7 Nutrients to Boost Hair Health

Obtaining shiny, healthy hair isn’t just the result of great hair products, no-heat hairstyles, and expensive haircuts. With so many products on the market these days, your hair should be looking suave, but regardless of how much work goes into your luscious locks, your hair may still start to thin.

The average person will lose up to 100 strands per day, but how much hair is lost, and the pattern in which it disappears will vary from person to person. Hair loss can also be caused by different factors, such as stress, genetics, aging, medication, childbirth, and sudden weight loss. But even though this process is normal, can you combat hair loss and increase hair growth, boost hair health, and improve its’ overall strength?

While there are pills, supplements, and other gimmicks on the market, nothing will ever boost hair health quite like eating nutritious foods. Diet plays an important role in keeping your hair healthy, which means you can eat your way to strong, thick, and healthy locks by what you put on your plate! Here are seven nutrients that you should eat every day for better-looking hair.

Seven Nutrients to Boost Hair Health

#1 Iron. Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency in the world, but regardless of severity, studies have shown that iron deficiency can cause hair loss. Because iron supports the red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout your bloodstream, a lack of it may cause blood-flow to be less oxygen-rich. This can slow hair growth and even increase shedding or thinning. Another thing to look at is your serum ferritin (iron-binding protein) level, as this is considered to be a good indicator of total body iron stores and is relied upon as an indicator in hair loss studies. Since your body doesn’t naturally produce iron, it must be obtained from either supplements or diet, so it’s recommended to eat foods that are rich in iron (such as spinach, broccoli, legumes, fortified grains, red meat, and quinoa). However, if you don’t eat meat, you can boost iron absorption by pairing a plant-based source of iron with a vitamin C food source (like tomatoes).

#2 Vitamin D. Also known as “the sunshine vitamin”, vitamin D plays a role in immunity, bone health, cell growth, and hair health. Research shows that vitamin D plays a role in stimulating new and old hair follicles, so when there isn’t enough vitamin D in your system, new hair growth can be stunted. You can obtain vitamin D via sunshine, supplements or in your diet by eating foods such as fortified breakfast cereals, orange juice, yogurt, margarine, soy drinks, fatty fish, beef liver, cheese, and mushrooms.

#3 Zinc. Support healthy hair and cellular function by eating more zinc-rich foods. This essential nutrient helps the body synthesize proteins, supports normal cell function, and a deficiency has been identified as a key nutritional component in telogen effluvium hair loss and dry hair. Zinc deficiencies are uncommon, but heavy drinkers, vegetarians, people with digestive disorders, and pregnant or lactating women all have increased risk. Eat more shellfish, chickpeas, hemp seeds, cashews, and red meat to boost your zinc intake.

#4 Biotin. This may be the most hyped nutrient when it comes to hair health, but there is little scientific evidence that biotin improves hair, skin or nail health. However, it has been linked to keratin production which is known for making hair stronger. A biotin deficiency is rare, but you can always boost your intake with foods such as meat (including fish), nuts, seeds, eggs, sweet potatoes, and broccoli.

#5 Vitamin A. This nutrient is essential for all cellular growth, which also includes hair. Vitamin A produces an oily substance known as sebum, which helps to moisturize the scalp and keeps hair shiny and healthy. However, don’t overdo it; studies have shown that consuming too much or over-supplementing vitamin A can cause hair loss. When levels of vitamin A are too high, it disturbs homeostasis which is ultimately important for healthy hair. You can get vitamin A from supplements or food sources such as eggs, salmon, beef liver, carrots, peppers, and sweet potatoes.

#6 Selenium. This mineral is an understated one that has been found to be involved in creating hair, as newly forming hair takes up selenium after receiving trace elements from the blood. However, too much selenium can cause brittle hair and hair loss, along with nausea, skin rashes, and nervous system problems, so don’t take too much of it. You can obtain selenium in your diet through meat (including liver and fish), eggs, Brazil nuts, milk and other dairy products, breads, and cereals.

#7 Vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 helps promotes healthy hair growth by assisting in the production of oxygen-rich red blood cells, which feed hair follicles. Since vitamin B12 helps produce red blood cells, having enough of this vitamin is essential to the hair growth process. Since your body doesn’t naturally produce vitamin B12, it must be obtained from either supplements or diet, so it’s recommended to eat foods that are rich in vitamin B12 such as meat, eggs, poultry, dairy products, and other foods from animals. If you don’t eat meat or animal products, you will need to supplement.

What are some of your favorite foods to eat to keep your hair healthy? Let me know in the comments below.

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