Does Diet Affect Hair Loss? What Foods to Eat
22nd Mar 2023
Having a healthy diet is always going to benefit the different systems of your body. But if you struggle with hair loss or hair thinning you may be more concerned about a diet to regrow hair than with a weightloss diet. You may not know that there are specific foods that will help your hair.
Knowing how diet affects hair loss and what foods to eat will go a long way in setting you up to have a healthy head of hair. People tend to not make the connection between diet and hair loss. This is a mistake that may cost you your luscious strands. We don’t say this to scare you but to inform you and give you the opportunity to make healthy choices for your hair.
There are a few other things that you will need to know what it comes to keep your hair healthy or stopping hair loss. Hair loss is not just affected by what you are eating but also by what you aren’t eating. Deficiencies in your diet will cause just as many problems as an unhealthy diet. There are also foods that will not only stop hair loss but will also help thicken your hair back to its original glory.
Does Diet Affect Hair Growth?
The short answer to this question is yes, diet does affect hair growth. What you put in your body helps run all of your bodily systems including your hair growth systems. Failing to nourish your hair follicles and the cells that make them function will only cost you a healthy head of hair.
No one wants to lose their hair because of a poor diet. Losing hair because you have a genetic predisposition that is out of your control is very different from losing your hair because of something you did or failed to do. Your diet is completely within your control and if your diet can stop your hair loss and start to regrow hair that is lost then why not eat healthily?
What Deficiencies Cause Hair Loss?
Like we said before, there are things that you might fail to eat that will cause hair loss because your body is not properly nourished. There are key vitamins and minerals that your body has to have in order to properly and effectively grow hair.
Without these key things, your hair will suffer. Don’t worry though, these nutrients are common and easy to add to your diet either by the foods you eat or quality vitamins.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a very common vitamin and is found in many different foods. It is also found in abundance when you spend time in the sun safely. However, it is also a common deficiency. If you don’t get enough time in the sun or abstain from foods that are known for their high levels of vitamin D then you could end up with a deficiency. But what foods are high in vitamin D?
There are other foods that are high in vitamin D but if your deficiency is high enough then you may need to add a supplement to your daily routine.
Biotin
Biotin or B7 is an amazing nutrient for your hair and nails. It promotes healthy growth and if you happen to be diabetic it can even help lower blood sugar. This is a nutrient that is found in a ton of different foods so it isn’t a common deficiency but can still happen.
Vitamin A
This is a vitamin that is both good and bad. That may sound weird but let us explain. Vitamin A is an amazing vitamin that nourishes so many of your body’s systems that it would amaze you, but too much or too little will cause hair loss.
Because this vitamin is naturally occurring in a variety of colorful vegetables, most people that experience toxicity are usually taking supplements or hair/nail treatments.
Iron
Iron deficiencies can be pretty common but this kind of deficiency will really only cause hair loss if it develops into a case of anemia. Anemia is a chronic iron deficiency that can be treated by diet or supplements. Vitamin C foods are great to ingest if you have an iron deficiency because they are also usually high in Iron and can help activate the iron in the foods you eat.
You may be wondering why iron is so important to hair growth. That is a great question. It is important because it helps your body create hemoglobin which carries nutrients to your cells. If there isn’t enough iron then your body will prioritize what gets the hemoglobin first. Unfortunately, your hair is typically not high on the list if another system is suffering.
What Should I Eat to Stop Hair Loss?
The good news is that if your hair loss is not caused by your genes or another underlying condition, a simple diet change could do wonders for your hair. The right diet change could even stop your hair loss in its tracks and let you start regrowing the amazing strands.
So what are you supposed to eat to help your hair stay strong?
Carrots
As we said above, vitamin A is essential for healthy and strong hair. Carrots are extremely high in vitamin A and are a powerhouse vegetable that will help you stop the loss of your hair.
There are a lot of vegetables that can help you get your vitamin A needs but carrots are readily available, budget-friendly, and most people like to eat them.
Oats
The delicious bowl of oatmeal that you love to eat for breakfast has two things in it that help your hair grow beautifully. Oats are high in omega-6 fatty acids and iron so it is like getting a health shot for your hair.
The best thing is that it isn’t just good for your hair but the rest of your body will also benefit but this nutritional treasure chest.
Eggs
Another breakfast food that is amazing for your whole body is the egg. This food is high in iron, B12, zinc, and Omega 6 fatty acids. If you are experiencing hair loss due to deficiencies in your diet then try adding more eggs to your diet.
If you happen to be a vegetarian or a vegan, don’t worry, there are other foods that fit into your diet that can help with your hair loss.
Walnuts
If you don’t eat animal products or bi-products then this is the hair growing good that you are going to love. Walnuts are right up there with eggs and oats as far as the nutrients that they are packed with.
Adding a handful of walnuts to your diet daily will fill in some of the deficits that are causing your hair loss. It is easy to sneak walnuts into your diet and they are even great in oatmeal or yogurt.
They do tend to be expensive in some places during certain times of the year. This is helpful to keep in mind if you want to add them to your diet.
Low Fat Dairy
Diary is a great way to add essential nutrients to your diet and help stop hair loss. But you need to keep the dairy you consume low fat so you don’t end up creating other health problems for the sake of your hair.
Low-fat dairy is a source of not just calcium, which is essential to hair growth, but also whey and casein. These are both excellent proteins that can only help your hair to become it’s best.
Shrimp
This food will be great news to seafood lovers that are also trying to find a good alternative to red meat. While the protein that is found in red meat is great there are some cholesterol and heart health concerns when consuming too much of it.
Shrimp is a meat that will help with your hair loss and keep your heart healthy. It is high in iron, B12, and zinc as well as containing all of the protein you need for hair growth.
Green Peas
Peas are a good addition to your diet because they are well balanced when it comes to the nutrients they have to offer. Adding this as a side dish weekly will go a long way to making sure you don’t have nutritional deficiencies that could cause hair loss.
Prunes
Prunes are good for the iron that they contain. Adding these to an already healthy diet will make sure your hair has what it needs to continue growing in a healthy way. If you don’t suffer from hair loss, but your hair is dry or brittle prunes might also help with this problem.
Do Foods Thicken Hair?
When you have had a problem with hair loss there are more issues then just stopping the loss. For example, once you stop the loss, what do you do to help your hair thicken back up? Does your diet also play a part in this?
Absolutely. Diet is essential to every aspect of your life and the thickness of your hair is no different. Some people do have naturally fine hair that may be confused for thin hair. This is not the same. People with fine hair can still have a lot of hair, the strands are just smaller.
There are some great foods that you can easily add to your diet. These foods help your hair thicken up after a bout of hair loss.
Avocado
Avocado is one of those trendy foods that people either love or hate. But no matter how you personally feel about this oddly shaped green produce, it has some amazing health benefits. One of those benefits is the ability to help your hair become thick and lush.
It can do this because it is so high in healthy fats that are essential for your hair, skin, and nails. Avocados are not just high in good fats but also copper. Copper is a mineral that your hair can not do without if you want it to be thick.
Almonds
A handful of almonds a day is not just good for your hair but your body, in general, will benefit. Almonds are so beneficial because they are rich in biotin. One of the minerals that we mentioned earlier that is so good for hair. Without this mineral, you can actually lose your hair so it makes sense that getting enough of it will keep your hair healthy.
Bell Peppers
This food is rich in vitamin C. Vitamin C is crucial for healthy hair and nails. There are so many foods that have vitamin c naturally occurring in them. Because of that you are sure to find a food that you like and helps your hair. Bell peppers will have a higher concentration of the vitamin if they are uncooked. However, even cooked peppers are great for you.
Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds are high in zinc which is great for hair growth. What we love about pumpkin seeds is that they are pretty easy to incorporate into your diet. You can eat them roasted, put them on a salad, cook them into a muffin, or top your favorite squash soup with them. Your hair will look great and your tastebuds will be happy.
Chia Seeds
Chia seeds are another trendy food that is high in healthy fats that are essential to healthy thick hair. These are easily added to smoothies, puddings, or even oatmeal so it is no problem to add them to your diet.
Final Thoughts
Your diet is so important for your body to function properly. Taking the time and energy to make wise food choices will pay off. Your hair will also reap the benefits of a healthy diet if there are no other contributing factors.
If your hair loss is not genetic in nature then there is a good chance that a diet change can help. It is worth the change to find out and you will feel better overall.