12 Foods to Grow Your Healthiest Hair Ever
At VEGAMOUR, we believe in a holistic approach to hair wellness. It's not just about the products you use or how you style your hair (though those things are important) — healthy hair is also rooted in getting enough sleep and eating the right foods. Hair wellness starts from the inside out.
To ramp up your hair health, add these foods to your diet, plus pair them with the best hair vegan hair products.
Healthy Hair Diet Foundations
Eating a diet rich in vitamins and minerals not only supports a healthier you but also supports healthy hair growth. So what should you eat if you want to grow your hair? First, reduce ingredients that can set off a chain reaction and lead to hair loss, such as excess sugar. Too much sugar can hinder protein absorption. In turn, low protein can lead to hair thinning, cause hair loss and also interfere with the growth of long hair. Next, enrich your diet with foods that are chock-full of the vitamins and minerals needed for hair growth.
Ready to GRO? Try the Good to GRO Kit
Vegan Food for Hair Growth
Eating a vegan diet, even if it's just for a month, is an easy (and delicious) way to get all the nutrients necessary to encourage hair growth. Supplement your balanced diet (and your favorite hair products) with extra servings of these tasty vegan foods to help promote healthy hair growth.
Tangerines
Tiny and tasty, tangerines are the perfect afternoon snack. They're also a rich source of vitamin C and can help eliminate iron deficiency, which has been linked to hair loss. Vitamin C makes it easier for your body to absorb iron, which is essential for the health of your hair, skin and nails, and also promotes healthy hair growth.
Learn: 12 Steps to Thicker Hair
Strawberries
There's a reason our GRO Biotin Gummies are strawberry-flavored — they feature many of the same vitamins as this ultimate fruit to promote hair growth. Jam-packed with antioxidants that protect your hair from harsh free radicals, strawberries also include a hefty-dose of keratin-producing vitamin C.
If you're worried you're not getting all your daily vitamins and minerals for healthy hair, consider adding a daily gummy vitamin designed for healthy hair to your routine. It's an easy way to ensure your hair gets what it needs every single day.
Oats
Packed with healthy key nutrients, including iron, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids, oatmeal contains silicon, which promotes hair growth. Try some oat milk in your coffee, or add a scoop of chia seeds to your overnight oats for an extra hair growth boost.
Avocados
Avocados are loaded with healthy fats, including omega-3s. They're also rich in biotin, which makes them one of the best foods to eat for hair growth. Additionally, the nutrients in avocados include potassium and magnesium, both essential components of a healthy diet that can prevent hair breakage and result in stronger, longer hair. Thanks, avocado toast.
Broccoli
As one of the most nutrient-rich foods, broccoli is high in healthy vitamins, including vitamin C, vitamin B-9, iron and zinc. It also provides small amounts of biotin, a powerful preventative against hair loss. Try it stir-fried with a splash of tamari to add a dose of bonus soy protein.
Also: 9 Biotin-Rich Vegan Foods for Healthy Hair
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes contain vitamin A and beta-carotene, which promotes the health of your scalp and hair. In particular, beta-carotene stimulates your scalp to produce sebum at the base of your hair follicles, which helps hair grow shiny and soft. These tasty tubers are also one of the most potent vegetable sources of biotin — which is linked to reduced hair loss — and carotenoid antioxidants, which can help fight off free radicals. Don't like sweet potatoes? That's OK — carrots contain many of the same benefits.
Also: How to Exfoliate Your Scalp for Healthier Hair
Spinach and Other Leafy Greens
We all know the health benefits of including greens like spinach in your diet, but did you know they stimulate hair growth? Among other essential nutrients, spinach is high in iron, zinc and magnesium and can help promote the production of sebum for a healthier scalp and hair follicles.
Spinach is the hair-growth superstar of the leafy green world. However, other members of the family such as kale, dandelion and chard pack a similar nutritional punch.
Great in savory dishes, in a salad or added to a homemade juice recipe for hair growth.
Peanut Butter
The star ingredient in a PB&J can provide a potent source of nutrients that promote hair growth. Peanut butter contains vitamin E, which has been shown to be a powerful weapon against hair loss. Two tablespoons (about a sandwich's worth of peanut butter) provides 10% of your daily vitamin E requirement. Talk about your perfect after-school snack.
Chia Seeds
Many seeds are nutritional superstars when it comes to helping your hair grow, including flax, chia and sesame seeds. Sprinkle your favorite seeds over the top of any grain bowl or salad to add hair growth power. Aside from making a delicious pudding or smoothie addition, chia seeds are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, protein, as well as calcium and phosphorous. Adding a scoop of chia seeds to a glass of water is an easy way to promote natural hair growth and hydration.
Shiitake Mushrooms
Delicious in a stir-fry, the humble shiitake is packed with zinc, which promotes healthier skin, and selenium, a potent antioxidant that helps the body combat free radicles. Because most of the foods containing selenium are sourced from animal protein, shiitakes are a great way for those of us who avoid meat to consume these essential nutrients.
Also: 6 Foods That Might Help Block DHT
Barley
A healthy source of protein and fiber, barley is particularly rich in vitamin E, which can help reduce hair loss. It's also a terrific source of iron and zinc. Both vitamins can help reduce hair loss and promote healthier skin. For serious hair growth bonus points, try adding sliced shiitakes and carrots to your next pot of mushroom barley soup.
Lentils
Lentils are brimming with folic acid, which is linked to healthful hair development. They also contain high amounts of protein and iron, a vitamin that can be lacking in a healthy vegetarian diet. Try whipping up a batch of red lentil hummus or adding high fiber green lentils to your salad at lunch.
You Are What You Eat
The health of your hair is a reflection of how you care for yourself — be it grooming, hair cuts and your diet. If you want to grow your hair, take a look at what you're eating (or not eating) and see if you can make some adjustments like adding a daily biotin supplement to your routine, especially if you know you're not eating exactly as you should be. Your hair — and body — will thank you.
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