The 10 Best Foods for Healthy Hair

Some of the best foods you can add to your diet to keep your hair healthy and beautiful include citrus fruits, brown rice, oysters, green leafy vegetables, certain kinds of nuts, salmon, lentils, yogurt, eggs, and many more.

Along with our skin, hair is the most exposed and visible parts of our body, which also means that it is almost constantly susceptible to damage and external forces. People pride themselves on their hair, going to salons for special styles and spending hours making sure each piece is set just right. However, the health of your hairis just as important to its appearance. It is essential to protect your hair from both the outside and the inside to make sure it stays looking full, silky, and beautiful. Some of the most common problems when it comes to our hair are hair loss, drying out, split ends, slow growth, and changing colors. While some of these issues are inevitable with age, the majority of them are preventable if you structure your diet to specifically include what your hair needs.

To counter the effects of those hair conditions, and protect your follicles and hair from weather conditions, stress, low circulation, free radicals, nutrient deficiency, dehydration, and other underlying causes, you need to be proactive! Some of the most effective nutrients and minerals that can positively affect the health of your hair include zinc, selenium, iron biotin, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, and omega-3 fatty acids. While there are hundreds of foods that contain some combination or percentage of these nutritional elements, if you want the most effective and efficient improvement in the health of your hair, the following 10 foods will deliver the best results!

The 10 Best Foods for Healthy Hair

Eggs: Although many people might not associate a few eggs over easy with improving the health of their hair, eggs contain an impressive amount of protein, which is a major component of human hair. Beyond that, eggs are also serious sources of sulfur, iron, selenium, and zinc. Iron increases circulation to the scalp and zinc strengthens the hair you already have. Chicken is another protein-rich option that gives much the same results, in addition to a solid base of B-vitamins.

Oysters: When you are looking for a big boost of zinc in your diet, oysters are about as good as it gets. They deliver nearly 500% of your daily requirement, which will ensure that you don’t start losing your hair anytime soon. Zinc is vital for avoiding hair loss and strengthening the hair you have so it continues receiving nutrients from the scalp and staying smooth.

Blueberries: A lot of people talk about superfoods and the various amazing benefits they have for the body. These pop culture trends come and go; however, blueberries are here to stay, and between their impressive level of antioxidants, which protect the scalp from free radicals, and the huge levels of vitamin C, which boost collagen production and stimulate the circulation of the scalp, these delicious little fruits should definitely be added to your healthy hair diet.

Lentils: Much like eggs, lentils are one of the best dietary sources for protein, and hair is made up of hardened keratin, a protein, so without a significant amount of protein in the diet, your hair won’t be growing quickly. Secondly, lentils are a major source of iron, which, when combined with vitamin C, can increase your metabolism, circulation, and oxygenation of cells, which are essential for the health of your hair follicles

Salmon: Omega-3 fatty acids play a big part in hair health, as your body can’t create these fatty acids, but they make up between 2-3% of your hair. Also, these oils keep your skin and hair properly hydrated, and are essential parts of cell membranes found on the scalp. Salmon and similar fish are the top sources for omega-3 fatty acids in a diet.

Walnuts: Walnuts are a surprising source of biotin, which is a water-soluble B-vitamin that is needed for scalp and hair health. Walnuts are also the only type of nut that provides omega-3 fatty acids. Various types of nuts are praised for their impact on hair, particularly those that contain copper, as that mineral helps to maintain hair color and shine.

Green Leafy Vegetables: Adding spinach, kale, Swiss chard, and similar vegetables to your diet will give your body iron, folate, vitamin C, and beta carotene, a potent blend of hair health nutrients that will stimulate growth, promote hydration, increase circulation, and maintain color and shine. These types of vegetables also contain methylsulfonylmethane, which helps in the production of keratin, the main protein of which hair is made.

Iodine-Rich Foods: Many hair problems can be attributed to a dysfunctional thyroid gland, which controls many of our hormonal actions. Thinning hair, slow growth, discoloration, and dryness can all be signs of a hormonal issue. Iodine is the most important nutrient to regulate our thyroid gland, so eating foods like sea vegetables (kelp, wakame) can significantly boost your iodine levels.