What food is good for hair growth?

By Prof. Dr. Soner Tatlidede 2022-02-23

What food is good for hair? It´s important to know what food is good for hair health, since our hair suffers not just from external aggressions, stress, age or diseases; but also from what we eat – or not – and, specially, from a diet poor in essential nutrients.

There are many foods that are good for your hair, and that help to strengthen and keep it healthy: but to get this, you have to know what foods are good for your hair. So, before thinking about buying expensive products or treatments, at Clinicana, the best hair transplant clinic in Turkey, always bet on prevention as the best cure to avoid losing our precious hair, before having to resort to hair implants.

In this article we want to talk about what foods are good for hair growth and for strengthen hair: following a balanced diet, and including some of the foods that we list below in your daily intake, you can help your hair from within to stay healthy, and prevent many of its diseases. We are not going to lie to you: eating healthy will not prevent you from suffering from pattern hair loss (which is inherited)... but certainly, it will help you a lot when your hair begins to weaken and fall out.

15 foods good for hair growth

If you wish to a have beautiful, healthy and shiny hair, it is essential to follow a balanced diet, rich in vitamins, proteins, and trace elements. To do this, you need to know what food is good for hair loss prevention, and where to find the necessary nutrients to get a strong, healthy and vigorous hair. So, let´s talk about what food is good for thinning hair, and what should you eat regularly to make your hair grow, and prevent hair loss.

Broccoli and cauliflower:

Some vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, or cabbage (cruciferous vegetables) are an important source of vitamin A and C: Vitamin A favours the oxygenation of follicles, while vitamin C is key in the production of collagen. These vegetables also contain sulphur. So, these foods are good for hair, skin and nails.

Spinach:

Spinach is also a food that’s good for hair loss. It is a plant with many beneficial properties, and contains a large number of nutrients that stimulate hair growth, including folic acid, iron, and the aforementioned vitamins A and C. Other leaf vegetables with similar properties are chard, kale or watercress.

Avocado: 

Avocado provides healthy fats to our body, as well as vitamin E, which favours scalp irrigation and, therefore, strengthens hair and stimulates its growth. It also contains antioxidants, which help to fight free radicals that damage hair.

Oily fish:

Among the best food for a good hair is oily fish: fishes such as salmon, sardine, trout or swordfish are an excellent source of protein, vitamin B12 and iron; they are also rich in Omega-3 oils - which provide shine to hair – and vitamin D, which according to studies stimulates the growth of follicles. Besides, they contain large amounts of methionine, an essential amino acid which is vital to prevent hair loss and keep hair strong and shiny.

Seafood:

Seafood is also among the best foods for hair because it is rich in zinc, a very important trace element which plays a key role in hair growth. Seafood also contains vitamin B12, whose deficiency causes hair to dry and fall out.

Eggs:

In addition to provide important nutrients such as proteins or vitamins A and D, eggs provide our body with biotin, which is very important in the production of keratin, the protein that forms the main structure of hair and nails.

Lean meat:

Lean meat – which contains less than 10% fat - includes both red meat (sirloin, fillet) and white meat (chicken, turkey, rabbit), and it’s an excellent source of protein and essential amino acids, which are vital for hair growth. Without the amino acids that meat provide, our body could not properly generate proteins such as keratin.

Red meat:

As long as it is consumed in a moderate way, red meat should be present in any healthy diet; it is also good for hair health, since it is one of the main sources of iron for our body.

Dairy products:

A deficiency of milk and derivatives in our diet not only affects to our bones; in addition, it makes hair more fragile and brittle due to the lack of calcium. Although it can be found also in some plant-based foods, it´s out of question that milk of animal origin and its derivatives are the main source of calcium.

Nuts:

Although you should not abuse them due to their high caloric content, nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts or pistachios provide us with vitamins B and E, which act as antioxidants and protect hair; they also contain minerals such as selenium, important to keep a healthy hair. Nuts also provide heart-healthy fats.

Legumes:

Legumes such as lentils, chickpeas or beans contain B-group vitamins - necessary for hair growth - and minerals such as manganese, iron or magnesium, which are very important for hair health. They also contain copper, which stimulates pigmentation and, therefore, delays the appearance of grey hair.

Oatmeal: 

Thanks to the fact that it is rich in fibre and also in minerals such as iron or zinc, oatmeal stimulates hair growth and helps to keep hair hydrated and healthy. Besides, thanks to the presence of saponins, it prevents the appearance of dandruff.

Vegetable oil:

Olive or sunflower oil contains vitamin E, which contributes to hair hydration and prevents the appearance of grey hair.

Seeds:

Flax and pumpkin seeds are a source of vitamins B and E, and Omega-3 oils, which prevent hair loss; they also contain significant amounts of zinc, which, in addition to strengthen hair and prevent hair loss, stimulates hair growth and its pigmentation.

Citrus fruits:

Oranges, kiwis, lemons, tangerines, limes, guavas, grapefruit, papayas... They are undoubtedly the main source of vitamin C, which, in addition to stimulating the creation of collagen, favours the absorption of iron. Nutritionists are clear: citrus fruits are foods good for skin and hair, and it is advisable to eat at least one citrus fruit a day if you want to have a strong and healthy hair.

Why should we eat foods good for hair loss?

Now that we have learned what kind of food is good for hair, and especially what food is good for your hair to grow, the question is: is it really important to eat food that helps to strengthen hair? Our hair is subject to all kinds of external aggressions, both from the environment (sun, humidity, pollution, etc.) and from those generated by the use of certain products; factors such as stress, hormonal imbalances, genetic inheritance, etc., can also play an important role in hair health.

However, since hair and nails are structures that need to be constantly renewed, they must receive the necessary nutrients and elements for an optimal development and growth. Hence, any nutritional deficiency ends affecting its structure, its health, and its growth. Therefore, although in the long term factors such as pattern hair loss are the ones that determine whether we will lose our hair or not, in the short term nutritional factors and a poor diet have almost immediate effects on hair health: effects that can be long-lasting, if not corrected.

In this way, the intake of food good for hair is not only a way to strengthen the health of our hair; but also, a way to prevent or reduce future problems such as alopecia. Remember, in any case, to always put your hair health in the hands of good professionals, such as Clinicana: we are the best hair transplant clinic, and we are specialised in all hair treatments. Request your free consultation, and ask for a free, no obligation estimate for your treatment.