Hair is an important feature of our body that tells us about our body’s health. There is a wide variety of factors that affect your hair’s well-being and one of them is your diet. By simply incorporating healthy food choices, you will be able to maintain smooth, healthy and lustrous hair. Here are some recommendations for food that you should add to your everyday diet:

Protein

Yes, this may sound obvious, but ensuring that you are consuming enough protein in your diet is a crucial component for keeping strong and healthy hair. Not consuming enough protein can cause your hair to become dry, brittle and weak. Extremely low protein diets can even lead to severe hair loss. Food such as chicken, turkey, fish, dairy products, legumes, eggs and nuts are a good way to increase your protein intake in a healthy way.

Iron

When your iron level drops below a certain point, you can experience anemia, which causes a disruption in the nutrient supply to the follicles of your hair, affecting hair growth and even leading to hair loss. To prevent these problems from happening, you should add foods with a high iron level such as red meat, chicken, fish, lentils, spinach, kale, clams, cuttlefish, mussels and other dark leafy greens into your diet.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C aids the iron absorption for your body and is used readily by your body. Additionally, Vitamin C also aids in the production of collagen, which strengthens the capillaries that supply hair shafts. Make sure you include foods rich in Vitamin C, such as these delicious nibbles: blackcurrants, blueberries, guava, oranges, strawberries, papaya and sweet potatoes.

Vitamin B

B vitamins such as B6 and B12 are involved in creating red blood cells that carry oxygen and nutrients around our bodies to our cells, including places such as our scalp, follicles and growing hair. Hair shedding, slow growth or even hair breakage can happen due to low vitamin B intakes. Eat foods such as Wild salmon, pork tenderloin, chicken, oatmeal, tuna, potatoes and tomatoes as they are great sources for vitamin B.

Omega-3

Omega-3 fatty acids are found in cells that line the scalp, providing oils to keep your scalp and hair hydrated. These fatty acids cannot be made by our bodies, therefore we obtain them through food sources such as salmon, herring, sardines, mackerel, avocado, walnuts and pumpkin seeds. Enjoy these foods and your worries of dry hair will gradually decrease through time.

Zinc and Selenium

Zinc and Selenium are used for protecting your scalp. Lack of zinc can cause hair loss and a dry, flaky scalp. Foods that are good sources of zinc are whole grain products, oysters, beef and eggs. Furthermore, nuts are a highly nutritional source as they can provide zinc, selenium as well as vitamin E

Biotin

Last but not least, not enough biotin intakes can cause hair to become brittle and lead to hair loss. Foods that are rich in biotin are whole grain products, liver, egg yolk, peanuts, almonds and soy flour.

By enjoying healthy foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals, your hair can benefit largely from the ‘goodies’ you have consumed. Even though there are no immediate results, your hair will start to develop healthily and its amazing appearance will be restored. Additionally, you’re also doing your body a favor because these foods are also great sources of energy. Never underestimate the power of food. Why not start a healthier diet now?