What are the best foods for healthier hair?

You may have heard the saying, “You are what you eat”.  Are there foods that promote healthier hair?  What do nutritionists and researchers say?

Are there foods, nutrients that promote hair growth?

Like any part of your body, your hair needs nutrients.  What foods provide some of these nutrients?  Not surprisingly, eating for good health can also mean eating for healthier hair.  As the registered dietitian, Samantha Cassetty, states, “Eating for optimal health and healthy hair go hand-in-hand”.  Some nutrients important for hair are some vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds in food. 

Cassetty and others note these nutrients are especially important for a healthy hair and for hair growth:

• Vitamins A and C
• Biotin
• Iron
• Omega 3 fatty acids

The Cleveland Clinic has an excellent article on The Best Vitamins and Supplements for Hair Growth.  The article highlights iron, biotin, vitamin A and omega-3 fatty acids. 

Vitamin A- Why “A”?  Because fast growing tissues like your hair need vitamin A for cells to grow.  So easy to add some vitamin A to your day.  Look for dark green and yellow fruits and vegetables like spinach, kale, oranges, cantaloupe, carrots, and sweet potatoes.  Real cow’s milk and eggs are also good sources.  I like to eat a few baby carrots at lunch everyday to add in some vitamin A.  Note:  bananas do not count for vitamin A as they provide only a little vitamin A.  My students often listed bananas as a good source of vitamin A.  But you do not eat the peel (yellow), you eat the white banana.  Bananas are great for many nutrients but not so much for vitamin A.

Vitamin C – readers who are older remember “juice glasses”.  Every house had them and almost everyone drank some juice every morning.  I still do.  I want to be sure to get my vitamin C and I enjoy a small glass of real orange juice or grapefruit juice every morning.  But be sure it is “real” juice and not a juice drink or fruit punch.  (See:  Are you drinking real juice or fake juice? )  How are you getting your vitamin C every day?  Why every day?  Because your body does not store vitamin C so getting some vitamin C in your diet regularly is important.  For ideas on how you can be sure you are getting your “C”, read Are you getting your daily vitamin C?  Here are some suggestions:

•  Citrus – oranges, grapefruit, tangerines – all are great ways to add vitamin C to your day
• Peppers – red bell and green peppers are loaded with C.
• Broccoli
• Strawberries, cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew
• Baked potato, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cooked cabbage, cooked spinach

I enjoy many of the above vitamin C sources but I still have that daily glass of juice.  You do not have to worry about getting too much vitamin C from food so enjoy vitamin C rich foods every day.

Biotin – WebMD notes, “Increasing your intake of biotin may help make your hair stronger and more resistant to falling out”.  Biotin is a B vitamin that is found in many foods.  Since your body does not store biotin for long, it is important to replenish it with the foods you eat.  Foods rich in biotin include:  organ meats, meat, eggs, fish, seeds, nuts, and some vegetables such as sweet potatoes, spinach, and broccoli.  Cow’s milk, cheese and yogurt made from cow’s milk “all contain biotin in varying amounts”.  According to the National Institutes of Health, these foods “will help fortify your hair follicle by boosting your keratin.”  So, give your hair a boost and enjoy some foods rich in biotin.

Iron – Iron is in your red blood cells and iron helps carry oxygen to every cell in your body.  It also is an important mineral for hair growth.  Cleveland Clinic notes, “when it comes to our hair, iron plays a vital role”.  A dermatologist, Melissa Piliang, MD states, “Iron is really important for hair growth and hair health.  When we see patients who are experiencing hair loss, we often perform lab tests to screen for iron deficiency.  It is not uncommon for us to find iron to be low in women”.  Meat, fish and poultry are great sources of iron.  Some vegetables provide iron such as beans, lentils, spinach, tomatoes, potatoes, and peas.   Some breakfast cereals are fortified with iron.  Some people think milk supplies iron.  But read the label.  Milk is great for calcium, vitamin D, potassium but not for iron.

Omega-3 fatty acids - People may think “fat is bad” but there are fats that are good for you.  Cleveland Clinic says omega 3 fatty acids are “critical to cell health and is thought to make your scalp and hair healthier”.  What are some ways to add omega-3 fats to your day?

• Fish and other seafood such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines
• Nuts and seeds such as walnuts, flaxseed, chia seeds
• Oils like flaxseed oil, canola oil, soybean oil
• Fortified foods (certain brands of eggs, yogurt, juices, and milk)

Want healthier hair?  Then add some of the healthy foods noted above to your day.  As I noted above, I start every day with a small glass of real 100% juice. Not fake juice like those fruit drinks or a fruit punch, but real juice that supplies me with all the vitamin C I need each day.  Real juice also supplies many antioxidants that are also good for your health.  If you prefer an orange or some other food high in C, that is great.  Just try to eat a good source of C every day.    I eat some baby carrots for lunch (thanks to my sister’s recommendation) every day.  Hello vitamin A.  Years ago Dr. Oz recommended a handful of nuts a day for good health.  I started this healthy habit years ago and did not even think about how this habit was also contributing to healthier hair.  To get my probiotics, I try to eat some cow’s milk yogurt every day.  This is another way I get some biotin in my day.  I don’t eat the plant-based yogurts or drink the plant-based milks.  I am not sure if these even provide any biotin.  I prefer real food to fake food and thus I drink real cow’s milk and eat yogurt made from cow’s milk.  Then I know I am getting all the nutrients naturally present in dairy foods and not just the nutrients a plant-based milk company decides to add to their product.  Which of the above nutrients and foods can you add to your day?

 

Sources:  dietitian , others , The Best Vitamins and Supplements for Hair Growth , Are you drinking real juice or fake juice? , Are you getting your daily vitamin C? , WebMD , Foods , milk , notes , says , omega-3 fats   Image Sources:   healthy hair , Vitamin C , Vitamin A