Welcome to a journey where your plate and your hairbrush join hands to achieve the common goal of healthy hair! Ever wondered how the food you eat could have a starring role in your hair’s health? Get ready to uncover the connection between nutrition and those fabulous locks you’ve always wanted. In this blog, we’ll explore the vital role of nutrition in maintaining vibrant, strong, and envy-worthy hair.

Here are five foods that help hair growth

Berries: Berries are rich in vitamins and compounds that are beneficial for hair growth. Vitamin C acts as a potent antioxidant that protects hair follicles from damage and free radicals. It also acts as a protein (collagen) that prevents hair from becoming brittle.

Nuts: Almonds, cashew nuts, and walnuts should be your go-to snacks if you want to improve the length and quality of your mane. All these have Biotin or vitamin B7 that helps in making hair grow longer and thicker. Snacking on nuts is one of the healthiest habits. Not just hair health, nuts reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and inflammation in the body. An ounce of nuts provides an impressive 27% of daily vitamin E needs.

Chia and Flax Seeds: Both these seeds will add bulk to your smoothies. You could munch on these as if smoothies are not your cup of tea. They are supremely beneficial if long, healthy and shiny hair in monsoon. They are low in calories and can be easily added to your diet. Even sunflower seeds are an excellent choice.

Spinach: Think twice before you turn away from that bowl of greens, specifically spinach. Loaded with vitamins A, C, iron, and folate, spinach is at the top of the pyramid of foods that promote hair growth. In many cases, iron deficiency leads to hair loss. Having spinach and greens ensures that the protein and iron demands are met.

Sweet Potatoes: Sweet potatoes are abundant in beta-carotene. It gets converted to Vitamin A in the body, and this boosts hair health. A medium-sized sweet potato has enough beta-carotene to provide more than four times the daily Vitamin A requirement. Vitamin A produces Sebum which maintains hair health.

Other Tips For Hair Growth

We’ve included food for healthy hair growth in our list above. Apart from improving your nutrition to prevent hair loss and boosting your protein levels regularly, there are more things you can do. While increasing your intake of the best foods for hair growth, here are a few science-based tips to try:  

• Clean and Stimulate- An inflamed, dry, itchy scalp can build up dry skin and dandruff, which will limit or obstruct healthy hair. Inflammation particularly chokes the hair follicles, which slows down or entirely prevents the hair from growing. Inflammation can be caused due to dirt, dandruff, excessive oils or even sensitive skin. Use gentle cleaning products on your scalp and massage the scalp regularly. For massaging the scalp, you can use your fingertips or an electronic massager. 
• Growth Supplements- While many products exist on the market, not all of them work or are based on science. However, collagen and biotin are two substances that are essential for hair growth. If you find a supplement that contains these two, then it should help to support healthy hair. 
• Damage Protection- Apart from stimulating and encouraging longer hair, you need to protect your existing hair length. Here are a few things to watch for:
  • Hair loss is normal and natural, you only need to worry about excessive or abnormal hair loss
  • Tight hairstyles can cause damage to the hair strands and follicles, this becomes more damaging when the same hairstyle is repeated. This causes pressure and damage to build up in one spot resulting in hair thinning. Avoid tight, damaging hairstyles and change your style regularly. 
  • Avoid brushing your hair vigorously, it can cause split ends and damage the strands. Start by brushing gently from the tips and steadily move up towards the hair roots.
  • Use only gentle, healthy shampoos and hair products when you shower. Additionally, massage and wash your hair gently; otherwise, you risk getting your hair into knots. 
  • Moisturise your hair with a hair care treatment of your choice, this may include a conditioner (during or after shower), hair oil (such as coconut oil), hair masks or other options. 
  • Daily heat treatment (such as from hair straighteners/curlers, and blow dryers) can lead to damaged hair. Try to avoid daily use of this styling method. 

Consult a dermatologist for hair or scalp-related problems. Do not waste time trying home remedies as some scalp issues may require medical attention. Follow a healthy diet, sleep well, exercise regularly, manage stress and stay happy!

Along with these foods, try our new haircare products that help in attaining smooth, shiny and long hair!

Also Read: 5 irritating scalp conditions in women.

Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information and before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof.

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References

1. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168483/nutrients
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27559512/
3. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170567/nutrients
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6380979/
5. https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/hair-scalp-care/hair