In addition to using appropriate hair care products, the health and beauty of your hair also depend on what you eat. To achieve shiny hair, a healthy and balanced diet is essential. Here are the nutrients to prioritize for beautiful hair.
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Nutrients for Beautiful Hair
- Proteins to improve hair quality
- Iron to Prevent Hair Loss
- Amino Acids to Prevent Hair Aging
- Zinc to Reduce Hair Loss
- Sources
Proteins to improve hair quality.
Proteins are the main component of hair fibers. Their daily intake should be 0.83 to 2.2 g/kg/day. Reduced protein absorption can therefore impair hair growth. Kwashiorkor is the result of low protein intake within a normal caloric diet. It is characterized by reddish, short, and dull hair. Hair elasticity is reduced, and the hair becomes softer. Changes in hair color can also vary along the hair shaft, leading to red or light bands in dark hair.
Providing protein supplementation can be beneficial for hair health and prevent issues associated with protein deficiency. Certain foods are known to be rich in protein, such as Greek yogurt (12 to 18 g/serving), ricotta (14 g/serving), edamame (13 g/serving), lentils (9 g/serving), milk (8 g/serving), and meat (7 g/serving).
Iron to Prevent Hair Loss.
The recommended daily iron intake is approximately 1 mg for men and about 2 mg for women. Iron deficiency is a known cause of hair loss. Hair follicle cells are among the fastest-dividing cells in the body, and iron deficiency can contribute to hair loss due to its role as a cofactor for ribonucleotide reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme in DNA synthesis. Additionally, numerous genes have been identified in the human hair follicle, some of which may be regulated by iron.
Opting for iron supplementation can be beneficial to prevent hair loss. Among iron-rich foods, we find soybeans (6.5 mg/serving), oysters and mussels (5 to 6.3 mg/serving), lentils (3.3 to 4.9 mg/serving), spinach (3.4 mg/serving), tofu (2.4 mg/serving), and chickpeas (2.2 mg/serving).
Amino Acids to Prevent Hair Aging.
The long-term effects of amino acids on hair aging are possible. It has been demonstrated that the amino acid taurine promotes the survival of follicular cells in vitro, and that L-carnitine stimulates hair follicle cells. In a randomized study involving 30 women, a supplement of L-cysteine in combination with medicinal yeast and pantothenic acid led to the prevention of the temporal loss of several thousand hairs. It is also attributed with antioxidant properties, to prevent hair oxidation by free radicals resulting in damage to the hair fiber and the appearance of gray hair.
A study examined the role of L-lysine, an essential amino acid that may play a role in the absorption of iron and zinc. The addition of L-lysine to iron supplementation resulted in an increase in the average serum ferritin concentration in some women suffering from diffuse alopecia who did not respond to iron supplementation alone. Although interesting, the available data is limited, and the role of L-lysine should be the subject of further studies.
Further studies are needed to increase the evidence of the effect of amino acids on hair.
Zinc to Reduce Hair Loss.
Zinc is an essential mineral. We need to consume about 10 g per day, adjusted according to individual circumstances. Zinc deficiency can also lead to hair loss. However, it can be reversed. A study demonstrated the reversal of hair loss following oral supplementation in five patients with zinc deficiency. Another study involving patients with hair loss showed that they all had lower zinc concentrations compared to healthy controls.
However, there is currently little information on the effects of zinc supplementation on hair growth in individuals without a confirmed deficiency.
Foods rich in zinc include oysters (32 mg/serving), beef (3.8 mg/serving), cereals (2.3 mg/serving), pumpkin seeds (2.2 mg/serving), turkey (1.5 mg/serving), and shrimp (1.4 mg/serving).
Sources
FINNER A.M. Nutrition and Hair. Dermatologic Clinics (2013).
KATTA R. and GUO E.L. Diet and hair loss: effects of nutrient deficiency and supplement use. Dermatology Practical & Conceptual (2017).
Protein content of common foods. Clinical Nutrition (2019).
Iron in Foods. HealthLinkBC (2022).
Zinc. National Institutes of Health (2022).
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