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Good Foods for Healthy Hair

Submitted by Stella Morgan on June 23, 2010

Hair Care Essentials: Proper diet is an essential part of hair care. A balanced diet contains natural vitamin and mineral supplements required for the healthy growth of hair follicles. Regular exercise is also essential to maintain healthy hair, eating right can really help your hair shine.

Foods for Healthy Hair: Salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. This is a high quality protein rich in vitamin B-12 and iron.


Omega-3 fatty acids are required to maintain scalp health. Deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids results in dry scalp, thus giving a dull look to your hair. Flaxseeds are also rich source of omega-3 acids.


Include these in your daily diet.

Vitamins for Healthy Hair: Spinach and broccoli are excellent sources of vitamins A and C. Carrot is a good source of vitamin A. These vitamins are required to produce sebum, a natural hair conditioner secreted by the hair follicles.


Also, consume dark green vegetables as they provide iron and calcium. Include lentils and beans in your diet because they not only provide sufficient proteins essential for your hair growth but also are rich sources of iron, zinc, and biotin. Deficiency of protein causes brittle hair and that is why protein is important for healthy hair.


You can include chicken and other dairy products that are rich in protein in your diet. However, include only low fat dairy products like skimmed milk and yogurt. In addition, eggs are one of the best protein sources. They also contain biotin and vitamin B-12, which are important beauty nutrients.

Selenium is important mineral for the health of your scalp. Brazil nuts are rich source of selenium. That said; all kinds of nuts will help you maintain good healthy hair,so include some portion of almonds, cashew nuts, and walnuts in your daily diet. These help in the overall maintenance of your hair.  Copper helps improve the natural color of your hair. Fresh vegetables, nuts, and meat are rich sources of copper.

It is also better to quit unhealthy habits such as smoking, drinking, and consuming caffeine as they not only hamper the over health of the body but also reduce hair growth and promote hair fall. Drinking lots of water helps make your hair soft and supple. It also keeps your hair silky and shiny. Incorporate these foods in your diet and you will notice difference in your hair within few weeks.

An overall healthy balanced diet of proteins, fruits, vegetables, lentils, whole-grain, and low fat dairy products will keep hair healthy. However, along with a proper diet, it is essential that you exercise well so that there is proper blood circulation, which helps in maintaining healthy hair.

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