7 Foods For Hair Growth You Should Be Eating Daily

Table Of Content

• Green Peppers
• Collagen
• Peppers
• Fatty Fish
• Best Nutrients for Healthy Hair

Certain evidence suggests that the right nutrients can aid in healthy, strong and shiny strands. But these do take longer to work, as supplements “must first be metabolized by the body and dispersed by the bloodstream to be beneficial,” says Dr. Shaver. And oral supplements may have more systemic side effects and interactions with other medications, so it’s especially important to check with your doctor before taking a supplement. One quick Google, and you're told to eat meat and fish to grow your hair.

Green Peppers

"Seaweed is an excellent source of iodine, which is necessary for a healthy thyroid, which is important in hair health," says St. Surin-Lord. In the same vein, green leafy vegetables are one of the best foods for hair growth. Rich in antioxidants, they'll ward off pesky free radicals that can damage your skin's natural collagen supply.

Collagen

Orange veggies like carrots and sweet potatoes contain beta-carotene, the precursor to vitamin A. While vitamin A is important for scalp health, it is important to note that an excess of vitamin A can actually impair hair growth, Dr. Camp warns. Anyone looking to prevent this might try a cold cap, a hat-like garment designed to protect the hair follicles from the effects of chemotherapy. Of course, you can find plenty of vitamin C in fruits like oranges, strawberries, and kiwi, but red bell peppers will easily knock your daily value out of the park with 95 mg per 1/2 cup. Plus, they also pack vitamin A and some iron, zinc, selenium, and folate, too. Dr. Wendel also recommends beans as another vegan-friendly source of iron and protein.

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Peppers

Interestingly, a vitamin D3 deficiency has been found to trigger hair loss. Kira and I are commonly asked about the best food for hair growth and thickness. Grains, such as whole wheat, barley, oats, quinoa, millet and spelt, provide a healthy helping of fiber and B vitamins as well as iron, zinc and silica. This could be because zinc helps with protein synthesis, cell growth and hair follicle development, per a January 2017 paper in ‌Dermatology Practical & Conceptual‌. With vitamin C’s important role in collagen production, and vitamin A’s role in sebum production, both vitamins do wonders for your scalp health. They are not medicines and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure diseases.

“Normally, up to 10 percent of your hair follicles are dormant at any given time. But nutrient deficiencies can cause your hair follicles to prematurely transition out of their growth phase, resulting in a higher percentage of follicles that are dormant,” says Yawitz. Oxidative stress plays a role in premature hair loss and can negatively impact hair health.

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"Healthy hair depends on certain nutrients, such as protein, biotin, vitamin A, and vitamin C," she says. Iron and omega-3 fatty acids are two other major players in the hair growth game, she adds. Here's why each nutrient is so important for staving off hair loss and promoting hair growth. Speaking of eggs, they're "are a great source of protein and biotin, two nutrients that are essential for hair growth,” says Gomer. They're also "a great source of zinc, selenium, and other hair-healthy nutrients. This makes them one of the best foods to consume for optimal hair health." Unprocessed, natural food sources are the best places to look for essential vitamins and nutrients in hair growth.

Best Nutrients for Healthy Hair

So, what foods can you add to your meal planning that will boost your intake of these helpful vitamins that support hair growth? Dr. Camp says that “unprocessed, natural food sources are the best places” to look for these vitamins and nutrients. Here, our hair and nutrition experts share specifically what you can start eating more of right now.

Vitamin C

The best way to get the nutrients that your body needs is to eat whole foods. Fish like salmon, sardines, mackerel, trout, pilchards, kipper, herring and eel are all high-quality sources of protein and essential fatty acids (EFAs) omega-3 and omega-6. B vitamins as a whole (there are several of them) and folate have been linked to hair loss prevention, biotin often receives the biggest spotlight when it comes to hair. Anyone who suspects that they have hair loss should see a dermatologist, who can identify the cause of thinning or shedding hair and recommend the right treatment.

Legumes (aka beans and lentils) are saturated with hair-improving vitamins and minerals like zinc, iron, and, most importantly, biotin. "Biotin strengthens the structure of keratin, which makes up the hair, skin, and nails," notes St. Surin-Lord. "It makes hair stronger, more resistant to breakage, and thicker in appearance." Legumes are a great source of protein—especially if you're vegetarian or vegan.

Eating leafy green vegetables like spinach provides iron and vitamin C together. Proteins, which play a key role in many bodily functions, are composed of smaller chemical building blocks called amino acids. The amino acids cysteine and methionine are especially important for hair growth because the body turns them into a protein called keratin, which hair, skin, and nails are made of (Goluch-Koniuszy, 2016). It was most likely so healthy looking due to his consumption of carrots, which provide an excellent source of vitamin A and promote a healthy scalp.

While large, rigorous trials are lacking on which foods directly influence hair growth, eating more of the nutrients that support healthy hair may help. With scalp boosting vitamins A and C, along with keratin-producing biotin, this combo is sure to support healthy hair growth. Nuts are a great source of some of the essential nutrients for hair growth — and almonds are no exception. Adding a sprinkle to your salads or eating a handful for a snack offers biotin and plenty of plant-based protein. Potential deficiencies linked to hair health include vitamins B12, D, E, A, and biotin, riboflavin, folate, zinc, and iron.

The amount and type of nutrients in a bell pepper depend on its color. Orange and red bell peppers have more vitamin A than green varieties, and peppers can lose vitamin C when they’re dried or frozen (Rahman, 2015). Spinach and other leafy green vegetables are excellent sources of micronutrients, like vitamin C and iron. Eggs are also a good source of other nutrients like selenium, zinc, B vitamins, and vitamins A, D, E, and K. Consuming dairy products that are low fat, like skim milk, cottage cheese, and yogurt, is an important component of your healthy hair journey.