Best Food And Supplements To Promote Hair Growth

Because hair is mostly protein (hair is made of keratin, a form of protein), nutritionists recommend for people who want to grow and keep healthy hair should eat foods that are high (according to your body weight) in protein, low in carbohydrates and have a lower fat content. Also eat foods that are high in the B vitamins, especially B12 and B6, C, E, A, beta-carotene, and K. Eating this way and taking the appropriate supplements for your hair will help your hair to stay healthier as you age. For those of you who are vegetarians, here is a link to non-meat protein sources. For other’s, here is a link to high sources of protein.

Essential fatty acids are also important for hair health. These are found in foods such as fish, salmon oil, walnuts, eggs, soy, olive oil, flax seeds and flax oil. B12 is a vital nutrient for the hair and can be found in eggs, meat, and chicken. All of the B vitamins are essential to hair growth. A source that contains both omega-3 fatty acids from flax or fish oil and omega-6 fatty acids from evening primrose or borage oil should be added to your dietary supplements.

Other good protein sources are fish, beans, seeds, nuts, yogurt, and eggs. Soy has been known to grow and strengthen hair. I occasionally use soy in the form of tofu, which is great mixed in a stir fry dish.

Vitamin B can be found in beans, green vegetables, beans, seeds and nuts. Eat citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes, melons and berries to get a lot of vitamin C. You can get vitamin E in foods such as nuts, legumes, whole grains, dark green veggies, avocados, and rice bran.

Eat carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, broccoli, cantaloupe and apricots to find a good source of vitamin A. And for your vitamin K intake, eat dairy, asparagus, broccoli, lettuce, brussel sprouts, cabbage, figs, dark green leafy vegetables, oatmeal, soybeans, wheat, yogurt, egg yolks, seafood and liver.

Supplements such as biotin (also called vitamin H or B7) and inositol are needed for hair growth as are certain minerals that include sulfur, magnesium, silica and zinc. Biotin can help to improve both your nails and hair. This nutrient can be found in soy, beans, brewer’s yeast, mushrooms, whole wheat and eggs. Other dietary supplements you can add to your food is brewer’s yeast, wheat germ and two tablespoons of granulated lechithin. These supplements will increase hair growth, keeping it strong and beautiful.

Higher doses of biotin are needed to gain benefits in hair health and fast growth. Its difficult to overdose on biotin and many supplements come in 500 (or more) microgram capsules. You can take biotin by itself or combine it with other B vitamins. B vitamins help to prevent stress, which is a cause of hair loss.

The supplement MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) is excellent for the hair and is a great source of sulphur, which is a very important part of amino acids, the building blocks of hair protein. Green vegetables are a natural source of MSM. This supplement may also help to improve the strength and sheen of hair.

Other Supplements To Prevent Hair Loss

Silica
Silica, a trace mineral that strengthens hair can be taken as a supplement or food. It can be found in foods such as oats, sunflower seeds, rice and potatoes. Some nutritionists recommend taking therapeutic doses of 5-20 milligrams daily but other recommended doses are up to 1,000 milligrams.

Saw Palmetto
This is a natural herb and works at combating hair loss in both sexes. This herb is a small palm that grows in warm climates and produces a red fruit. It lowers the DHT level in our body by blocking 5 alpha-reductose which reduces the development of the chemical dyhydrotestosterone (DHT), which causes hair loss.

Both topical and oral products can be used to reduce DHT levels throughout the body and directly on the scalp. A therapeutic dose of this herb would be 320 to 400 milligrams daily to promote healthy hair growth.

Nettles
Nettle root extract has been used successfully in Europe for treating hair loss. Nettle root capsules can also be used as a treatment for thinning hair. Nettle products are used as a topical treatment to give your hair shine and strength.

This herb can stimulate hair roots to grow, improve scalp circulation, help the flow of oxygen and nutrients into hair follicles, and contribute to hair growth. Clinical trials have given evidence to the effectiveness of nettle root extracts in hair loss treatments that include genetic male-pattern baldness and alopecia areata.

Shou-Wu
This herb has been used by the Chinese for hundreds of years and is a popular herbal remedy for treating hair loss and reversing gray hair. Shou-Wu is usually taken orally as a dietary supplement. Topical lotions of this herb have also been developed for treating hair loss.

Emu Oil
Emu oil is an excellent inflammatory agent. Its rich in lineolic acid (an unsaturated omega-6 fatty acid) and can have a positive effect on different types of hair, skin and scalp disorders.

Always check with a healthcare provider before taking any new supplements because some are not recommended for pregnant women, various medical conditions, or in combination with other drugs. Here is another great resource for other top hair loss treatments.