydrates you, which can make your hair more fragile. So, avoid alcohol if you want to ease up your skin and hair.
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Dairy
Undoubtedly, dairy products are healthy but dairy contains a certain amount of fat that increases the testosterone levels in your body and it is one of the many hair fall reasons. Plus, if you have dandruff, eczema, or psoriasis, then dairy products can accelerate this problem.
Carbonated Drinks
Carbonated drinks lead to an increase in sugar in your bloodstream. This sugar hampers your blood circulation and lowers the nutrient supply to your hair follicles and causes hair loss.
Bottom Line
Hair is a part of a human’s overall beauty. However, without the right nutrients, like vitamins A, C, D, and E, zinc, B vitamins, iron, biotin, protein, and essential fatty acids, you can slow down hair growth and hair loss. So, take these nutrients regularly to treat hair loss and promote the rate of your hair growth. Similarly, avoid foods that discourage hair growth and help with hair loss.
Source: United News of Bangladesh