It’s no secret that when it comes to hair, we all want the same things: healthy, shiny hair that is easy to manage and maintain. The truth is that most of us are somewhere along our journey of trying to obtain that healthy, gorgeous hair but in the meantime, we are dealing with split ends, breakage, loss, and damaged hair.
Good news! You can get on the path to that healthy, bouncy, radiant hair that you desire today! Incorporating certain foods into your diet will nourish your body from the inside-out and will help bring your hair to its optimal health. Let’s take a look at those foods and their health benefits.
Nuts/Seeds
A lot of nuts and seeds are chock full of vitamin E, which is great for scalp health. When vitamin E oil is applied topically, you can eliminate flakiness and dryness from the scalp. Vitamin E also is known to assist in hair growth and will protect delicate scalp skin cells from the sun’s harmful UV rays. When hair is damaged from the sun’s rays, a person could experience hair loss and thinning, so it’s good to work at protecting the scalp. Adding in vitamin E into your diet is really easy. Simply eating 1oz of almonds or sunflower seeds gives you 1/3 of your daily dose of vitamin E. You can also get vitamin E by eating other seeds, leafy greens, avocado, and mango.
Liver
We know what you’re thinking – liver, ewww! Liver might not be for everybody, but you can’t deny the health benefits to your hair. Liver contains biotin as well as iron (an essential mineral for maintaining hair health). When a person is iron-deficient, follicle growth stops and hair may begin to fall out. Hair follicles and roots need iron because it’s a protein-rich blood supply. If eating liver isn’t your thing, try to incorporate these other iron-rich foods: spinach, seafood, beans, and beef.
Fish
As you’ve probably heard over the years, fish contain a huge amount of omega-3 fatty acids, which makes them the perfect food if you are trying to get in your omegas. Omega-3 fatty acids are vital to the hair because they are an anti-inflammatory, help to reduce hair loss, work to retain shine, and aim to keep hair healthy. Salmon, sardines, mackerel and other cold-water fish are the best sources of omega-3. Try to avoid swordfish and tuna because they contain higher levels of mercury and can lead to hair loss and other issues.
Eggs
Eggs are an amazing source of biotin. Biotin helps to strengthen hair follicles and when you are deficient in this B vitamin, you may experience hair loss. Egg yolks, organ meats, nuts, legumes, and avocados are all great foods that are abundant in biotin.
Carrots
When you incorporate fruits and vegetables that are orange in color, you are eating good sources of beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is very important to healthy hair because it stimulates the oil glands to produce sebum, a chemical known to keep hair shiny while reducing breakage and dryness. Try adding sweet potatoes, carrots, mangos, cantaloupe, and pumpkin into your diet to keep your beta-carotene level up.
Sometimes adding all the right foods will still leave your hair needing some additional help. Adding in the right hair products for your hair type will be key in maintaining healthy hair. At Authentically Branded, we offer hair care products for all hair types and textures. To browse our products.