Foods you must be eating for hair growth

Hair Fall

August 14, 2018 , Last updated: June 29, 2024

You are what you eat. Hair also needs nurturing like a plant. For hydration of the hair shaft water too is very essential. It also helps eliminate harmful toxins from the body and a very basic requirement for metabolism.

As one of the fastest growing tissues in the body, hair requires nutritious food for hair growth. If it does not receive an adequate supply of proteins, vitamins and other essential minerals and nutrients, the result is clearly evident with hairloss, dull, dry, lusterless hair. So choose your food wisely.

We can choose food for hair growth based on the nutritional requirement of hair. Eat what is seasonal and local. Water can be consumed in many forms like fruit juices (not the tinned/processed only fresh fruit juices without sugar and it would best if consumed as a whole) and coconut water. Below mentioned are the nutrients required for hair growth, how it helps hair growth and food items rich in the said nutrients.

Nutrient Requirement for Hair growth	How does it help Hair Growth	Food Items rich in the nutrient
Vitamin A	Prevents dryness of scalp by ensuring that the body produces and controls enough supply of sebum, a natural oil required to keep scalp moist and healthy	Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, dark green leafy vegetables, broccoli, Mangoes, Papaya, Apricots, Pumpkin, Cantaloupe, Pink Grape fruit
B-Vitamins	Promotes blood circulation in the scalp, hair growth, prevents premature greying and augments growth and repair of body tissues.	Beans, green peas, cauliflower, soybean, bran, nuts and eggs
Folic acid	Promotes hair growth by renewing the cells that grow hair. Its deficiency can lead to premature greying and hairloss	Spinach, asparagus, dried beans and legumes, orange, wheat bran, poultry and liver
Biotin	Promotes healthy hair growth and protects against dryness. It also increases the elasticity of the hair’s cortex, thus preventing breakage	Liver, egg yolks, Salmon, pork, avocado and cheese
Vitamin C	Aids in improving scalp circulation. It is important to maintain capillaries that carry blood to the follicles	Indian gooseberry (Amla), Guava, Citrus Fruits, Tomatoes and Green Peppers, Cabbage
Vitamin E	Increases oxygen uptake; this improves the blood circulation to the scalp and growth of hair. Stimulates hair growth by enhancing the immune system	Almonds, Sweet Potatoes, Avocado, Wheat Germ, Sunflower Seeds, Walnuts, Olive oil, Sunflower Oil
Protein	Essential for Hair growth. Amino acids created from proteins can have constructive effects on the look and feel of your hair	Pulses like Kidney beans, Chickpeas, Moong, Soya, Pistachios, Fish, Eggs, Greek yogurt
Copper	Essential for hair structure and pigmentation of hair	Mushroom, Sesame seeds, Almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, chickpeas, tomatoes, prunes, seafood
Zinc	Stimulates hair growth by enhancing immune function	Mushrooms, dark chocolate, pumpkin seeds, wheat germ, seafoods, chickpeas, cashews
Iron	Important constituent of haemoglobin; vital for adequate oxygenation of all tissues	Dark leafy greens, black dates, black raisins, banana, apples, fish, poultry, lentils
Selenium	Essential for normal thyroid functioning and to protect against cancer	Brazil nuts, seafood, sunflower seeds, chicken, mushroom, whole grains, curry leaves.
Silica	Vital component of hair shaft, stimulates hair growth	Bell peppers, Oats, Brown Rice, Apples, Raisin, cucumber, Peanuts, tomatoes, lettuce, mango, flaxseeds
Omega - 3	Promotes healthy scalp, regulates sebum production	Flaxseeds, Chia seeds, Soy bean, spinach, Seafood, Fish oil, Walnuts
Omega - 6	Stimulates Hair growth	Evening Primrose Oil, Hemp seeds, Sunflower Seeds, Corn and Pumpkin Seeds