10 foods enhancing dull, dry hair

We all want the hair we see in shampoo ads.   A headful of shiny, thick, lustrous locks making heads turn when you walk down the street.  But what if your hair falls short of that?  Many of us suffer with hair that is thinning, limp, or brittle. Maybe it’s time to look beyond the shampoo aisle and instead look to the grocery aisles for foods to feed your hair. 

The secret to thick, strong, shiny strands does not begin with expensive shampoos or fancy salon treatments – it begins with your diet.  Eating a variety of healthy foods will give you the mane you’ve always wanted.  Fill up on theses nutrients to begin growing your healthiest hair ever:

·      Iron and zinc – These two dynamic minerals are necessary for helping stimulating hair follicles to grow

·      Vitamin D – The sunshine vitamin may help activate hair growth.  However, few foods actually contain it naturally and spending too much time in the sun increases exposure to harmful UV rays damaging to hair.  The best bet is to take a 1,000 IU supplement of vitamin D each day.

·      Protein – A major nutrient, protein wears many hats from promoting cell growth and repair, acting as an enzyme to boosting hair strength.  Women need at least 46 grams of protein a day while men require at a minimum, 56 grams daily. 

·      Omega-3 fatty acids – Dry hair is a common problem often the result of overuse of heat appliances such as flat irons to over exposure to wind and sun.  Hair that is hydrated will look shiny and feel soft.  Omega-3 fatty acids help hydrate hair leaving it more silky and manageable. 

·      Biotin – The vitamin biotin is essential for good hair growth and has been linked to reviving hair.

Here’s a look at 10 foods providing the above-mentioned necessary nutrients reviving and restoring your hair to its healthy best:

 

1.  Salmon

An important nutrient hair needs is protein and salmon is an excellent source.   A 3-ounce portion of salmon is relatively low-calorie of only 155 calories but contains 23 grams of protein.  Another bonus salmon provides is its rich source of omega-3 fatty acids.  Other types of fish providing both protein and omega-3s include tuna, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, herring, trout, and halibut.

2.  Beans, lentils and split peas

For those loving plant-based proteins, legumes are the way to go.  Legumes include kidney, pinto, black beans, lentils, chickpeas, and split peas.  These nutritional nuggets are good sources of iron, zinc and biotin, all nutrients showing your hair some love. 

3.  Poultry

For high-quality, healthy protein, choose boneless and skinless chicken breasts.  A baked 3-ounce portion provides 25 grams of protein, more than half the amount required daily for women.  Add leftover cooked chicken breasts to salads or stir-fry’s. 

4.  Spinach and kale

To get your shine on, search out dark, leafy-green vegetables.  The darker the green, the more nutritional value it has.  Look for spinach, kale, Swiss chard, mustard greens, or Romaine lettuce to eat daily.  These staples of the Mediterranean diet are good for your hair as they contain iron, along with vitamins A and C, all which are considered hair-healthy nutrients. 

5.  Lean red meat

Lean red meat is not to be shunned when it comes to hair health. Delivering excellent sources of iron, zinc, and protein, lean red meat such as beef is hard to beat.  Iron deficiency can lead to dry, brittle and lackluster hair. A 3-ounce portion of lean beef offers about 25 grams of protein, 2.1 milligrams of iron, and 4.28 milligrams of zinc. 

6.  Nuts and oil

Nuts of all kinds from almonds, cashews, pistachios, and pecans, offer beneficial omega-3 fatty acids for lustrous locks.  About 25 to 30 percent of our diet should come from fats.  The emphasis should be on healthy fats like nuts but this also can include oils such as olive and canola oils for healthy monounsaturated fat.

7.  Milk and yogurt

Be sure to go down the dairy aisle when searching for hair restoring foods.  Nutrients found in dairy foods like milk and yogurt benefit overall health as well as hair.  Rich in vitamin D, protein and calcium, these foods are a no-brainer for feeding your hair.

8.  Eggs

Eggs provide a double dose of hair restoring nutrients by providing both protein and biotin.  Protein can help to strengthen hair while biotin appears to improve the keratin infrastructure – a basic protein that makes up hair.  Even though biotin deficiencies are rare, inadequate levels may result in loss of hair. 

9.  Bell peppers

This versatile veggie is a super source of vitamin C – in fact, one bell pepper has twice the amount of vitamin C as an orange. A large green pepper delivers 130 milligram, a large red pepper packs more than 200 milligrams while a large yellow pepper offers up the most at about 300 milligrams of vitamin C.  Research suggests that vitamin C is needed to form a healthy hair shaft and is used to create collagen, a structural fiber that helps our bodies to hold everything together. Hair follicle, blood vessels, and skin all require collagen to stay healthy for optimal growth.  Even minor vitamin C deficiencies can lead to dry, splitting hair that breaks easily.  Vitamin C also helps to increase the absorption of plant-based iron found in leafy greens, beans, and nuts.  Not getting enough iron has been associated with hair loss. 

10. Dates

A trace element called silicon appears to play a role in healthy connective tissue, including hair and nail, according to research. Silicon is found in a variety of foods but dates are a particularly good source of it.  Three pitted dried dates contain about 7.5 milligrams.  Another plus for eating dates is they also are a good plant-based source of iron – four pitted dried dates contain 1 milligram – and iron is another important nutrient for hair health.

Not sure how to use dates besides eating them? Here are a few ideas:

·      Toss them into smoothies, parfaits, salads, oatmeal, and sandwiches to sweeten them up naturally.

·      Pureed dates can be made into a paste or syrup and used as a substitute for sugar in baking recipes like brownies or cookies.

·      Incorporate dates into recipes  featuring chicken or pork, or side dishes with veggies such as Brussel sprouts, squash, or lentils.