Your hair’s health, like the health of most of your bodily parts, is determined in large part by your diet. You are what you eat is an absolutely true statement, especially when it comes to the health of your hair. Your diet and the nutrients it provides affects the rate of your hair growth, death, sheen, luster, and general appearance.
The average human being has about 120,000 hairs growing on their scalp simultaneously. Your hair is made of the second fastest growing cells in the body (intestinal cells are the first), which all have to be supported and provided with the proper nutrition. The only caveat is, your body doesn’t deem your hair to be a vital organ or tissue, which gives it low nutritional priority. That is why hair loss is often a sign of nutritional imbalance. Many diets that claim to be healthy actually don’t provide the proper balance of nutrients needed to maintain proper hair growth.
What to Include in a Healthy Hair Diet?
Your healthy hair diet needs certain nutrients that you cannot afford to exclude:
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is needed to facilitate the absorption of iron. It is also an antioxidant which kills free radicals and keeps your cells reproducing properly. The most important thing vitamin C does for your hair is aid in the production of collagen which bolsters the capillaries supplying the hair shafts with nutrients.
Omega-3
When it comes to your hair health, you absolutely cannot afford to overlook omega-3 fatty acids. The cells that line your scalp rely on omega-3s to keep your scalp and hair hydrated.
Vitamin A
When it comes to your hair health, vitamin A is a nutrient that you have to pay extra attention to. Vitamin A is used to make sebum, an oily substance created by the sebaceous glands in our hairs. It functions as a natural conditioner and keeps your scalp from itching. But too much vitamin A can be just as bad for you as too little.
