There are many ways to promote healthy hair growth, and some of them are as easy as consuming the right foods. Getting the proper nutrients into your system can help to regulate your body’s natural hair growth cycles, curbing hair loss and ensuring that the hair you grow is thick, shiny, and healthy. The question is, which foods should you be eating? We’ve got 10 recommendations here, all of them worth making dietary staples.
Spinach (and other leafy greens). If you’re dealing with hair loss, or you notice excessive shedding, it may be due to an insufficiency of minerals. Spinach is loaded with the good stuff—iron, omega-3 acids, and even sebum, which is a kind of natural conditioner for the hair.
Salmon. Another potential cause of hair loss is inflammation. Keeping inflammation at bay can be accomplished by consuming anti-inflammatory foods—and the best of these is omega-3 fatty acids. Believe it or not, this is something your body cannot make for itself—but you can get plenty of omega-3s from eating fish, and especially salmon.
Oatmeal. Make this a regular breakfast item, because oats are packed with nutrients that promote hair growth—including iron, zinc, fiber, and even some more of those omega-3 fatty acids!
Eggs. Have you ever heard of biotin? It’s a B-vitamin that helps keep your nails from becoming too brittle. It is also one of the very best nutrients for promoting hair growth. One place you can get a good helping of biotin is in eggs.
Lean poultry (chicken, turkey, etc.). You need protein to help you grow muscles—and you also need it to help you grow hair. You’ll experience some natural hair shedding, but proteins help ensure that new hair grows to replace what you’ve lost. Lean poultry is one of the healthiest, richest sources of these important proteins.
Walnuts. There are various nuts, but walnuts in particular, that are rich in elastin, which helps keep your hair supple and strong. Eating walnuts can make your hair that much more resilient against breakage.
Sweet potatoes. Another important nutrient is beta carotene, which promotes the natural generation of sebum and keeps your hair from getting oily and dry. Orange-colored foods tend to have a lot of beta carotene; we recommend sweet potatoes most of all.
Mushrooms. Shitake mushrooms, in particular, give you a good amount of copper, which can actually help your hair to retain its natural color and pigmentation.
Greek yogurt. Another great, protein-rich food, this one will promote healthy blood flow to your scalp, which is invaluable for keeping your hair growing as it’s supposed to.
Cinnamon. Sprinkle some of this good stuff into your morning coffee, because it helps transport oxygen and other essential nutrients to your scalp.
A few changes to your diet may yield wonders for your hair—so add some of these items to your grocery list. Eat right—for your hair’s sake! And learn more about proper hair care by making an appointment with a Mane Image stylist.
