16 Foods & Beverages for Enhancing Your Hair Health
Similar to an aesthetic body, healthy hair is something that everybody wants but only a few have or manage to get.
To start with, hair health depends on a lot of things like genetics, hormones, and nutrition among others.
While some of these things are out of your control, nutrition is something that is very much in your hands and significantly, it is quite possible to get the amazing hair you have been desiring for so long by simply following a diet rich in hair-friendly foods.
So, here’s a long list of foods & beverages that you can incorporate in your diet to provide the essential nutrients necessary for boosting your hair health.
Oats
The great breakfast food – Oats are great for your hair with the ample amounts of iron, zinc, omega-3 fats and polyunsaturated fatty acids that they contain.
Oats also has other minerals like magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus.
All these nutrients are known to promote thicker hair and also spur hair growth.
It is known to assist in the creation of melanin, thus contributing to keeping your natural hair color intact.
Sweet potato
Sweet potatoes are chock-full with the antioxidant beta-carotene, which is a precursor to vitamin A.
Vitamin A is known to promote the production of sebum oil on the scalp, thus preventing dullness, dandruff & providing a shine to the hair.
Vitamin A is also known to help with hair growth.
Amla
Indian gooseberry or amla is rich in antioxidants and is recommended by Ayurvedic doctors for glowing hair.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a super spice with a host of health benefits, one of which is linked to your hair health.
Regular consumption of cinnamon is known to boost hair health by improving circulation, which leads to a higher number of nutrients being supplied to the hair follicles on your scalp.
The ensuing result is healthy quicker-growing hair.
Almonds
Vitamin E with its antioxidant properties is known to support hair growth by decreasing inflammation and repairing tissues.
This makes almonds a great nut to consume for hair health as it is abundant in vitamin E.
Chickpeas
Chickpeas are one of the richest food sources of the vitamin B9 ( folic acid), providing close to 3 times to the required daily intake.
Folic acids are known to stimulate the production of RBCs, which are responsible for almost all of the transport of oxygen in the body.
This leads to ensure the proper supply of nutrients to your hair follicles, thus promoting hair growth.
Lentils
Similar to chickpeas, lentils also have abundant amounts of folic acid, making them an ideal food for including in your diet.
Lean poultry
Hair is made up of a protein called keratin, thus it is necessary to consume enough amounts of protein for the proper growth and maintenance of your hair or risk experiencing hair loss.
Lean poultry is great for meeting your required protein intake, with the high amounts of protein they contain.
They may also contain other hair-boosting nutrients like for example, chicken along with being abundant in lean protein also has vitamin B, zinc, and iron in it, thus aiding in the development of strong healthy hair.
Green leafy vegetables
Green leafy vegetables are full of nutrition and are one of the best foods you can consume for your overall health.
If you are not a big fan of eating them, then you can drink a fresh glass of vegetable juice instead, but it is crucial for you to include them in your diet.
They have a host of nutrients and some of them like vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid, etc. are the ones which are essential for healthy hair.
Spinach is particularly a super hair-friendly green leafy vegetable with it having high levels of vitamin A, vitamin C, and iron along with containing omega-3 fatty acids & the minerals potassium, magnesium and calcium.
Broccoli and lettuces are a rich source of vitamin A and C while kale, bok choy & turnip greens have high levels of folic acid in them.
Walnuts
Walnuts have the highest amount of omega-3 fatty acids among all nuts and are also rich in vitamin E, biotin, and copper.
All these nutrients are great for your hair health, helping in the prevention of hair loss, in guarding your hair against sun damage and in the maintenance of your natural hair color.
Milk
Two of the most vital nutrients for hair growth are protein and calcium.
And milk, as is common knowledge, is rich in protein and calcium, hence proving to be a great beverage to incorporate in your daily diet.
Oysters
Adequate consumption of the mineral zinc is required for avoiding hair loss and dandruff.
Oysters are a great source of zinc and also have considerable quantities of iron and protein, thus proving to be a great hair-friendly food.
Eggs
Eggs are known for their lean protein content, but they also have high amounts of other hair-enhancing nutrients like vitamin B-12, biotin & minerals zinc, iron, selenium, and sulfur.
Biotin is a crucial nutrient for hair health, aiding in hair growth and imparting a shine to your hair.
Vitamin B12 and proteins assist in the nourishment of hair and in the repairing of damaged hair follicles.
Sulfur is particularly an important mineral for your hair, with it protecting against hair loss by helping in the creation of keratin.
Salmon
Regular consumption of salmon can lead to overall healthy hair as it has high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and vitamin D.
Omega-3 fatty acids are known to reduce inflammation, promote hair growth and most crucially play a big role in keeping your hair shaft & scalp properly hydrated.
Vitamin D is known to help in preventing hair loss.
Carrot juice
Carrots with their high levels of vitamin A are great for maintaining the health of your hair.
Vitamin A, as discussed before, helps produce sebum oil which keeps the scalp and hair properly moisturized, which is a key thing when it comes to healthy hair.
It also provides a shine to the hair and repairs & bolsters the structure of your hair follicles.
Along with vitamin A, carrots also have good amounts of vitamin C, which boosts hair growth by assisting in enhancing blood flow to the scalp.
Coriander juice
Coriander (cilantro) assists in the cleaning of toxic metals in the body which are known to block the transportation of crucial nutrients to the scalp.
Coriander juice is known to be immensely effective against hair fall and thinning of hair, besides helping in hair growth.