Women are ready to do anything to keep their hair strong and healthy. For that, they are ready to try out all different kinds of shampoos, conditioners, hair oils and many other products. But after a while, you realize that all these do not work. What actually works is the right kind of diet and all the necessary vitamins. We tend to forget that our hair and their health depends on what we eat and how nutritious our food is. Having a well balanced diet helps in having a longer and better hair life. Naturally available vitamins are the best for hair. Dietary supplements that are marketed for thickening the hair and fast growth generally backfires. The hair fall is generally due to lack of vitamins intake in food. Here are some of the top foods that help you in keeping your hair healthy.
Green vegetables
We always hear that green vegetables are a good source of vitamin A and C. The reason they are essential for a healthy hair is because, vitamin A and C help the body to produce sebum that in turn keeps the hair healthy. They even provide iron and calcium. Green vegetables include broccoli, lettuce, Swiss chard and spinach.
Spinach alone is the best health food for long hair locks. Its nutritional profile has beta-vitamin E and B6, carotene and also folate. The iron that it contains helps the body to carry oxygen to hair in order to maximize the iron absorption intake, vitamin C in your meals.
Lettuce is another green leafy vegetable that is not only low calorie, but is also an excellent source of nutrients like iron, vitamin C, folate. All these nutrients promote the health of your hair. When you buy lettuce, make sure that you buy only the organic ones as those grown conventionally are highly contaminated in terms of chemical content and pesticide
Beans
Beans are available in variety of legumes and they come in various sizes, shapes and colors. All the varieties are highly nutritious and must be a part of hair care plan. Beans contain proteins that enhance hair growth along with other minerals and vitamins like biotin, iron and zinc that are very hair friendly. Biotin is very important for people who have brittle hair. Beans cause a lot of intestinal gas, so add them to your diet gradually if your current diet is low on it. Legumes like lentils and beans are very important for your hair care diet.
Dairy products
Dairy products like milk and yogurt are good sources of calcium which is very necessary for hair growth. But these dairy products must be low fat. They also contain casein and whey that are high protein sources. You can have cottage cheese or yogurt as a snack any time of the day. Combine a table spoon on flax seeds or even walnut with them in order to increase zinc and fatty acids intake of the body.
Salmon
Salmon is the best food that is packed with nutrients that enhance the beauty quotient. It is loaded with vitamin B-12, iron and omega 3 fatty acids that help in supporting the health of the scalp. Deficiency of omega 3 can lead to dry scalp and leads to a dull looking hair.
Vegetarians, do not bother, just add 2-3 table spoons of flax seeds (grounded) in you diet daily and you get your omega 3 fats.
Eggs
Eggs are the best source of proteins and hence best for hair, The protein that it contains is easily digestible and also gets absorbed by the body. Along with the soy proteins, egg white also contains highest values of Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) as compared to other foods. The proteins that are in-digested from eggs are completely absorbed by the body. Apart from this, eggs contain many nutrients like vitamin B12, B2, iron, sulphur and folate.
Poultry
Poultry birds like turkey and chicken have high quality proteins that help in hair growth. They also provide iron that has very high degree of bio-availability, hence the body can reap its benefits immediately.
Oysters
Although oysters are known as aphrodisiac, they can also provide you with healthy hair. The main reason is the key ingredient, zinc that is a strong antioxidant. If you are not able to procure oysters on regular basis, it can be supplemented by whole grains and also beef and lamb.
Nuts and carrots
Walnuts help you in conditioning your hair as it contains alpha-linolenic acid, which is a type of omega 3 fatty acids. They also contain zinc that helps you from hair fall.
Brazil nuts is the best source of nature’s selenium. Adding chopped Brazil nuts to your salad is the best way to increase the nutrients in your diet. Since they are high in calorie, they must be consumed in moderation.
Other nuts that contain zinc are almonds, cashews and pecans.
Carrots are not only necessary for eyes but also for hair growth. They contain a large amount of vitamin A that helps the scalp to be healthy. Healthy scalp in turn leads to healthy hair. Carrots are best taken either as snacks or in salads.
Prunes and oats
Dried prunes are rich in both copper and zinc and hence best to be included in the diet for having a healthy hair. Although body needs very small amount of copper, this is very vital for proper functioning of the body. Correct amount of copper helps in preventing hair loss and also prevents the hair from premature graying. Zinc helps the body to produce new cells and hence gives a rich shine to the hair.
Oats act as a very healthy breakfast supplement and has a good amount of zinc, copper and vitamin B. But the only necessary step to be taken before consuming oats is to soak the grain for many hours as untreated oats contain phytic acid that prevents the absorption of minerals like zinc, calcium, copper, iron and so on in the intestine. Soaking it will break down the acid and increase the nutritional value of the grain.