We’ve all heard that hair products can give us shiny, gorgeous locks, but what’s really important for healthy-looking strands is a well-rounded diet. Experts recommend focusing on nutrient-rich foods instead of supplements.
Green leafy vegetables like kale and spinach are rich in vitamin A, folate, calcium and iron — all vital for healthy follicles. Legumes are also a good source of biotin, which is essential for hair strength and growth.
1. Salmon
What you eat has a big impact on your body, including your hair. Having an abundance of nutrients that support healthy growth and gorgeous locks are key.
Salmon is full of the hair-growing omega-3 fatty acids that your body can’t make and needs to get from food sources. It also offers protein, selenium and other vitamins and minerals.
Other nutrient-rich foods include sardines, mackerel and tuna. These oily fish are packed with protein, vitamin D and other hair-healthy fatty acids, as well as zinc, which encourages cell growth and helps prevent dandruff. The same goes for walnuts, which are a good source of biotin (a B vitamin that promotes cell growth). Sweet potatoes have beta carotene, an antioxidant that the body turns into vitamin A, which is important for healthy scalp and skin. It’s also what gives orange fruits and veggies like carrots, pumpkins and mangoes their color.
2. Walnuts
Walnuts are a powerhouse of nutrients that can make your hair strong and healthy. Rich in biotin, vitamin E, omega 3s, omega 6s and omega 9s and protein, they nourish your hair, reduce dandruff and make them stronger and thicker.
They are also a great source of zinc and magnesium, which help with the production of amino acids that aid in hair growth. Moreover, they are an excellent source of potassium which helps in reducing puffiness and bloating and improves your skin tone. You can even use walnut oil for your hair to prevent dandruff, and make it stronger and healthier over time. The fatty acids in walnuts will strengthen your hair strands and prevent breakage. These benefits can be further enhanced if you apply walnut oil on your scalp on a regular basis.
3. Oysters
Oysters are rich in Zinc, a mineral essential for hair growth & keeping the oil glands around the hair follicles working properly. A deficiency of zinc can cause dandruff, slow hair growth and even hair loss.
They are also a source of B vitamins, iron and omega-3 fatty acids. Other zinc rich foods include crab, lean beef, clams, chicken, eggs and whole grains.
Seaweed (dulse, wakame) is another excellent source of zinc. It can be eaten fresh, dried as a snack or added to omelets and salads. Beware that some types of seaweed can contain high levels of iodine, so be careful if you are on a low-iodine diet.
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4. Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are filled with good-for-you antioxidants like beta carotene, which your body turns into vitamin A. This vitamin helps protect against dry, dull hair by encouraging the glands to make sebum, an oily fluid that keeps scalp follicles healthy and hydrated.
It also contains nutrients like vitamin C and folate. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that can help prevent oxidative stress, which may contribute to hair loss. Folate is a B vitamin that supports healthy hair growth.
You can mash up sweet potato and apply it to your scalp or hair as a mask. This nourishing treatment will give you shiny, voluminous locks! You can also add yogurt, honey and olive oil for extra nourishment. Try to use it twice a week. Make sure to rinse your face thoroughly afterwards. Avoid using it on sensitive skin.
5. Spinach
A natural beauty product, spinach is packed with nutrients that promote hair growth. It contains Vitamin A, beta carotene, folate and iron. Vitamin A converts to retinol in the body and helps maintain healthy oil production, keeping your scalp and mane moisturized.
Folate stimulates keratin production, a protein that prevents hair loss and promotes healthy hair growth. Spinach also contains enzymes that boost blood circulation to the scalp, helping with hair growth.
Lentils are high in zinc, iron, niacin and vitamin B5. Buckwheat is rich in manganese, zinc, magnesium and folic acid. Add these foods to your diet and you’ll be on your way to healthy locks!
6. Guava
Guava is a great summer fruit with lots of nutrients. It boosts collagen production within the scalp which can lead to thicker looking locks and it also works as a natural hair conditioner. It is rich in Vitamin C and other antioxidants that help protect your hair from damage.
Guava leaves have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antifungal properties. They can help treat dandruff in a short time. They can also help prevent hair breakage by strengthening the roots and reducing frizzy, dry and dull looking hair.
Boil half a cup of guava leaves in one litre of water. Let it cool and strain the solution. Use this as a substitute for your regular shampoo and rinse off with lukewarm water. Repeat this on a daily basis for best results. Ensure that you avoid this solution if you have an allergy to guava.
7. Eggs
Eggs are a hair-friendly superfood that contain vitamin B-complex, biotin and folate. Moreover, they also help in reducing hair fall and increase the strength of the hair roots. They are a powerhouse of protein, selenium, iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium and phosphorous.
If you have a greasy scalp, massaging egg yolk on your head can balance the sebum and offer moisturising benefits. On the other hand, egg whites contain bacteria-eating enzymes that can keep the scalp fresh and clean.
Try to opt for free range eggs as they are full of vitamin D, a key nutrient for healthy hair. Moreover, they are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids that can maintain a regular hair cycle and promote shiny and strong tresses. Other foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids include oily fish, avocados, nuts and seeds.
8. Papaya
Papaya is a rich source of proteolytic enzymes like papain and chymopapain as well as vitamins A and C with antioxidant characteristics. It also nourishes the scalp and strands of hair immensely. It promotes the production of sebum, your body’s natural oil that keeps tresses conditioned. It also reduces hair fall and combats dandruff and flaking.
Add a few slices of raw papaya along with half a cup of yoghurt to form a paste. Apply this on your hair, starting from the roots to the ends. Leave it on for 30 minutes and then wash it off. Papaya is an excellent natural conditioner. It is a must-have in your skin and hair care regimen!
9. Legumes
You may not think of beans and lentils when you consider hair-healthy foods, but they are loaded with protein and iron. Try adding a half-cup serving to your meals to promote healthy hair.
Also, legumes are a great source of lysine, an amino acid that helps with iron absorption. A study published in the journal Clinical and Experimental Dermatology found that lysine-iron supplementation helped some women with chronic thinning hair and alopecia.
A diet low in protein can lead to dry and brittle hair, so choose chicken, turkey, fish and dairy products for your proteins. You should also add beans and nuts to your meals. Seeds like flax seeds, chia seeds and pumpkin seeds are also rich in zinc and other nutrients that encourage healthy hair. You can add them to salads, smoothie bowls and soups.
10. Pumpkin
Pumpkin seeds are loaded with nutrients that help support healthy hair. They are rich in cucurbitacin, an amino acid that reduces inflammation on the scalp, as well as potassium, magnesium, zinc and iron, all essential to healthy hair.
They also contain phytosterols, which block enzymes and hormones (like DHT, the primary cause of hair loss) and promote regrowth. If you are struggling with thinning hair, try adding more of these to your diet and see if they make a difference.
You can eat these foods in their raw form or use them as a nourishing hair mask. For example, mix mashed pumpkin flesh with a carrier oil and apply to your locks for 30 minutes before washing it out thoroughly with sulfate free shampoo and conditioner. This nourishing treatment can be done once a week for the best results.
