14 Foods You Should Eat For Full Head Of Long And Bouncy Hair

It is your age, medical condition, genetics and food habit that determine health of your locks. If everything is good, you will certainly have the most beautiful tresses in the world or at least in your family and friends. 

A strand of hair grows up to 0.5 inches (125 cm) in a month and it can grow up to 6 inches (15 cm) in a year only if you maintain a good health by taking a balanced diet that has nourishment for your hair.

So, what should you eat that your tresses grow to the full defying your age, medical condition and genetics? 

Here’re 14 foods for healthy hair

1. Eggs

Hair follicles are made of protein and eggs are rich in protein. Also, they have biotin essential for the production of keratin that is also a kind of hair protein. Other hair-nutrients available in eggs include zinc and selenium. With eggs, you would never have deficiency of protein and biotin that is a major cause for hair fall. 

2. Berries

Berries are powerhouse of vitamin C and they have strong antioxidant properties. Antioxidants prevent hair follicles from coming into contact with free radicals available in human body and the environment. These free radicals are harmful molecules responsible for damage of hair follicles. And vitamin C is needed to produce more collagen without which hair would become brittle and break easily.

3. Spinach

Spinach has all the necessary nutrients that foster hair growth. It is a good source of iron that builds red blood cells that carry oxygen to body parts and boost metabolism and aid growth. Also, it has vitamin A that produces sebum, an oily substance found on scalp. It works as a moisturizer for hair. Spinach also has vitamin C.

4. Fatty Fish

Salmon, herring and mackerel are called fatty fish because they contain omega-3 fatty acids in rich quantity and everyone knows that omega-3 are linked to hair growth. These fatty acids reduce hair loss leading to voluminous hair. Fatty fish also gives protein, selenium, vitamin D3 and B that make hair strong and healthy.

5. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes contain beta-carotene, a compound that human body converts into vitamin A that is good for hair. A medium size fruit can provide enough compound to produce four times of your daily need of vitamin A. Vitamin A produces sebum and prevents hair follicles from regressing.

6. Avocados

Hair needs vitamin E for growth. Scalp also needs vitamin E for protection of skin from oxidative stress and damage that could lead to poor quality of hair and follicle. And avocados are rich in vitamin E. This fruit also contain antioxidants and fatty acids in huge quantities. Fatty acids are called building blocks of cells but they can’t be produced in the body.

7. Nuts

Nuts provide a number of nutrients necessary for growth of hair. They have vitamin E and B, zinc and essential fatty acids and deficiency of any of these nutrients could lead to hair loss. Also, nuts have other health benefits like they reduce inflammation and are good for heart.

8. Seeds

Seeds have the power punch you need for healthy, bouncy and voluminous hair. For example, take sunflower seeds that contain vitamins E and B that are linked to hair growth. Flaxseeds and chia seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. For better results, you should take a mixture of different seeds.

9. Sweet Peppers

Sweet peppers especially yellow pepper has high content of vitamin C that boosts collagen production necessary for strong hair strands. Also, it is rich in antioxidants that prevent hair from oxidative stress. Also, sweet peppers provide vitamin A that produces sebum that moisturizes hair.

10. Oysters

Lack of zinc could trigger a hair loss by promoting telogen effluvium. But the process can be reversed by taking zinc in the right quantity. And oysters can provide you enough of zinc needed for growth and repair of your hair. 

11. Shrimp

Rich of necessary nutrients, shrimp is the right food for your hair. This shellfish contains protein, vitamins D and B, zinc and iron. In addition to vitamins and proteins, shellfish also provides omega-3 fatty acids. Deficiency of vitamin D3 and omega-3 fatty acids can lead to thin and brittle hair.

12. Beans

Proteins are essential for hair growth and beans are rich in proteins. Also, they have zinc that is essential for repair of hair. Other nutrients found in beans are iron, biotin and folate. Another advantage of beams is that they are highly versatile and affordable. 

13. Soybeans

Soybeans have spermidine, a compound that promotes hair growth. It is found that this compound prolongs anagen phase that is a phase of active hair growth and the longer hair follicle remains in this phase, the longer it will grow. But this study is new hence requires more investigation.

14. Meat

Meat is rich in protein that supports full hair growth but red meat has a special type of iron mineral that helps red blood cells deliver oxygen to hair follicle in addition to the other body parts. A deficiency in protein and iron could lead to poor hair texture and volume. But meat has been a staple diet in many communities. 

Final thought

Your hair is what you eat and the good thing is that you can start taking a balanced diet from today. Lack of vitamin A will reduce sebum production in the body that will lead to dry hair. Similarly, lack of zinc will slow down the repairing process. Iron is also necessary for hair growth. 

You need to be careful about your diet and nutrition you take, if you are really serious about getting full volume of long and bouncy hair. The above-mentioned foods can provide the necessary proteins, vitamins and minerals needed for healthy hair.