Traditional beauticians believe that massaging argan or coconut oil into your hair will make it shiny and lustrous.
Nutritionist Lisa Drayer, author of The Beauty Diet, says it’s not what you put on your body but what you put in your body that makes you beautiful. We examine some of the foods that should be part of your daily hair diet.
Lean meat
Your hair is composed primarily of a protein called keratin and including enough in your diet is important to its growth, says Mike Ryan, Trichologist, Brand Expert, Clear Arabia. He suggests eating at least 120 grams of protein such as chicken, fish, eggs and lean meat daily.
Salmon
The omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon oil have been proven to lower blood pressure and slow the development of plaque in arteries. The body also needs it to grow new hair and to keep it healthy.
The lack of omega-3 acids is a common cause of nutritional deficiency-related hair loss, according to the University of Maryland Medical Centre.
Three per cent of the hair shaft is made up of these acids. They are also found in skin cells on the scalp. The body cannot make these acids, so they must be obtained externally.
Omega-3 acids are also found in sardines, mackerel, avocado, pumpkin seeds and walnuts.
Eating salmon will not help people who are bald to grow new hair, but the American Health Association considers it safe to take up to three grams per day. The oils are also rich in protein and vitamin D, both key to strong hair.
Egg yolk
While the jury is out on the egg-cholesterol relationship, egg yolks are recognised as high sources of biotin, also called vitamin B7 or vitamin H. A coenzyme involved in the addition or removal of carbon dioxide to or from biologically active compounds, biotin has been proved to heal hair that is thinning or splitting.
The symptoms of biotin deficiency include hair loss, which may include loss of eyelashes and eyebrows, and nails that break easily.
The vitamin is water-soluble, which means it is not stored in the body in large amounts, so it must be obtained from food every day. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, cooked liver and yeast are other sources of this essential vitamin.
Blueberries
Generally accepted as one of nature’s superfoods, blueberries are packed with antioxidants, which retard cell damage. Blueberries stimulate hair growth with proanthocyanidins, a plant chemical that interacts with hair follicles to accelerate growth.
Each berry is also packed with vitamin C, essential for proper circulation in the scalp and for more abundant hair growth.
In addition, studies show that blueberries may help prevent cancer and Alzheimer’s. Two servings a week are deemed enough to help the body absorb all their benefits.
Spinach
Hair bleaches itself from the inside out, according to studies by researchers from the University of Bradford. They showed how the accumulation of oxidative stress over time leads to the overproduction of hydrogen peroxide in hair follicles. This begins to block the production of melanin, the pigment responsible for hair colour.
The enzyme catalase reportedly breaks up the hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen, but its levels drop as we age.
Many companies are rushing to create pills that contain catalase, but it occurs naturally in spinach, broccoli, zucchini, avocado, liver and parsley.
Spinach is also a storehouse of vitamin A, which helps develop and maintain epithelial cells, and is high in vitamin C. Both these vitamins are needed to help the body create sebum, which keeps the scalp moisturised and stimulates the hair follicles.
Spinach is also high in iron, low levels of which can cause the hair to shed before it reaches maximum length, says Ryan.
Water
Former Miss World Aishwarya Rai Bachchan boasts lustrous and thick hair even at the age of 40. Her secret, she told wonderwoman.in, is drinking plenty of water — up to ten glasses a day to detoxify the body and keep her hair and skin glowing.
Like the skin, hair needs hydration from the inside out to stay healthy. The Institute of Medicine recommends women drink a little more than two litres a day and men three litres.
