Today’s blog focuses on hair health, a blog series that will be part of my “Beauty Nutrition” segment that I will be further exploring into. Everywhere I go, I tend to always get compliments about my hair whether I am at work, shopping at the mall, or even grocery shopping. I am even well-known by my hair…”you know that girl with the long blonde beautiful hair? Ya that girl!” So after receiving a question about hair health privately, and after gaining her permission, I wanted to share her question to everyone else because I am sure many of you are wondering about this too.
First, I would like to mention that there are many conditions that can negatively affect hair, and fortunately, they are reversible. During pregnancy, postpartum, and nursing, your body is altering its processes in order to compensate for these changes. These changes are caused by hormonal shifts that may cause hair loss, or change the texture of your hair. Please keep in mind that this is temporary and will resume back to normal once you are no longer in these stages. Also, stress acts as a ‘catatlyst,’ and is not cause-and-effect related, but can still negatively affect this temporary condition.
The development of healthy hair is dependent upon the body’s ability to construct a proper strong hair shaft, based on the health of the surrounding skin and follicles. To ensure the best possible environment to construct strong, long, and lustrous hair requires good nutrition! Therefore, by starting a hair-healthy diet today will mean a more gorgeous head of hair within six months to a year, depending on how fast your hair grows. Now, based on the recommendations and tips I am going to give you, you may need to change your diet OR if you are already consuming some of these foods, than keep up the good work! Changing your diet now will only affect new hair growth, not the hair that is already visible. This means that starting a hair healthy diet now, will give you a gorgeous head of air within 6 months to a year, which varies due to genetics. In addition to genetics, hair growth various between ½ and 1 ½ inches per month. Keep in mind that this is not just a quick fix! This is a long-term investment, which will improve your overall health as well!
So lets get started in eating these foods for shiny, lustrous locks. In addition, I will also share more specifically what nutrients are required to help achieve this as well.
Vitamin A – Sweet potatoes
Beta-carotene in foods is converted to vitamin A in the body, and vitamin A is necessary for all cell growth, including hair. A deficiency can lead to dry, dull, lifeless hair and dry skin, which can flake off into dandruff. Be aware that you can have too much of a good thing when it comes to vitamin A: Too much can cause hair loss. My advice is to add more beta-carotene-rich foods like sweet potatoes, carrots, kale, butternut squash, cantaloupe, dark green lettuces, asparagus, and pumpkin to your meals rather than take vitamin A supplements.
B Vitamins – Whole grains
B vitamins are essential in the diet for numerous reasons. B-vitamins B6, B9 (folate), and B12 are involved in the development of red blood cells that are responsible for carrying oxygen and nutrients to all body cells, including those in the scalp, follicles, and growing hair. Therefore, shedding, slow growth, or weak hair that is prone to breaking is an indication that you might a deficiency in these B vitamins.
- Good food sources of vitamin B6include: fortified whole-grain breakfast cereals, garbanzo beans, wild salmon, lean beef, pork tenderloin, chicken breast, white potatoes (w/skin), bananas, and lentils.
- Good food sources of folate include fortified whole-grain breakfast cereals, lentils, black-eyed peas, soybeans, oatmeal, turnip greens, spinach, green peas, artichokes, okra, beets, parsnips, and broccoli.
- Good food sources of Vitamin B12include shellfish (clams, oysters, crab), wild salmon, and fortified whole-wheat products
Iron- Lean Beef
One of the key contributors to healthy hair is iron-rich proteins. Proteins are necessary for the growth of all different types cells. Proteins like keratin are essential in the construction of a hair shaft. A lack of protein in the diet will cause hair growth to be slower, weaker, and easily breakable. There are two iron-rich proteins heme iron (that you get from animal sources) and non-heme iron (from plant based sources). Heme iron is more easily absorbed by the intestines than non-heme iron. Iron is needed because it helps to carry oxygenated rich red blood cells to all of the cells in the body – see the connection? There are a lot of nutrients that also inhibit the absorption of iron, which is why it is so common to hear they are anemic due to an iron deficiency.
- Great heme iron sources include: clams, oysters, lean beef,turkey, duck, lamb, chicken, pork, shrimp, and eggs. In addition, beef also contains some B vitamins and zinc as well and fish is a good source for essential fatty acids that have a vital role in keeping hair healthy.
For those who are vegetarians or not,
- good sources of iron also include: tofu, soybeans, lentils, beans, and black-eyed peas, chickpeas, mustard greens, brussel sprouts and almonds. Chickpeas in particular also provide Vitamin 6 and zinc! Almonds also have essential fatty acids and have the added benefit of cholesterol reduction, which positively affects hair growth. From my first blog, I mentioned that you need a source of dark green vegetables everyday– this also contributes to healthy hair growth and development.
Vitamin C- Bell Peppers
The significance of Vitamin C is important and goes hand-in-hand with iron. Vitamin C greatly improves the absorption of iron in the intestines. Therefore, drinking a glass of orange juice with your iron rich foods will greatly help! Chili is also a good example the tomato based sauce with the beans and meat is a perfect combination. As I mentioned before, Vitamin C also plays a huge part in the creation of collagen, an essential component of hair growth.
- Excellent sources are: peppers, dark leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, tomatoes, watermelon, papaya, grapefruit, cantaloupe, strawberries, kiwi, mango, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and cabbage.
Zinc – Oysters
Zinc is important for the health of hair as it is involved in tissue growth and repair. Zinc works with Vitamin A (orange vegetables) and positively affects the functioning of oil glands that gives hair its ‘glossy look’, which is indication of healthy hair. If neither of these nutrients are present in the diet (deficient) then dandruff could occur which may contribute to hair loss. So make sure you eat this to keep and maintain gorgeous tresses.
- Great sources of zinc include oysters, clams, lean beef, crab, pork tenderloin, peanut butter, wheat germ, turkey, veal, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, peanut butter, chicken, cheese, fat free yogurt and chickpeas.
In this case, these nutrients mutually enhance one another and all positively influence healthy care growth, thickness, and its aesthetic qualities. I don’t recommend anyone getting any supplements of these nutrients, I recommend strongly that you consume these foods!!