There are so many possible illnesses, damaging habits, health issues and nutritional deficiencies that can cause hair loss. These causes include alopecia disease, scalp psoriasis, very oily scalp, stress, falling asleep with wet hair, genetics, poor diet, poor hair care routine, harsh chemicals from hair dyes, hot hair straighteners or curling irons, an inability to absorb vitamins and nutrients, hormone imbalance due to dysfunctional thyroid or birth control pills, oil and dirt buildup within the hair follicles, cancer treatments, or the natural aging process.
Some of these hair loss cases can be treated and nipped in the bud, depending on your age and what’s causing it, some will require a more intensive treatment plan. Others are, unfortunately, simply unstoppable, such as the effects of the aging process. But the good news is, even if you’re a senior, you can still take steps to slow it down and make it less severe.
A change or improvement in your overall diet will benefit you most if you have vitamin and mineral deficiencies in A, B, C, D, omega fatty acids, magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron, zinc and biotin among others.
Listed below are the best foods that fight hair loss, help regrow new hair and can even bring the hair loss to a halt altogether.
Eggs are a great source of protein and biotin, two of the many nutrients that promote hair growth. Eating adequate protein is important for hair growth because hair follicles are mostly made of protein. Research has found that a lack of protein in your diet can lead to hair loss.
Biotin is essential to produce a hair protein called keratin, which is why biotin supplements are often marketed for hair growth. Research has also shown that consuming more biotin can help improve hair growth in people with a biotin deficiency.
However, biotin deficiencies are uncommon if you eat a balanced diet. Therefore, if you are generally healthy, you usually don’t need to consume more sources of biotin.
Eggs are also a great source of zinc, selenium and other hair-healthy nutrients.
Spinach is a super healthy green vegetable that’s loaded with essential and beneficial nutrients like folate, iron, and vitamins A and C, all of which may promote hair growth. Vitamin A helps the skin glands produce sebum. This oily substance helps moisturize the scalp to keep your hair healthy. Believe it or not, one cup of spinach actually provides up to 54% of your daily vitamin A needs.
Spinach is also a great plant-based source of iron, which is essential for hair growth. Iron helps red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body to fuel your metabolism and aids growth and repair. Furthermore, iron deficiencies have also been linked to hair loss.
Fatty fish like salmon, herring and mackerel have nutrients that may promote hair growth. They are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been linked to hair growth in many studies.
One study that consisted of 120 women found that taking a supplement containing omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, as well as antioxidants, reduced hair loss and increased hair density. Another study found that taking a fish oil supplement significantly reduced hair loss and increased hair growth in women with thinning hair. However, there are only a small handful of studies on omega-3 fatty acids and hair growth. More studies are needed before health experts can make any concrete recommendations.
Fatty fish is also a great source of protein, selenium, vitamin D3 and B vitamins, nutrients that can help promote strong and healthy hair.
Nuts are tasty, convenient and contain a variety of nutrients that may promote hair growth. For example, an ounce (28 grams) of almonds provides an impressive 37% of your daily vitamin E needs. They also provide a wide variety of B vitamins, zinc and essential fatty acids. Nuts have also been linked to a wide variety of other health benefits besides hair growth, including reduced inflammation and a lower risk of heart disease.
These two minerals are also connected to hair growth: selenium and iodine. Both minerals are necessary for proper functioning of the thyroid gland, and deficiencies in each can lead to hair loss.
To keep a steady dietary source of both minerals, consider having yogurt for breakfast or as a post-workout snack. The dairy product is teeming with these minerals. In fact, one cup of plain low-fat Greek yogurt contains half of your daily iodine and 34 percent of your DV selenium.
If a dietary change is not sufficient to treat your case of hair loss due to its severity, unhealthy scalp or some other specific health condition, please make an appointment with your doctor or a certified specialist who will be able to administer tests to pinpoint the problem, and then give you a treatment plan that’s more suitable for you.
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". |
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional | 11 months | The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". |
cookielawinfo-checbox-others | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement | 1 year | The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Advertisement". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". |
elementor | never | No description available. |
viewed_cookie_policy | 11 months | The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data. |
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
_ga | 2 years | This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to calculate visitor, session, campaign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookies store information anonymously and assign a randomly generated number to identify unique visitors. |
_ga_FPHEVW83YC | 2 years | This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. |
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
_fbp | 3 months | This cookie is set by Facebook to deliver advertisement when they are on Facebook or a digital platform powered by Facebook advertising after visiting this website. |
fr | 3 months | The cookie is set by Facebook to show relevant advertisments to the users and measure and improve the advertisements. The cookie also tracks the behavior of the user across the web on sites that have Facebook pixel or Facebook social plugin. |