5 foods for healthy hair

Like the skin, the body’s largest organ, it’s also very important to nourish the hair from the inside out. Our hair follicles are also part of the skin organ. Essentially, any organ is made up of cells, and in this case, stem cells are the ones in charge of hair production. Like all living cells, hair follicles require good nourishment in order to have a healthy growth. Therefore, just like eating well is important for glowing and healthy skin, the hair is also a byproduct of good nourishment. Of course, there are beauty products that you can apply on your hair that can help give you shiny hair, but, what’s really going to make a difference is how well you take care of yourself on the inside. A smoker, for example, who leads an unhealthy lifestyle will have dry, brittle hair.

For the optimum growth of healthy hair, there are several foods you should be including in your diet that will nourish your hair from the inside out. Include these in your diet on a regular basis, and you’ll see that over time, your hair will become stronger, shinier, thicker and will grow faster too.

5 foods to include in your diet for healthy hair

1. Healthy Fats

Healthy fats are crucial for healthy hair. Healthy fats like chia seeds, nuts, avocado, sesame oil, amongst others, are full of omega-3 fatty acids, which promote circulation, allowing for the maximum nutrition to get to your hair follicle. They’re also full of other healthy fats that nourish the hair.

2. Greens

Including green vegetables, such as spinach, kale, broccoli and rocket, in your diet is very important for hair health. Healthy hair requires sufficient amount of vitamins, minerals and protein. Green vegetables are full of these and also include phytonutrients and antioxidants. They also supply a wide array of beauty building vitamins like vitamins A, C, E, and K, all essential for radiant hair. A good way to include these in your diet is by making a green smoothie in the morning or a green smoothie bowl.

3. Seeds

Vitamin B is crucial for the growth of healthy hair. Seeds are an important food group to include in the diet. Pumpkin seeds for example, are rich in vitamin B and also contain biotin (maybe you’ve heard of biotin shampoos?) which promotes the growth of strong, shiny hair, as well as increases the growth production of hair.

4. Beta-carotene rich foods

Foods that are rich in beta-carotene, like sweet potatoes and carrots, are converted into vitamin A in the body, which is important for cell growth, including the growth of hair. Therefore, add foods rich in beta-carotene in your diet for lustrous hair.

5. Legumes

Legumes, like lentils, soy beans, chickpeas and beans, are a great vegetarian source of iron-rich protein. Protein is very important for all cell growth, including hair cells. We might have heard that keratin is important for healthy hair. Well, keratin is hardened protein in the hair. Therefore, it’s important to include sufficient protein in the diet to have keratin-rich hair. Without it, the hair grows weaker and slower. Iron-rich foods are also important, and as they are plant-based iron foods which we are including, it’s important to get a good source for the body to be able to absorb it in the best way possible. It is also important to combine iron-rich foods with vitamin C as the vitamin C helps the body absorb the iron better.

So as we can see, good nutrition is important for healthy glowing hair. Make sure to include these foods on a regular basis and you’ll be able to witness for yourself how your hair will feel softer, stronger, shiner and grow faster. And as a byproduct, your skin will also look better!

And to nourish your hair from the outside, try this coconut oil hair mask to give your hair that extra pampering it needs.

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