Why Good Nutrition is Essential for Hair Growth

The Importance of Good Nutrition in Hair Growth

Contrary to popular opinion the majority of the hair is already dead. Nothing we apply to our hair will make our hair any healthier. Nourishment and permanent changes to our health must be made from within. This is important so that that the roots, the only live part of the hair, can be nourished.

Most people are aware that many vitamins, especially B vitamins and vitamin E have been long recommended as a cure or method or maintaining healthy skin, hair and nails. There is more than a little truth to this recommendation. The human body relies on nutrients and vitamins for the production of many chemicals and amino acids within the body to regulate and perform normal bodily functions. One of these millions of functions is the regulation of hair growth. Studies have shown that individuals who maintain a poorly balanced diet or tend to go on crash diets will tend to have less health skin, hair and nails. Individuals suffering from anorexia very commonly exhibit loss of hair and other skin and nail issues.

There are a number of vitamins and nutrients the body absolutely must have in order to stimulate the growth of healthy hair. Remember, we have already established that healthy hair must be grown from within. To that end, the body must have adequate supplies essential and non-essential nutrients. While non-essential may sound as though it is not as necessary, this term simply means that the body is capable of producing it on its own. Individuals who have medical conditions that prevent the body from producing or storing non-essential nutrients will need to supplement their diets in order to get necessary amounts.

At a minimum, the body needs the following vitamins and nutrients to act as a catalyst for other productions within the body including the growth and maintenance of healthy hair:

All of the B vitamins; this includes Thiamin (B1); Riboflavin (B2); Niacin (B3); Pyridoxine (B-6); Folic acid (B9); B12, Panthothenic Acid and Biotin.

Vitamin A

Vitamin C

Vitamin E

Copper

Iodine

Zinc

Silica

Iron

Vitamin A contributes to the body’s ability to produce cells and tissues; both of which are critical to the growth of healthy hair. Studies indicate that Vitamin A also works in lubricating the sebaceous glands. These glands are an important part of keeping the hair follicle from drying out; which can eventually lead to hair loss. Fish, liver, eggs, spinach, milk, and many types of vegetables are all excellent sources for naturally occurring amounts of Vitamin A.

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, sometimes referred to as ascorbic acid. It is an essential nutrient and is responsible for supporting a healthy immune system as well as producing collagen within the body, the substance that binds cells together. Without adequate amounts of Vitamin C, our bodies are not able to bind the necessary cells together to form healthy hair. Vitamin C occurs naturally in fruits and vegetables; generally citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, limes, tangerines and mandarins. Less well known fruits and vegetables that contain amounts of vitamin C include tomatoes, strawberries, broccoli, potatoes, peppers, cauliflower and peas.

Vitamin E is one of the vitamins that are most well known as being responsible for healthy hair growth. This is due to the fact that it increases blood flow and the dispersion of oxygen within the body. It is also critical to the growth and maintenance of healthy hair because of the protective qualities contained within this nutrient. Among the responsibilities of Vitamin E include defending the body against tissue damage, protecting the body’s red blood cells and immune system.

It is a water-soluble vitamin, easily found in a number of different foods, such as apricots, pumpkins, mustard and turnip greens, pumpkin and certain multi-grain foods like wheat germ and multi-grain cereal. Poultry, fish, nuts and seeds also contain quantities of this essential vitamin.

Copper is a naturally occurring mineral that can be found in trace elements in food products such as fish and nuts. Liver also contains good quantities of copper. This mineral plays a key role, along with other nutrients, in producing healthy red blood cells; allowing the body to carry oxygen to various systems.

Iodine, frequently associated with table salt, is actually a nutrient that the body is incapable of functioning properly without. Natural iodine can be found in fish, eggs, molasses, garlic, potato skins and certain kinds of beans.

Zinc is a mineral that can be naturally found in foods such as oysters, beef, poultry, legumes, whole grains and diary products. Along with a number of other vitamins and nutrients, zinc contributes to a healthy immune system.

Silica is one of the nutrients that we do not frequently hear about. It is a trace mineral, which means that it is found within the soil. While this mineral is very prevalent in many other parts of the world, soil contents in the United States and other Western countries tend to be depleted and contain very low amounts of this critical mineral. Silica can be found in foods such as onions, strawberries, rice, cucumber, leak, cauliflower, oats and leafy green vegetables like lettuce, asparagus and cabbage. Silica is believed to play an important role in the process of the body’s ability to produce and maintain healthy hair in that it appears to stimulate cell production; which we now know is vital to hair growth. Some studies have drawn a connection between the reduced loss of hair in many Asian countries and the high frequency of rice servings. It is thought that the silica contained in the rice may play a role in the lowered incidence of hair loss in Asia.

Iron is frequently one of the most misunderstood vitamins. There are two forms of iron and the body needs adequate amounts of both forms to be able to function well. To get a good balance of both types of iron, a well balanced diet should include leafy green vegetables and bran. Vitamin C greatly enhances the body’s ability to absorb iron; so it’s a good idea to combine sources of Vitamin C and iron in the same meal whenever possible.

Folic acid is an essential nutrient, part of the B-vitamin family; that plays a key role in forming new cells within the body. It can be found in orange juice, beans, leafy green vegetables and breakfast cereal, peas, beans, lentils, spinach, beets, broccoli, asparagus, Brussels sprouts and liver. Studies also indicate that folic acid may interact with the body’s ability to absorb Vitamin B12 and zinc. As one of the primary components of a healthy hair structure is cells; it is easy to see how important folic acid is to the hair growth process.

Vitamin B12 is a naturally occurring essential nutrient that is usually found in milk, red meats, fish, poultry and eggs. Vitamin B12 is essential to the human body’s ability to absorb other nutrients as well as maintaining healthy red blood cells.

At times, Biotin is referred to as Vitamin H; however it is part of the group of vitamins known as Vitamin B Complex. It is commonly found in such food products as cauliflower, nuts, sardines, legumes, brewer’s yeast, egg yolk and kidney and liver meats. Due to the fact that Biotin is produced naturally by the body in the intestine, it is known as an essential nutrient. The primary function of Biotin is to maintain healthy hemoglobin levels, allowing the body to efficiently transport oxygen to all parts of the body, including the tissues and cells responsible for the growth of hair. Physicians are often able to diagnose a Biotin deficiency due to such physical symptoms as thinning hair and brittle nails as well as a number of other skin disorders.

Certain vitamins such as Vitamin B9, otherwise known as Folic Acid, are critical for the body to be able to produce adequate amounts of myelin; now known to be critical to the maintenance of healthy nails, skin and hair. While an inclusion of these vitamins cannot restore hair after it has been permanently lost, it is certainly worthwhile to note that eating a well balanced diet may be able to minimize the effects of hair loss to some degree in the first place.

Individuals who do not get enough of these vitamins and nutrients in their systems will be at risk for having damaged hair or for hair loss. While it might seem as though the easiest course of action would be to take a trip down to the local nutrition store and stock up on bottles of vitamins, experts recommend that the body is best able to utilize vitamins and nutrients when they are obtained through natural food sources.

If you have ever lost or plucked a hair from your head and noticed that it appears to be much different than what your hair on a whole appears to look like, there are several reasons for this. First, our hair is constantly in a state of transition. At any given time, each strand of hair on our head and other places on our body are in a stage of shifting between different growth phases. This results in each individual strand of hair appearing differently in regards to pigmentation, density and a number of other factors. This is why it makes it possible for people with very light hair to find a lone dark single strand of hair as well as conversely.

Next: The Different Types of Hair and the Stages of Hair Growth