Understanding the importance of vitamins and minerals for our hair can take us a long way to getting those healthy locks we’ve always desired! In this article, we’ll explore the essential minerals and vitamins for hair growth that ensure our hair remains strong and shiny.
We often don’t think much about our hair other than what we see on the surface. However, the health of our hair is largely dependant on the foods we eat, and not just the shampoos and oils we apply onto them. Proper nutrition must be followed through vitamins and minerals that are necessary for strengthening each strand while fending off damaging environmental agents such as sun exposure or harsh chemical treatments. In this article, we’ll look into the essential vitamins for hair growth and the dietary sources of these nutrients.
Vitamins for Hair Growth
It's crucial to understand which vitamins are good for growth to ensure they’re incorporated into our daily meals.
- Vitamin A
Vitamin A, a fat-soluble micronutrient, is one of the main vitamins for healthy hair. It has 2 active forms, retinoic acid and retinal. Here’s how this vitamin helps:
- Hair growth starts from the roots, where new cells are formed. Vitamin A plays a major role in cell growth, leading to healthier and more resilient hair.
- Additionally, vitamin A helps improve the production of sebum, a naturally produced oil that keeps your scalp and hair hydrated.
Boost your intake of vitamin A through foods like red meat, dairy products, and fish, as well as coloured veggies and fruits like spinach, carrots, and mangoes.
- B Vitamins
B-vitamins include 8 types of vitamins. Out of these, riboflavin, biotin, folate, and vitamin B12 deficiencies are connected to hair loss. Biotin is the only B vitamin that is naturally produced by the body, and has a major role in the production of keratin, which is the main protein found in hair. Biotin deficiency can lead to hair loss problems like alopecia, skin rashes, and brittle hair.
Additionally, other B vitamins like B12 aid in creating red blood cells, essential for delivering oxygen and nutrients to the scalp, supporting overall hair health.
These B vitamins good for hair growth are abundant in various foods like whole grains, leafy vegetables, fish, eggs, dairy products, meat and nuts.
- Vitamin C
Vitamin C helps prevent hair loss by acting as an antioxidant, protecting hair cells from stress generated within the body. It also supports collagen production, is essential for hair structure, and enhances iron absorption, addressing potential deficiencies that contribute to hair shedding, like anemia.
Eat vitamin C-rich foods like citrus fruits like oranges and lemons, tomatoes and green capsicums that are packed with essential vitamins for hair.
- Vitamin D
Studies indicate that insufficient vitamin D levels can result in hair loss, as it is crucial for activating both new and existing hair follicles. Inadequate vitamin D in the body may hinder the growth of new hair. Thus, vitamin D is one of the essential vitamins for hair growth and thickness.
The body creates vitamin D after exposure to sunlight. You can also consume tuna fish, opt for dairy and plant milk fortified with vitamin D, and include eggs, paneer, and cheese in your diet to get a dose of these minerals for hair growth.
Minerals For Hair Growth
- Iron
Excessive hair loss can be triggered by insufficient iron intake. This is because iron is important for the production of haemoglobin, which carries oxygen to cells, including hair follicles. If you are iron deficient, the body may prioritise sending oxygen to vital organs, weakening hair strands and causing hair loss.
Consume iron-rich foods like leafy vegetables like amaranth, legumes like kidney beans and bengal gram, millets like ragi and bajra and meat liver (chicken, mutton).
- Selenium
Selenium is one of the most important minerals for hair growth, as it protects the cells from the harmful effects of substances generated in the body called free radicals, which can prevent hair loss.
Boost selenium levels by consuming foods like bajra and samai, grain legumes like Bengal grams, lentils and green grams, veggies like agathi and radish leaves and seeds like garden cress, gingelly seeds and flax seeds.
- Zinc
Zinc strongly prevents hair follicle regression, a process in which your hair follicle stops actively growing and speeds up the recovery of hair follicles. Additionally, zinc, along with other trace elements like copper, selenium and iodine, are essential for synthesizing thyroid hormones. Deficiency in these elements can cause hypothyroidism, a condition associated with hair loss.
Meat, legumes, nuts, beans, chickpeas, and dark chocolate are good sources of zinc.
If you have any specific hair health issues, it is important to seek advice from a dermatologist. Any dietary supplements, such as vitamins or minerals, should only be taken under the supervision of a healthcare professional to ensure proper guidance.
Conclusion
The importance of the above-mentioned vitamins and minerals for hair growth cannot be overstated when it comes to seeking strong hair. These nutrients act as the building blocks of strong hair, influencing everything from growth to shine. By incorporating a nutrient-rich diet, you're not just nourishing your body but also investing in the vitality of your hair.