Essential Nutrients For Hair

Many people see healthy hair as a sign of beauty, they use a lot of products to maintain the health of the hair. Our expert, Dr. Sailaja Surapaneni, MD Dermatology explains the food and nutrients to be included in the diet for improved hair growth.

When we see those hair oil or shampoo advertisements, probably 90% of us wish we had such long, thick and shiny hair too like the model in those ads. The hair quantity and quality differ from person to person and certain environmental factors. However, we usually fail to understand how our diet can also affect our hair growth. Our expert, Divya Gupta, Consultant Nutritionist and Diabetes Educator says, “Nutritional deficiencies can contribute to increased hair shedding by weakening hair shafts that cause breakage to the hair and slow regrowth. Hair problems caused by nutritional deficiencies can be corrected by a proper diet”.

Dr. Sailaja Surapaneni, MD Dermatology, Hyderabad explains some nutrients that are good for hair growth and our nutritionist Divya tells us some foods containing them.

Vitamin A
Vitamin A helps to promote the growth and health of cells and tissues throughout the body. It promotes a healthy scalp as well.

• Red, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables
• Sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, spinach
• Consume carrot juice daily for quick hair growth
• Vitamin A from animal sources such as milk, liver, fish oil, eggs, yoghurt

Vitamin B
Vitamin B regulates the secretion of natural oils, which is helpful for healthy and soft hair.

• Whole grains, almond, legumes
• Eggs and dairy products, meat and seafood
• Fruits and dark green leafy vegetables
• B12 is found mostly in animal foods so if you’re a vegetarian, consult a physician for vitamin B supplement

Iron
Iron deficiency causes hair loss. Therefore, including iron in our diet is important not just for healthy hair, but also to prevent other health issues.

• Spinach and other dark green leafy vegetables
• Eggs, red meat, lentils, etc.

Zinc
Zinc deficiency can be one of the reasons for hair loss. It is helpful for the growth of hair tissue and ensures proper functioning of the oil glands.

• Spinach, legumes
• Red meat

Proteins
Protein is also necessary for healthy scalp and hair. Divya says, “Hair is made up of protein and is important for hair growth. Eggs are the richest source”

• Eggs, cottage cheese (paneer)
• Chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils, peas
• Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds

Nutritionist Divya tells us that two more vitamins i.e. vitamin C and E are also beneficial.

Vitamin C

Our body needs vitamin C to create a protein called collagen and helps in iron absorption. Iron is important for hair growth.

• Lemon, amla (gooseberry), strawberries, guava
• Red and yellow bell peppers
• Oranges and all the other citrus fruits

Vitamin E
Vitamin E improves blood circulation and helps follicles work more efficiently. The antioxidant properties in vitamin E helps reduce oxidative stress and is helpful in hair growth.

• Sunflower seeds, almonds
• Spinach, avocados. You can add avocados to your salad, make guacamole, smoothies, etc.

Dr. Sailaja recommends 7 superfoods for healthy hair, which are:

1. Fish
2. Honey (for topical application)
3. Nuts and Seeds
4. Spinach
5. Oysters
6. Oils (sesame, pumpkin, coconut and rosemary oil)
7. Seaweed

They both suggest drinking plenty of water throughout the day. Nutritionist Divya adds, “Water supports vitamins which contribute to hair growth and dehydration can halt hair growth. Drink at least 2-3 litres of water a day”.

Therefore, apart from all these vitamins, minerals and proteins, it is important to avoid styling your hair as much as possible. “Avoid using hair chemicals or hair dyes as they may break the hair shafts. Also, avoid massaging too much” says Dr. Sailaja. Hence, having a healthy diet, shutting the doors for chemicals, being stress free and using more natural products are some of the best ways for having healthy hair.