How Your Diet Affects Your Hair

We always tend to neglect the health of our hair because it is not necessarily a vital organ or tissue. But our hair does say a lot about our overall well being. An interesting fact is that our hair grows about 0.5 inches (1.25cm) every month and around 6 inches (15cm) in an entire year. Of course, how fast your hair grows depends hugely on factors such as age, genetics and most importantly your diet. As you have complete control over your diet, it is important to include the right nutrients to promote healthy hair.

Our hair cells are essentially the second fastest-growing cells in the body. With approximately 120,000 hairs on the scalp, they all need their nutrients and sufficient nourishment in order to grow. If we are not feeding and caring for them enough, a nutritional imbalance in the form of hair loss will often happen. Deficiency as well as an excess of certain things in our diet can also result in hair loss. So, it is important to study what you really need in your diet.

1. Eat breakfast.

Never skip breakfast because it affects our health more than we think. The energy to form hair cells is lowest first thing in the morning and quite frankly whenever we wake up. So, it is important to eat a well balanced breakfast consisting of protein and carbohydrates to give your hair that boost of nutrients. It is recommended to get in around a palm-sized portion of any protein.

2. Always hydrate yourself.

Similar to your skin, your scalp can get dehydrated as well, making it a poor growing environment. Try to drink approximately 1.5-2 litres of water daily to promote a healthy and hydrated scalp.

3. Get in your vitamin C.

Iron is an essential mineral because it is responsible for producing hemoglobin which aides the growth and repair of your cells. In other words, iron is a key aspect to hair growth but can only be absorbed effectively when taken alongside vitamin C. So, be sure to drink a glass of fresh orange juice or eat a well-portioned meal with fruits and vegetables to help with your iron intake.

4. Go easy on dairy.

While dairy products are a great source of calcium, going overboard can actually reverse the effects and trigger dandruff, eczema or psoriasis. So, remember to limit your dairy intake for a healthy scalp and speedy hair growth.