Top Foods for Hair Growth – Backed by Science
What Food is Best For Hair Growth?
Unfortunately, there is not one specific food that will help with hair growth. It's actually a balanced diet providing the necessary macro and micronutrients that will do the trick. This includes plant foods high in vitamins and other nutrients like spinach, seeds, and nuts.
Your hair health and how fast it grows depends on many factors, including:
- Age
- Overall health
- Genetics
- Environmental exposure
- Medications
- Diet
There's not much we can do about age or genetics but we can improve our overall health and diet, which can contribute greatly to hair health.
How Nutrient Deficiencies Affect Hair Health
Certain nutrients can help make our hair stronger and healthier. If we are deficient in any of these nutrients, it can lead to hair loss.
- Vitamins A, B12, C, E and D
- Biotin
- Riboflavin
- Iron
- Protein
Top Foods That Lead To Hair Growth
1. Eggs
Eggs are an excellent source of protein and biotin, both crucial for healthy hair growth. Protein is a key building block of hair follicles, and biotin supports the production of keratin (the substance that makes up your hair). A deficiency in either nutrient can contribute to hair thinning, but boosting your intake can be fixed by simply including more nutrient-rich foods in your diet.
2. Berries - Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries
These berries are high in antioxidants that support hair growth. Antioxidants act as a shield, preventing free radicals from damaging hair follicles and compromising hair health. These berries are also high in
Vitamin C, which is crucial for the production of collagen and provides structure and strength to hair strands, preventing brittleness and breakage.
3. Spinach
Spinach is loaded with beneficial nutrients like folate, iron, and vitamins A and C, which are important for hair growth.
Vitamin A is essential for hair growth as it promotes cell development, helps moisturize the scalp, and protects hair follicles from damage. However, maintaining a balance is crucial, as both a deficiency and an excess of vitamin A can lead to hair loss. Iron helps fuel your metabolism and aids hair growth and repair.
4. Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are a source of beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A, which is linked to hair health. They also contain Vitamin C and Iron.
5. Beans
Beans are a great plant-based source of protein, which is essential to hair growth, along with iron, folate and biotin. Beans are also a good source of zinc,
which helps with hair growth and repair. It should be noted that food is a much better source of zinc than supplements as too much zinc can be toxic. To ensure you're getting the right amount of zinc without overdoing it, try and get it from food.
6. Nuts
Various nuts, especially almonds, are high in Vitamin E, with only an ounce providing 48% of your daily Vitamin E needs. They are also a great source of B vitamins, zinc and essential fatty acids. Deficiency in any of these nutrients may contribute to hair loss.
7. Sweet Peppers
Sweet Peppers are a great source of Vitamin C (which supports collagen production), in fact, they actually have more Vitamin C than oranges, giving you over 300% of your daily Vitamin C value.
Conclusion
While hair loss might be caused by unavoidable factors like age or genetics, if you change your diet to include more nutrients which promote hair growth, you might see a increase in both hair quality and growth. It's worth a shot to try, and even if it doesn't work, changing your diet to become more balanced has numerous health benefits, not just hair growth. There are many factors that influence hair production and we should make sure that our heads are getting the best kind of hair that they deserve.

