Do you want strong and healthy hair especially when you grow older? All of us would like to have strong and healthy hair from young to older. However, it depends on many factors such as age, overall health, genetics, chemical exposure, medications and diets. Although we cannot change some of the factors like age and genetics, there is one factor that we can control which is diet. Nutrition in our daily food intake plays an important role for hair growth. Having a balanced diet that is rich in vitamins and minerals may help to promote hair growth.
Below is the food that are rich in nutrients that help with hair growth:
- Eggs
Eggs contain protein and biotin. These two nutrients are important for hair growth. Protein is important for hair growth because hair follicles are mostly made of protein. Biotin is essential for the production of a hair protein called keratin. Eggs also contain zinc, selenium and other healthy hair nutrients. This makes eggs one of the best foods to consume for hair growth.
- Berries
Berries contain a lot of vitamin C, which has strong antioxidant properties. Antioxidants can help to protect hair follicles against harmful molecules like free radicals. Our body needs vitamin C to produce collagen. Collagen is a protein that helps strengthen hair to prevent it from becoming brittle and breaking.
- Salmon
Salmon have nutrients that will promote hair growth. Salmon has a good amount of omega-3 fatty acid which improves hair health. Fatty fish is also a great source of protein, selenium, vitamin D and vitamin B, that may help promote strong and healthy hair.
- Avocado
Avocado is an excellent source of vitamin E, which may support hair growth. Vitamin E is an antioxidant which has the same function as vitamin C which protects hair against free radicals. Vitamin E also protects the scalp from oxidative stress and damage. Damaged scalp will lead to poor hair quality and less healthy hair follicles.
- Nuts
Nuts contain a variety of nutrients that are important for hair growth and hair health. Nuts provide a wide range of nutrients/vitamins such as vitamin E, vitamin B, zinc and essential fatty acid.
- Oysters
Oysters contain large amounts of zinc. Zinc is a mineral that helps support hair growth and repair cycle. Study found out that lack of zinc may promote telogen effluvium which is a reversible form of hair loss that is caused by lack of nutrients in the diet.
- Soybeans
Spermidine is one of the compounds that is found in soybeans. Studies have found that spermidine will help to prolong the active phase of hair growth (the anagen phase). Longer anagen phase will make the hair follicle grow longer before it falls off from the scalp.
All of the food listed here only can help those people who have hair loss due to vitamin/nutrition deficiency. If you are having hair loss due to genetic factors, the best solution is consulting your doctor and getting some treatment for your hair loss like platelet rich plasma (PRP) injection or hair transplants if necessary.
