Organ meats like liver have iron in abundance. If your strands have seen better days—split ends, limited volume, and maybe even some patchy spots—you might start to wonder if there's anything you can do to turn things around. If you have nutrient deficiencies in protein, biotin, iron, and vitamin D, one of the first places you’ll notice is in your hair. Sweet potatoes are loaded with beta carotene, the precursor for vitamin A that not only promotes a healthy scalp but effectively promotes hair growth, too. Here, dermatologists share the best foods for hair growth you should be eating regularly. Other foods loaded with beta-carotene to include in your foods for hair growth are sweet potatoes and carrots. Get rid of pesky dimpling with these healthy, delicious dishes. Those red blood cells bring oxygen to your organs, including your skin and scalp. And as we’ve already discussed, protein is a key nutrient for hair health. Thankfully, research has shown that hair loss related to zinc deficiency can be reversed simply by eating more of the all-important nutrient. 15 Classic American Desserts That Deserve a Comeback, almonds are one of the best dietary sources of vitamin E. Sign up for our newsletter to get daily recipes and food news in your inbox! Growth can also be sparked by delivering stem cells to your scalp—and there are plenty of foods … Together, they may aid hair growth. A medium sweet potato (about 114 grams) contains enough beta-carotene to provide more than four times your daily vitamin A needs (18). Keeping an eye on your hair health can help you better address any issues before they start to get out of hand. 22. Is it thinning or getting patchy? And blueberries are rich in antioxidants, including vitamin B and proanthocyanidins. 45 Halloween Costume Ideas for Best Friends. 18. Some essential oils can improve the health of your hair with very little risk of side effects. A study in 120 women found that taking a supplement containing omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids as well as antioxidants reduced hair loss and increased hair density (15). The 5 Best Vitamins for Hair Growth (+3 Other Nutrients), How to Grow Hair Faster: 6 Tips for Growth, Debra Rose Wilson, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., IBCLC, AHN-BC, CHT, Debra Sullivan, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., CNE, COI. Beans are a great plant-based source of protein, which is essential to hair growth. Just a few little seeds can supply you with an abundance of vitamin E, which will enhance blood flow to the scalp and promote faster hair growth. So dig into your favorite citrus fruits, like this one. Summary Spinach is loaded with folate, iron, and vitamins A and C, which may promote hair growth. Women need to get about 50 grams of protein a day,” Mary Wendel, M.D., the medical director at Medi Tresse in Boston, Massachusetts. Conversely, adequate biotin intake—one serving of almonds, for example—can thicken hair and even stimulate new growth, leading to silky, strong strands. 17. But maybe it's due to the thick, protein-rich yogurt that Greeks and other cultures have been eating for hundreds of years. The recommended intake of iron is 13-18 milligrams per day.We need enough Iron to carry haemoglobin to each and every cell of the body. Vitamin E also protects areas of the skin, like the scalp, from oxidative stress and damage. It can also be affected by your age, state of health, exposure to chemicals or toxins (including nicotine), hormone levels, stress, weight gain and loss (especially repeatedly or drastic), and what you eat. Hair follicles have a growth stage that lasts around 1,000 days (almost 3 years), and then they rest for just over 3 months (100 days). Shrimp are popular shellfish rich in many nutrients that have the potential to promote hair growth. Lentils are rich in folic acid, which can help your body make red blood cells. Seaweed and sesame seeds are also great sources of copper. It’s a natural process. A deficiency in any of these nutrients has been linked to hair loss (9). Shop for sunflower, flax, and chia seeds online. Perhaps. Other good sources of biotin include almonds, avocados, and salmon. It could also be linked to “telogen effluvium,” the name for hair loss caused by a major life stressor, such as giving birth, a death in the family, a new job, or moving. In addition, avocado provides other hair-promoting nutrients like B6 and vitamins A, D, and E. Vitamin E, for example, offers potent antioxidants to support hair growth. A win-win. 25. Fatty fish, like salmon, herring, tuna and sardines offer protein, vitamin D, omega-3 fats and other hair-boosting components (like linoleum acid, an essential fatty acid) to “nourish the skin and thicken the fat layer around the hair follicle, resulting in healthier hair growth,” she adds. Avoid these foods that spike your appetite. Spirulina is high in protein and hair-growth-promoting magnesium, as well as copper. But what you eat is one of the few things you can do to control your hair's appearance. Like oysters, beans are a good source of zinc, which aids the hair growth and repair cycle. Avocado is also a source of biotin, so go ahead and add some creamy goodness to your salad, blend it in a shake, or pile it on top of toast. Summary Soybeans are one of the best sources of spermidine, a compound that may prolong the active phase of hair growth. Many of these nutrients may also promote hair growth. Hair is made up primarily of a protein called keratin, which also makes nails and is needed to form the outer layer of our skin. Then, look for foods like those above that provide … It also contains a wealth of nutrients, including vitamins A, B6, D, and E, says Taub-Dix. Results may take six months to a year to take their full effect. PRODUCTS ARE NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE. A deficiency in essential fatty acids has been linked to hair loss (25). Pumpkin Along with carrots and sweet … Research has also shown that consuming more biotin can help improve hair growth in people with a biotin deficiency (2). A lack of zinc in the diet may promote telogen effluvium, a common but reversible form of hair loss caused by a lack of nutrients in the diet (33). When converted to vitamin A, beta-carotene protects against dry, dull hair and stimulates the glands in your scalp to make an oily fluid called sebum. They also provide many other hair-healthy nutrients, including iron, biotin and folate (41). Don't like almond butter? Meat is a staple in many people’s diet and is rich in nutrients that may aid hair growth. “Eggs are a great source of protein and biotin, which are both important for healthy hair and growth,” Dr. Klein says. Eggs are an excellent source of those aforementioned omega-3s, and they are also contain biotin (which many people trying to grow their hair take in supplement form). Grapes are well known for their polyphenols, which have been shown to help reduce cell damage. Do not work. nearly six times your daily value of vitamin A, 12 Supplements That Will Make Your Hair Grow, 15 Legit Ways to Make Your Hair Grow Faster, The Best Clarifying Shampoos to Give Hair a Boost, Use These Shampoos If You Want Longer Hair. There is, however, one very controllable element that can make a difference: nutrition. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, 7 Latinx-Owned Curly Hair Brands to Support, 30 Amazing Products from Black-Owned Hair Brands, Tracee Ellis Ross Celebrates Beauty of Black Hair, Gabrielle Union Just Relaunched Her Hair Care Line, How Julissa Prado Self-Funded Her Beauty Empire, How to Use a Diffuser to Get Frizz-Free Curls.