Food for Healthy Hair

by Petra

When starting a new diet regime, it usually takes from 2 to 3 months to see results in your hair's condition, which means that patience and consistency is very important. It's also important to check with your doctor before starting any new vitamin or diet program, especially if you have health concerns.

Biotin

Biotin is used in cell growth, the production of fatty acids, metabolism of fats, and amino acids. It plays a role in the Krebs Cycle, which is the process in which energy is released from food.
Biotin is found in fish, liver, brewer's yeast, dairy products, whole grains, rice, egg yolks. Eat barley, oat, wheat or buckwheat, integral bread, and milk, and you'll more or less satisfy your daily need for biotin. Biotin supplements are often recommended as a natural product to counteract the problem of hair loss, but there are no studies yet made that show any benefits from biotin.
Biotin protects hair roots and prevents hair loss and premature baldness, and strengthens nails. The symptoms of biotin deficiency include hair loss, in severe cases loss of eye lashes and eye brows. Biotin also influences hair graying.
Some shampoos also contain biotin, but it is doubtful whether they have any effect, as biotin is not absorbed well through skin.
Recommended daily dose is between 150 and 300 mcg.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is found in green and yellow vegetables (spinach, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, apricots, peaches), dairy products (milk, cheese), fish liver oil, meat, eggs...
Organism that suffers from lack of vitamin A cannot regularly synthesize protein structures, which causes hair to be soft and brittle, and may remind of feathers. Vitamin A is crucial for hair growth and is known as antioxidant that helps produce healthy sebum in the scalp. But be careful with vitamin A consumption since it can cause hair loss if taken in too high dosages. Recommended daily dose is 5,000 IU; more than 25,000 IU daily is toxic and can cause hair loss and other serious health problems.

Vitamin B3 (Niacin)

Vitamin B3 is found in brewer's yeast, wheat germ, fish, chicken, turkey and meat. Vitamin B3 promotes scalp circulation. Recommended daily dose is 15 mg.

Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5)

Vitamin B5 is found in brewer's yeast, whole grain cereals, egg yolks and organ meats.
Vitamin B5 prevents hair graying and hair loss. Recommended daily dose is 4-7 mg.

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 is found in brewer's yeast, vegetables, whole grain cereals, egg yolks, liver and organ meats. Vitamin B6 prevents hair loss. It also helps create melanin, which gives hair its color. Recommended daily dose is 1.6 mg, but too high dosage can cause numbness in extremities.

Vitamin B12

As other vitamins of B group, vitamin B12 prevents hair loss.
B12 is found in fish, chicken, eggs and dairy products.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is found in green peppers, tomatoes, dark green vegetables (lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, parsley...), citrus fruits (lemon, oranges), strawberries, kiwi, cantaloupe, pineapple.
Vitamin C is important for healthy hair because it enables better circulation around hair roots, which enables nutritive substances to reach hair easier. In short, vitamin C is antioxidant that helps maintain skin and hair health. Recommendable daily dose is 60 mg.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is found in cold-pressed vegetable oils, wheat germ oil, soybeans, raw seeds and nuts, dried beans, and leafy green vegetables. Recommendable daily dose is up to 400 IU. Before taking any vitamin E supplements, consult your doctor, especially if taking high blood pressure medication or anticoagulants. Vitamin E can namely raise blood pressure and reduce blood clotting.

Amino-acids: cystine and methionine

Cystine is important for keratin synthesis- protein found in skin, hair and nails. Keratin plays an important role in energy metabolism and fatty acids synthesis. Methionine is the scarcest of the amino acids. Its sulphur content makes it important for skin and nail growth, fat reduction into the body and liver. It also helps prevent fatigue and depression. It is important for healthy hair, nails, skin, and taurine, lecitine, and endorfine synthesis. Both, cystine and methionine strengthen roots, and improve growth and hair quality.
Thus, eat soy, because it contains proteins, which prevent creating dihydrotestosterone- hormone responsible for development of baldness.

Sulfur

100 g hair ‘need’ approximately 5 mg sulfur. Lack of sulfur in nutrition influences hair poorly. Thus, eat all kind of onions, because they are rich in sulfur. Sulfur is also present in fruits, vegetables, milk and grains. And since sulfur is destroyed by cooking, eat as much fresh food as possible.
Sulfur advances scalp and hair conditioning, enhances hair growth and improves hair and skin tone.

SYNDICATE FEED