10 Ways Your Nutrition Can Affect Your Hair

Hair may be your best beauty asset but it is not a vital organ. Because of that, your body won’t send you signals if you’re lacking some nutrients essential for the hair. You need to take care of it yourself. It’s important to note that once your hair loses essential nutrients, you have to cut off the hair that has already been damaged. If you can’t get to a salon, you can always do it yourself at home. All you need is a mirror, professional scissors, and a comb. If you don’t own professional scissors, we recommend the professional hair scissors from Scissor Tech for the job.

In this article, you’ll find out how nutrition can affect your hair’s health – and you may have not even imagined half of these things. Read on, and learn why a balanced diet is so important for your beauty and how to maintain it. 

Protein

The jury is still out on whether or not protein can help you grow hair faster, but we have to say that it definitely plays a vital role in your hair’s health and appearance. Protein makes up the structure of your hair and keeps it strong and shiny. It is also responsible for the strength and elasticity of your hair. Protein may be hard to get from food sources, so you should include a supplement into your diet if you want to make sure you’re getting enough of it. If you are just starting to add protein into your diet, you might want to start with a mild one like whey protein. If you don’t like whey, try eggs or fish as an alternative.

Vitamin A 

Vitamin A is essential for cell growth and repair, which makes it very important for your body in general but especially for your scalp and hair.  Vitamin A deficiency leads to dry skin, which can lead to dandruff and scalp infections. You can get vitamin A into your diet by eating carrots, sweet potatoes, kale, and other leafy greens. Oranges are also a great option, loaded with vitamin A. 

Omega-3

Omega-3 fatty acids are also called essential fatty acids because the body cannot produce them on its own so they must come from food. One of the reasons omega-3 fatty acids play such an important role in our body is that they promote cell growth and repair all over the body, including in the skin and scalp where new cells are produced every day. 

Omega-3 fatty acids are known for their ability to reduce inflammation all over the body, which is important for conditions such as acne or dermatitis. They also strengthen blood vessels and improve blood circulation in the scalp – reducing chances of hair thinning or brittle hair. 

Biotin

Biotin is a water-soluble B vitamin that helps your body absorb fat, transform carbohydrates into energy, and metabolize proteins and amino acids. Biotin deficiency leads to thinning hair and hair loss, especially in women who experience monthly hormonal changes. The best sources of biotin are liver, egg yolks, whole grains, nuts, and green vegetables. 

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is another water-soluble vitamin that is essential for many functions within the body. It has antioxidant properties that protect the body from free radicals, which are unstable molecules that damage cells and cause premature aging. Free radicals attack the scalp as well as other parts of the body which leads to hair thinning and breakage. You can get vitamin C from citrus fruits like lemon and oranges, bell peppers, grapefruit, and strawberries. If you want to avoid getting scurvy, try adding some broccoli into your diet! 

Magnesium

Magnesium helps maintain normal levels of calcium in the blood, which is very important for overall bone health, especially if you are dealing with osteoporosis or osteopenia. Magnesium also promotes normal blood pressure levels which help keep your circulation healthy, which again plays a role in preventing hair loss. One of the best sources of magnesium is halibut fish, but if you don’t like fish too much, you can always opt for a magnesium supplement instead. Strawberries, spinach, leafy greens, soybeans, almonds, cashews, and brown rice are also great sources of magnesium for your diet! 

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps your body absorb calcium and phosphorus and maintain healthy bones. You can get vitamin D into your diet by eating salmon, eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt, beef liver, chicken liver, sardines, tuna, and cheese. Or you can opt for a vitamin D supplement if you can’t get enough of it from food sources. Studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency leads to hair loss in both men and women. In fact, there is a strong correlation between vitamin D levels and hair growth and thickness. 

Iron

Iron is another essential mineral that is important for healthy blood cells and hair growth. Lack of iron in the body is known as iron deficiency anemia, which causes weakness, fatigue, shortness of breath, headaches, dizziness, brittle nails, and hair loss. Anemia is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies in western countries. If you are suffering from iron deficiency, you will notice less shine and volume in your hair. Red meat is one of the best sources for iron, as well as beans and lentils, or you could take an iron supplement.

Zinc

Zinc is an essential mineral key to the production of new cells in the skin and scalp. Zinc deficiency leads to large patches of baldness on the scalp and hair breakage. One of the best sources for zinc is oysters but if you don’t like them too much, you can try other sources of zinc such as lamb chops, beef liver, cashews, almonds, and pumpkin seeds. 

Summary

Some people may be on the fence or just don’t think that your diet can affect your hair, this is simply not true! Of course, your genetics play a role in your overall health and well-being as well, but if you do not eat a healthy, balanced diet your health and well-being can decline. No matter how good your genes are, what we put into our bodies is important. Your body needs the right nutrition to function properly at all times and keep going. Nutrition and diet play a huge part when it comes to keeping your hair healthy and strong. If you feel like your diet is affecting the way you look, including your skin and hair then you should try adding some of these items into your diet. Not only will your skin begin to glow, your hair will begin to grow stronger, and you will also see how your health improves in general!