As having thick, shiny and long hair is the dream of almost everyone in this world. So in this article I will let you know about 5 types of foods that are extremely helpful in maintaining a healthy hair.
Your hair cells are the second fastest-growing cells in your body, second only to intestinal cells. But because hair is not a vital organ or tissue, your body will never prioritize its nutritional needs. So, due to hair’s expendable nature, a nutritional imbalance will often show up first in the form of hair loss. Your hair cells, as well as the cells throughout your body, need a balance of proteins, complex carbohydrates, iron, vitamins and minerals to function at their best.
There are a number of foods that contain essentials nutrients that will maximize your hair's potential for growing healthily and looking beautiful, and these right nutrients can help to promote hair growth, especially if you are experiencing hair loss due to poor nutrition.
Since hair follicles are among the most metabolically active in the body, the hair growth is impacted by calorie and protein malnutrition as well as micronutrient deficiency, so in this video we will look at the 5 types of the best foods that contain these essential nutrients.
1) Iron
Iron deficiency is the world’s most common nutritional deficiency and is a well-known cause of hair loss. Foods rich in iron include veggies like spinach, legumes, tofu, chickpeas and collard greens. Nuts like almonds, cashews and pistachios. Non-vegetarian sources are good sources of iron, as they contain heme iron, which is more easily absorbed. Sources include chicken breast, lean meat, fish, beef, liver, egg yolks etc. Vegans and vegetarians are also at higher risk for iron deficiency, as their requirements for dietary iron are considered to be 1.8 times higher than for meat consumers. Non-heme iron, found in plants, has a lower bioavailability than heme iron, found in meat and fish
2) Zinc
Zinc is an essential mineral required by hundreds of enzymes, so it has an important role in protein synthesis and cell division. It is therefore a critical component for development of hair follicle. Zinc rich foods include Pumpkin seeds, Sesame seeds, watermelon seeds, red Meat, Shellfish, Nuts like almonds and cashews and vegetables like Spinach and mushrooms
3) Biotin
Biotin aka vitamin B7 or vitamin H is an important vitamin for hair follicle growth as it is required for protein synthesis. It is also important for proper development of your nails. Symptoms of deficiency include skin rashes, conjunctivitis and hair fall. Foods like Eggs, Almonds, cheese, sweet potatoes, Mushrooms, spinach and legumes are great sources of vitamin b7 or biotin. Biotin and zinc deficiencies are a very common reason for Diffuse hair loss. So, if you are suffering from excessive hair loss you should consider using zinc and biotin supplementation
4) Omega Fatty acids
Omega fatty acids, especially omega-3 and omega-4 fatty acid deficiency is also very common and leads to symptoms like graying of hair and loss of scalp hair since these fatty acids are very important for hair follicle growth. Fatty fish like salmon, herring and mackerel are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Fatty fish is also a great source of protein, selenium, vitamin D3 and B vitamins, nutrients that may help promote strong and healthy hair. Additionally, you can consider supplementation with omega fatty acids too
5) vitamin D
Data from animal studies suggests that vitamin D plays a critical role in hair follicle growth cycle. Vitamin D receptors are particularly increased during the growth phase of the hair follicle. Deficiency of vitamin D is very common and risk factors for vitamin D deficiency include inadequate sun exposure, dark skin, obesity, gastric bypass, and fat malabsorption. Food sources of vitamin D include whole Milk, Cheese, butter, eggs, nuts like almonds, fishes like tuna, sardines, salmon and mackerels. Also make sure to give 10-15 minute of sun exposure every day as that is essential to convert the vitamin D present in your body into its active form
So these were the 5 types of nutrients that are essential for healthy hair and also to prevent hair loss. Hope this article has increased your knowledge and will help you a lot
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