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Seven Nutrients Your Hair Craves

September 23, 2008 By 6 Comments

A healthy, balanced diet is the key to growing a head full of strong and healthy hair.  We have all gone down the road of trying to correct the problem of dry, brittle, slow growing hair with trying different products, such as conditioners, “super grow” products, moisturizers, etc.  You name it, we’ve tried it!  But we rarely check what we eat and do not eat.  What are key nutrients and vitamins that will begin a healthy growth cycle?  I have found some great information on how to check your diet for specific ingredients.

An excerpt from:

Is Your Hair Hungry?
7 Nutrients Your Tresses Crave
By Jennifer Gruenemay, LifeScript Staff Writer

 

As new hair is manufactured at the shaft, it either forms strong and healthy, thanks to good dietary nutrition, or weak and brittle due to a poor diet. Once hair is visible from the scalp, it’s beyond help. Improving your diet is the only way to grow strong, resilient hair that looks, feels and is truly healthy.

The average person’s hair grows only ½ to 1 ½ inches a month, which means it can take a good 6 to 12 months to start seeing the positive effects of a nutritious diet. Take heart; the same diet that can improve your hair can also do wonders for your health, which is a benefit you’ll notice right away.

1. Protein
Hair is made up primarily of keratin, a hardened protein. Without enough dietary protein, hair will grow slower and strands will be weaker. Therefore, a healthy mane depends on your main course.

However, not all proteins are created equal. Animal proteins, such as meat, eggs and dairy, contain all of the essential amino acids that the body can’t make on its own and form what is known as a complete protein. Non-animal proteins found in grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds are incomplete.

Luckily, combining certain incomplete proteins will give you all the essential amino acids in one meal. Here are a few examples of foods that complement each other to make a complete protein: 

  • Grains + dairy: yogurt topped with granola, oatmeal with milk
  • Seeds + legumes: hummus (chickpeas and sesame paste), trail mix
  • Grains + legumes: rice and beans, peanut butter on whole wheat bread
  • Grains + seeds: sesame bagel
  • Legumes + dairy: chili topped with sour cream, bean and cheese burrito
  • Seeds + dairy: sunflower seeds on cottage cheese

2. Omega-3
Eating a diet rich in omega-3, an essential fatty acid, nourishes and moisturizes dry, brittle hair and may relieve a dry, itchy scalp that’s prone to dandruff, psoriasis or eczema. (See related article: Feed Your Face)

The best sources of dietary omega-3 are fatty fish, flaxseeds and some varieties of nuts. Herring has the most omega-3 per serving, followed by mackerel, salmon, trout, and tuna.

One-quarter cup of flaxseeds contains about seven grams of omega-3s – but that’s a lot of seeds to munch on. A much easier way to get omega-3 from flax is to supplement your diet with flaxseed oil. One teaspoon provides 2.5 grams of omega-3 – more than a 4-ounce serving of herring can provide. Swallow a spoonful, or add flaxseed oil to homemade vinaigrette.

Walnuts and soybeans are also good sources of omega-3 fatty acids and make for a great protein-rich snack anytime.

3. Iron
Found in hemoglobin, the protein that forms red blood cells, iron plays a starring role in oxygen delivery to all the body’s cells, including hair. Not eating enough of this mineral can cause iron-deficiency anemia, which can contribute to hair loss.

Here’s where your diet can pull double duty: Eat iron-rich proteins. Heme iron in animal protein is more easily absorbed than non-heme iron, which is found in plant proteins like lentils, beans and tofu. But what to do if you’re vegetarian? If you rely on plant foods for iron, combine them with a vitamin C-rich food to promote absorption. Some prime examples:
  • Bell peppers with lentils
  • Broccoli with tofu stir-fry
  • Stewed tomatoes with beans
  • Orange juice with iron-fortified cereals, such as Total or Special K
4. Vitamin C
Not only does this nutrient help maximize iron absorption, vitamin C is also necessary for collagen production. This fibrous protein is found in all kinds of connective tissue, as well as skin and hair, and provides structural integrity, strength and resilience.

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables – especially citrus and dark leafy greens, such as kale, Brussels sprouts and spinach – will supply your body with plenty of vitamin C.

 
5. B-Complex Vitamins
B vitamins, especially folate, biotin and vitamins B6 and B12, are important for healthy hair growth. A vitamin B deficiency can lead to excessive hair loss, slow growth and weak, brittle strands. In fact, if hair loss is due to a lack of biotin, eating foods rich in this B vitamin will fix the problem. (See related article: How to Stop Hair Loss)

Why folate and not folic acid? Actually, either will do. The difference is simply that folate is found in foods, while folic acid is the synthetic (man-made) version you’ll find in supplements and fortified foods.

Good sources of B vitamins include:

  • Folate: avocados, asparagus, artichokes, beets, oranges, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, spinach, fresh peas, soybeans, chickpeas, lentils, turkey
  • Biotin: cauliflower, carrots, bananas, cereals, yeast, soy flour, liver, salmon
  • Vitamin B6: white potato skins, garbanzo beans, bananas, lentils, beef, pork, chicken, salmon
  • Vitamin B12: beef, lamb, veal, liver, clams, oysters, fish, milk, egg yolks, cottage cheese
6. Zinc and Copper
Both of these minerals are important to healthy hair. Zinc is essential for the growth and repair of tissues throughout the body, including hair. A zinc deficiency can lead to slow growth, hair loss and dandruff.

Copper is a component of melanin, the pigment found in hair and skin. Deficiency of this mineral may contribute to premature graying.

Zinc and copper compete for absorption during digestion and should be taken together to maintain mineral balance within the body. Foods rich in zinc include animal proteins, shellfish, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, chickpeas, and wheat germ. Copper is found primarily in liver and oysters – two foods most of us don’t eat on a regular basis. More common food sources of copper include artichokes, avocados, bananas, garlic, legumes, mushrooms, nuts and seeds, potatoes, prunes, radishes, soybeans, tomatoes, and whole grains.

 
7. Water
The ultimate “nutrient,” water is essential to every single cell in the body. And it’s not just your mouth that gets parched – your hair does, too. Chronic dehydration can contribute to dry skin and a dry scalp. Unfortunately, taking extra long showers won’t do the trick; your body needs to be hydrated from the inside out.

So drink up! Most experts recommend drinking eight, eight-ounce glasses of water a day. If you’re a caffeine junkie, that figure increases because caffeine is a diuretic. For every cup of coffee, caffeinated tea and soda you drink, balance it out with a glass of water.

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About the author

COREN BURCH wrote 117 articles on this blog.

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  • http://www.healthy-oil-planet.com/ Healthy Oil Guy

    Virgin coconut oil makes an excellent hair moisturizer and deep conditioner. Studies found the fats in coconut oil penetrate the hair shaft and reduces protein loss. Here’s an excellent step-by-step method on how you can use coconut oil to help your hair become thicker and more healthier-looking.

    http://www.healthy-oil-planet.com/coconut-oil-for-hair.html

  • http://www.healthy-oil-planet.com Healthy Oil Guy

    Virgin coconut oil makes an excellent hair moisturizer and deep conditioner. Studies found the fats in coconut oil penetrate the hair shaft and reduces protein loss. Here’s an excellent step-by-step method on how you can use coconut oil to help your hair become thicker and more healthier-looking.

    http://www.healthy-oil-planet.com/coconut-oil-for-hair.html

  • COREN BURCH

    WHat about emu oil? I’ve read that it is an excellent product for hair growth because it stimulates blood circulation.

  • COREN BURCH

    WHat about emu oil? I’ve read that it is an excellent product for hair growth because it stimulates blood circulation.

  • http://face-natural.com/blog/natural-skin-care-articles/dangers-of-chemical-hair-straighteners Clara

    Great article. Very true about the iron. Many women that have hair loss have low iron or are anemic.

  • http://face-natural.com/blog/natural-skin-care-articles/dangers-of-chemical-hair-straighteners Clara

    Great article. Very true about the iron. Many women that have hair loss have low iron or are anemic.