Healthy hair - the vitamins and nutrients you need
For the healthiest, shiniest and most luxurious hair, instead of stepping into the shower step into the kitchen!
The foundation of our hair, for both new hair and aged hair and for both women and men, is all in the nutrients we put into our body each and every day. Following are nutritional tips to follow that support healthy hair growth:
1. Protein – Eating adequate amounts of protein is vital for healthy hair growth. Protein contains amino acids which are critical for the building of new cells, including hair. Protein is found in chicken, beef, fish, beans, eggs, pork and turkey. These protein rich foods have plentiful nutrients and vitamins such as iron, zinc and biotin which help not only to make your hair stronger, but also aids in warding off common problems like thinning hair and helps prevent hair from falling out.
2. Leafy green vegetables – dark leafy vegetables such as spinach, collards and kale contain numerous vitamins that are vital to healthy hair. In addition to containing vitamins, leafy vegetables also contain a lot of water which helps keep you hydrated and contributes to strong, shiny, healthy hair.
3. Zinc – foods such as peanuts, tomato sauce, eggs, bananas, papayas and carrots contain Zinc. Zinc stimulates faster hair growth by enhancing our bodies’ immune function.
4. Beta-carotene - This nutrient can be found in most natural orange foods, especially carrots and sweet potatoes. It is essential to hair growth because beta-carotene is used in the body to create vitamin A. Vitamin A helps increase the growth rate of nails, bone, skin and hair.
5. Water - Water is our body's most important nutrient, is involved in every bodily function, and makes up 70- 75% of our total body weight. Hair itself is one quarter part water. Drinking eight glasses a day will help keep you hydrated and prevent dry, brittle, "straw-like" hair.
So before you run off to the salon and waste money on unnecessary hair products designed to make your hair "look" healthy, REALLY make it healthy by considering what you put into your body...and not on your hair. |
