Healthy lustrous hair is a woman’s crowning glory and luckily, there’s a myriad of well researched products to help women get there. However, other than products, good old healthy eating will also work towards good hair, as well as skin and overall health. Here are some foods you can begin with in your journey towards beautiful hair.
1. Vitamin E
Other than being of immense benefits to skin and heart health, Vitamin E will also protect your hair from sun damage. Vitamin E is easily available in every day foods like green leafy vegetables, nuts and oils so its not difficult to incorporate into daily diets. Other than consumption, massaging the scalp with vitamin E oil will boost blood circulation to the scalp and hence oxygen supply. All these are essential for healthy hair.
2. Omega-3 Fatty Acids
These nutrient complex is found in cells in the scalp and works to keep the hair and scalp hydrated. Our bodies cannot make these nutrients on their own and so they must come from dietary sources. Foods rich in omega3 fatty acids include oily fish, as well as plant sources like avocado and nuts.
3. Iron
Low levels of iron in the body disrupt supply of nutrients to the hair follicle and this is a major course of dull hair and eventual hair loss. Iron is a must have for healthy hair as it ensures a nutrient rich blood supply. Rich sources of iron include nuts, red meat especially liver, chicken, fish, lentils, beans, spinach, broccoli, kale, and other green leafy vegetables.
4. Protein
Hair is itself made of protein and it follows that a diet rich in proteins is crucial for strong healthy hair. Lack of protein in your diet will result in weak, dry and brittle. Extreme lack of protein could result in hair loss. Protein rich foods include fish, dairy products, liver, eggs, chicken, legumes like lentils, and nuts.
5. Vitamin A
Vitamin A is crucial for healthy hair because it is used by the body to make sebum – an oily substance that ensures a healthy scalp as well as natural conditioning of hair. Low production of sebum will result in dry unhealthy hair and an itchy scalp. Foods rich in vitamin A are bright coloured yellow/orange vegetables such as pumpkins, carrots and sweet potatoes. These contain high levels of beta carotene which the body uses to make Vitamin A. Animal products too are high in Vitamin A.
6. Vitamin C
Vitamin C is very important for collagen production. Collagen strengthens capillaries and this ensures steady supply of nutrient rich blood to the hair shafts. This vitamin also aids in absorption of iron and it is therefore good to eat it in conjunction with iron rich foods. Vitamin C is also a very powerful antioxidant and this contributes to overall health of the body and therefore hair. Good sources include broccoli, papaya, citrus fruits, dark green leafy vegetables, tomatoes and peas.
