Is your hair wrapped in a DIY mask of avocado and eggs as you read this? Do you find an alarming number of hairs on your pillowcase or in the shower? Maybe you spend hours online searching for the latest products and procedures to turn limp, lifeless or thinning hair into a magnificent thick mane?
...But what about eating your way to lust-worthy locks instead?
Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food and read on to discover how the following foods could leave your hair feeling more ravishing than Rapunzel:
- Collagen
- Eggs
- Avocado
- Fatty Fish
- Spinach
- Blueberries
Look to food for healthy hair
Good health starts in the gut, particularly when it comes to external appearances such as hair, skin, and nails. They are often the body’s yellow canary, showing signs of compromised health.
Think about it; the body is a magnificent marvel with an in-built instinct for survival. If you’re not feeding it the proper nutrients, then it has to start prioritising its rations, right? For example, why send biotin to your hair when your heart may need feeding first? As far as the body is concerned, hair is expendable when it comes to other priorities such as our life-critical organs, extreme sickness or ill-health.
So, feeding yourself the right volume and diversity of nutrients, vitamins and minerals should feed all of you and, effectively, your hair.
What are the best foods for hair?
When it comes to the best foods for healthy hair, you have plenty of options. Locks love to eat!
1. Collagen
Collagen is the most prolific protein in the body and is responsible for building and maintaining our skin, nails, joints, cartilage, gut and - you guessed it - hair. However, the catch is that our natural collagen production begins to decline from our early twenties, which can be a significant setback for our lovely locks. Thinning, greying, a lacklustre appearance and even hair falling out can be signs of diminished collagen production. Importantly, however, they can also be signs of an underlying illness, so it’s wise to seek medical advice to be sure.
So, what can we do about our depleting collagen levels? Given we can’t naturally maintain the high collagen production levels linked to our younger years, we need to turn to collagen-rich foods for assistance. That’s where Edible Health comes in. Our Anti-Ageing collagen blend, in particular, is designed to support hair (as well as skin, nails, joints and general health and well-being). Not only is it packed with concentrated, 100% pure hydrolysed bovine collagen protein, but we’ve blended it with an absolute powerhouse of additional, hard-hitting super nutrients. Think:
- Amino acids (moisture and strength)
- Biotin (for regrowth)
- MSM (or, for the whole mouthful; Methylsulfonylmethane for growth and retention)
- Zinc (for growth and repair)
- Vitamin E (hair health)
Interested in finding out more? Read our article about collagen and hair health, or find out how collagen gave Emma’s locks a new lease of life.
2. Eggs
Eggs bring new life, so it’s no wonder they are considered nutrient-dense superfoods for hair. Egg nutrients with potential hair-helping power include:
- Amino acids (moisture and strength)
- Selenium (hair growth, dandruff fighter)
- Vitamin B5 (supports adrenal glands, which make hormones to support healthy hair)
- Vitamin B12 (feeds hair follicles)
- Vitamin B2 (hair growth)
- Vitamin E (natural antioxidant)
- Vitamin A (hair growth)
- Folate (healthy cell growth)
- Phosphorous (essential mineral for hair health)
Eggs are like the golden chalice for lovely locks!
3. Avocados
Smashed avo on toast for breakfast just got even tastier, given it’s a great natural food for hair! A healthy “good” monounsaturated fatty acid, the oils in avocado moisturise and hydrate. But that’s not all they offer. They’re also a tasty source of biotin, a member of the vitamin B family that, as already mentioned, is essential for hair health.
4. Fatty Fish
Found in fatty fish like salmon, herring and mackerel, Omega-3 gets plenty of positive PR, and for good reason. It’s a fatty acid that has been linked to hair growth.
5. Spinach
Popeye did spinach PR a great disservice! Spinach is such a good food for hair, yet his cartoon character was bald. Poor cartoonist research, we say! This humble plant delivers a whole stack of vitamins and nutrients, including:
- Folate (healthy cell growth)
- Iron (hair growth)
- Vitamin A (hair growth)
- Vitamin C (essential for collagen production)
6. Blueberries
Mother Nature really does have a habit of highlighting that good things come in small packages. Take blueberries and their potential benefits for hair, for example. These tiny morsels of natural sweetness come with a treasure trove of vitamins and nutrients, including:
- Vitamin A (hair growth)
- Vitamin C (essential for collagen production)
- Vitamin E (natural antioxidant)
- Folate (healthy cell growth)
- Choline (DNA synthesis)
- Beta-carotene (converts to vitamin A)
DNA aside, the path to good health and well-being lies in a holistic approach to diet (aim for a diversity of natural foods) and lifestyle. But with food like this on the menu, how can you go wrong…?
Take-home points
- Don’t rely on topical/external applications alone for hair health.
- Your diet may have a role to play in helping prevent lacklustre appearance, thinning and/or premature greying of hair.
- Collagen, in particular, has an important role to play in hair, given its responsibility in building and maintaining cellular growth health. Discover more about what collagen is here.
- Edible Health has developed a unique blend, Anti-Ageing, designed to support tell-tale signs of ageing that affect the hair as well as other parts of the body.
- 5.0 Other great food sources include eggs, avocados, fatty fish such as salmon, spinach and blueberries.
- Look for natural foods with Vitamins A, B2, B5, B12, C, E, biotin, selenium, phosphorus and iron.
The information we have provided herewith, and all linked materials, are not intended nor should they be construed as medical advice. Moreover, the information herewith should not be used as a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment. Please refer to our Terms and Conditions and consult your General Practitioner for advice specific for you.
