Nourish your hair from within: Which foods are beneficial?

Dietitian Hande Selin Ok pointed out the importance of consuming foods rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals for healthy hair, stating, "Of course, choosing the right shampoo and care products is necessary to prevent the scalp from drying out and to keep hair from shedding, breaking, or looking dull. But these alone are not enough; for thick, voluminous, and shiny healthy hair, do not leave out foods that protect and strengthen the hair structure from your diet."

THERE MAY BE MISTAKES IN YOUR DIET

If your hair is shedding excessively, breaking easily, growing slowly, or lacks shine, there may be errors or deficiencies in your diet. The path to healthy hair goes through the stomach. Keratin, a protein, makes up 80 percent of the hair's structure. You can obtain keratin, which thickens hair strands, reduces breakage, and gives hair a shinier and more vibrant appearance, by consuming whole grain products, milk, yogurt, eggs, carrots, broccoli, beans, and nuts. A deficiency in Omega-3, 6, 9 essential fatty acids leads to hair loss. Bonito, salmon, mackerel, purslane, pumpkin seeds, and flax seeds are good sources of omega-3. Foods rich in A, D, C, B6, B12 vitamins and minerals such as iron, selenium, copper, and zinc are hair-friendly.

VITAMINS AND MINERALS FOR HAIR

Vitamin B6 supports the formation of scalp cells and helps with oxygenation; it is a vitamin that supports hair production. It is found in legumes, especially chickpeas, milk and dairy products, red and white meat, seafood, eggs, peas, spinach, carrots, all whole grains, and nuts.

Vitamin B12 supports hair growth by providing nutrients to the hair follicles, just as it does for all cells in the body. B12 is found abundantly in shellfish like shrimp and mussels, dairy products like yogurt and cheese, lean beef, trout, and tuna.

CAUSES OF HAIR LOSS

Zinc and iron deficiencies are also causes of hair loss. For zinc, you can consume fish, shellfish, dairy products like yogurt and cheese, poultry, red meat, peanuts, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds. Vegetables such as chard, spinach, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, and asparagus, as well as legumes, dried fruits like dried apricots, oilseeds, tomatoes, red meat, eggs, and molasses are foods rich in iron.

SELENIUM

Selenium is a mineral effective in revitalizing the scalp and preventing dandruff. You can obtain selenium from onions, garlic, radishes, mushrooms, celery, cabbage, cucumbers, fish, whole grains, eggs, and sunflower seeds. Copper deficiency can also lead to hair loss. Legumes, whole grains, dried fruits, liver, seafood, potatoes, and oilseeds are foods from which you can get the mineral copper.

VITAMIN A

Vitamin A is a protective vitamin against hair loss. It ensures the renewal of hair strands. It is found in red meat, fish, eggs, milk and yogurt, and vegetables such as parsley, arugula, watercress, broccoli, and spinach, as well as fruits like melons, apricots, and peaches.

VITAMIN E

Vitamin E supports rapid hair growth by accelerating blood flow. Peanuts, sunflower seeds, leafy green vegetables, and vegetable oils are important sources of vitamin E. Magnesium is one of the essential minerals for maintaining hair health. Magnesium is found in legumes, meat, milk, eggs, fish, whole grains, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, beans, potatoes, broccoli, and chocolate.

VITAMIN D

Vitamin D is also among the essential vitamins for hair. You can ensure your body synthesizes vitamin D by sunbathing at the right time, and you can consume cheese, milk, egg yolks, and fatty fish for vitamin D.

VITAMIN C

Vitamin C plays an important role in making hair thick and shiny. It is involved in supporting blood circulation in the scalp, which prevents hair from becoming dull and dry. The most important sources of vitamin C are green and red peppers, leafy green vegetables, tomatoes, citrus fruits, kiwi, strawberries, rosehip, and potatoes. By including these vitamin and mineral-rich foods in our diet, we can protect our general health and have healthy, vibrant, and shiny hair.