Don’t we all wish that life was just a series of good hair days? The want for strong and thick hair is constant. But what do we do about it? Probably not much. But these food items are a great way to get started on your journey towards great long and thick hair.
What a lot of us don’t understand is that hair care is not just about hair products, hair packs et al. Just like your skin, the health of your hair also depends a great deal on your diet, among other things. While you cannot control factors like age and genetics, you can definitely control what you eat. Certain vitamins and minerals play an important role in the growth cycle of hair follicles and in cellular turnover. So, here are some of the best foods for thick hair growth that you can incorporate in your diet.
Foods to include in your diet for thick and long hair
Eggs
One of the best foods for thick hair growth are eggs. These are a great source of protein and biotin, the two nutrients that are essential for hair growth. Biotin is the nutrient that produces the popular protein, keratin. Eggs are also a great source of zinc, selenium, and other hair-healthy nutrients. All of these make eggs a great choice to boost hair growth.
Nuts
Calories and healthy fats do wonders for your hair. A January 2015 study proved that Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential fatty acids contained in nuts are essential for hair growth and improved the quality of hair. Nuts like almonds or walnuts are natural emollients for the skin and hair follicle, which also moisturises the hair shaft, thus leaving it glossy. These are also rich sources of Vitamin B, magnesium, zinc, and Vitamin E, making it a great food for thick hair.
Fatty fish
This seafood is not only great in taste, it has great benefits for your hair as well. Fatty fish, like salmon, tuna and sardines contain protein, Vitamin D, Omega-3 fats and other components, like linoleum acid. These nourish the skin and thicken the fat layer around the hair follicle, thus leading to healthier hair growth.
Spinach
This healthy leafy green vegetable is a powerhouse of beneficial nutrients like folate, iron, and Vitamins A and C, all of which are important for thick and healthy hair. A cup (30 grams) of spinach can provide up to 20 percent of your daily Vitamin A needs. It is also a great plant-based source of iron, which is essential for hair growth.
Sweet potatoes
What makes sweet potato a great food for thick hair is the beta-carotene content present in it. This compound is converted to Vitamin A by the body, and we have already established that Vitamin A is essential for hair growth. A medium-sized sweet potato contains enough beta carotene to provide up to 160 percent of your daily Vitamin A needs.
Berries
Berries are rich in Vitamin C and antioxidants that not only support hair growth, but also protect the hair follicles against damage from free radicals. A cup of strawberries contain about 85 milligrams of Vitamin C, which makes up for up to 113 percent of your daily Vitamin C needs. Vitamin C is essential for the production of collagen, a protein that helps strengthen hair to prevent it from becoming brittle and breaking.
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Written by
Sreetama Basu
Digital Writer - Entertainment, Food & Drinks
A journalism student who studied the subject only to meet SRK in person, she settled for the best way to meet him. Covering Entertainment throughout her career, and now Food, Health and Lifestyle as well, Sreetama is also a self-proclaimed plant mom. In love with all things slow and quiet, she can often be found hunting for quiet corners with a glass of wine in hand. Other loves include little, inconsequential things, like neatly tucked-in bedsheets and big, significant things, like whole cheesecakes. She dreams of being a baker and writing about food someday.
