Wellness
How To Eat For Healthy Hair:
Just like skin, the condition of your hair is an outward sign of inside health. The cells that make up hair require a regular supply of key nutrients.
Since hair is made of protein, making sure you have enough protein in your diet is important for healthy hair. Low protein diets cause dry, brittle, weak hair and may result in less hair growth and even hair loss.
Iron is an especially important mineral for hair; too little iron is a major cause of hair loss. The hair follicle and root are fed by a nutrient rich blood supply. When iron levels fall below a certain point, you may experience anaemia. This disrupts the nutrient supply to the follicle, affecting the hair growth cycle and can result in shedding. Red meat, chicken and fish provide iron with a high bioavailability, meaning the iron is readily available to the body. Vegetarians can raise their iron stores by including lentils, spinach and other leafy green vegetables such as broccoli, kale and salad greens.
Vitamin C helps the absorption of iron so it is good to eat together with iron-rich foods. The best sources are blueberries, broccoli, kiwi, oranges, papaya, strawberries and sweet potatoes. Vitamin C helps the production of collagen which strengthens the capillaries that supply the hair shafts.
Omega-3 fatty acids are important fats our body cannot make, so must be obtained through diet. Omega-3s are found in the cells that line the scalp and also provide the oils that keep your scalp and hair hydrated. In foods like oily fish and plant sources like avocado, pumpkin seeds and walnuts.
Vitamin A is needed by the body to make sebum. Sebum is an oily substance created by our hairs sebaceous glands and provides a natural conditioner for a healthy scalp. Without sebum we may experience an itchy scalp and dry hair. Found in orangey coloured vegetables which are high in beta-carotene (which makes vitamin A) such as carrots, pumpkins and sweet potatoes.
A good diet but also a poor one will make changes to your hair around 6 months down the line.
