Aside from cleaning, conditioning, and using products to make your hair silky and shiny, your diet also plays a huge role in its health. Here are some essential vitamins and minerals you'll need for strong tresses.
- Iron-rich foods such as lentils, potatoes with skin, peanuts, sunflower seeds, tofu, molasses, flaxseed, oysters, beef, chicken, shrimp, and trout are necessary for strong hair.
- Foods rich in zinc such as walnuts, salmon, cashews, pecans, almonds, and oysters can help prevent hair loss.
- Foods that contain biotin such as beans and eggs can prevent brittle hair.
- Foods rich in selenium like nuts are necessary for a healthy scalp.
To see the other four foods read more.
- Foods rich in vitamin B12 promote healthy hair, so get at least 2.4 micrograms a day by including foods such as chicken, shellfish, yogurt, cottage cheese, and eggs.
- Carbs such as whole grains and fruit are necessary every day. Low-carb diets can contribute to thinning hair.
- Foods rich in vitamin A such as cheese, eggs, carrots, spinach, and foods rich in vitamin C such as citrus fruits and tomatoes are needed to produce sebum, your body's natural conditioner.
- Calcium-rich foods such as milk, yogurt, cheese, broccoli, sesame seeds and spinach are needed for hair growth. They also contain protein which prevents brittle hair.
Bunny Hug
Lee Angel
Levi's
Good to know. I went through a phase where my hair was really dry and brittle and once I started eating more zinc and taking fish oil pills, it's been really shiny.
Has anyone heard anything about taking biotin supplements? I've thought about taking them when I don't get enough biotin in my diet but if they don't do anything I'm not going to waste my money on them.
1I can attest to the food rich in biotin deal. I use to use shampoos and conditioners that were rich in Biotin - they were nice but a few months before I had gastric bypass surgery I met up with some women who had already had the surgery. They had lost there hair or their hair thinned out a lot post-op. They all told me to immediately start taking Biotin supplements orally. So not wanting to lose my hair or have it break off from malnutrition I started taking 500mcg daily.
Instead of losing my hair I gained more volume and length. For the last two almost three years my hair has grown even more luscious, longer and faster than ever before. Apparently, my hair has it's own fan club (from my aunts and sister to my stylist to people at the support groups). Every one wants to know why my hair is so shiny and healthy and say that I cleaned up my diet, drink enough fluids, don't wash it daily or even weekly and oh yeah I take a multivitamin and a biotin supplement.
Even my hairless sister is now taking a biotin supplement so that when her hair returns it grows in thicker and stronger than before.
You do have to be careful with biotin though because too much biotin can affect kidney function and cause stones.
2I eat a lot of ALL of these [except shrimp, I'm allergic]!
I can attest to the biotin difference. My hair has always been very fine, and was usually quite brittle. I started taking biotin supplements a few months ago, and my hair is finally not stringy - and it's growing!
3I eat most of these foods everyday (religiously). I've been eating this way for the last several years. My hair is thick and healthy. My Mom loves my hair. She told me to "never" cut it. Never cut it? Does she expect me to grow my hair to the floor??
4Minus the animal foods, I eat these everyday. No wonder my hair is so nice.
5I have a mysterious problem with my hair. It has been falling out non-stop since November '07. I was on a very low fad diet a couple of months before and lost 25 - 30 pounds. I have been to a dermatologist and Gastro Dr. who have not been able to pin point why my hair keeps falling out. I have had my vitamins and minerals tested and all is fine. Other blood work has been done and still can't figure out why. Had my thyroid tested and came back fine. Does anyone know what I can do or what it is???? Im going crazy because I hardly have any hair left. HELP!!!!
6Hey, Audrina. You may have a disease called alopecia. I've suffered from it for years, and it makes your hair fall out. No one really knows what causes it (it's believed to be genetic, but hormones and stress and other mysterious factors often contribute to it). My case sometimes almost seems to go away, and other times it's terrible. Right now it's quite bad, and I don't really know why. It's usually treated with cortisone injections into the scalp, and sometimes I take oral prednisone as well. I also regularly use topical steroids. I hope this helps. Good luck.
7Wow I've never heard of biotin! Think I'm gonna go get some. I have really thick hair but it grows SO slowly! I also color but it def causes breakage. Good info!
8I really wish I could take biotin, but I tried taking it last year and it made me break out all over my forehead! I stopped taking it, and my forehead is clear again. It's such a bummer, because my hair is really thin and brittle. Thanks for the food recommendations though!
9i've been getting compliments on my hair ever since i first grew it out of the horrific bowl cut my mother gave me as a child, but i guess i took its natural strength for granted and neglected it to the point of damage =[ but i've been paying extra attention to it lately by eating foods like this, watching how much heat i expose it to, going easy on the chems etc etc. results have been really good!
10Your source does not work. Stealing articles is not advisable...
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