YW_Issue_94_July-18_68 pages

28 wellness
focus
Eat This And Never
Have A Bad Hair Day
Though factors like age,
genetics and hormones affect
hair growth, optimal nutrient
intake is key to improving the
strength and condition of your
locks. There are many nutrients
that are important to healthy
hair growth that can be obtained
from the food we eat. Since hair is
practically entirely protein, eating
good quality sources is a must for
healthy hair. Organic eggs, dairy
and poultry, wild-caught fish and
grass-fed lamb are super animal
sources of protein. For vegans,
sprouted pulses, nut and seeds as
well as tofu and tempeh should be
consumed.
Collagen is one of the
most abundant proteins
in the body and it
makes up a large
part of our skin,
hair and nails.
While beauty
treatments and
shampoo laud the benefits of
collagen on their labels, the real
benefits come from increasing
collagen internally, not from a
topical treatment. Collagen plays
a big part in renewing cells and
is responsible for maintaining
the strength and elasticity of
bones, joints, tendons, skin, eyes,
internal organs, nails and hair.
Our body’s ability to produce
collagen starts to decrease after
the age of twenty-five, causing a
continuous decline of the collagen
levels in the body. That is why
you get wrinkles, hair that loses
its thickness, colour and lustre
and what leads to weakness of our
bones, cartilage and other body
parts. It’s important to eat food
sources of collagen like a good
bone broth, foods with gelatin and
also eggs. It is also important to
eat foods containing nutrients like
vitamin C, vitamin A, zinc, sulfur,
vitamin E that activates the body’s
production of collagen.
Vitamin A is needed by all cells
to grow, including hair. It also
helps skin glands to make an oily
substance called sebum which
naturally moisturises your scalp
and hair. Sweet potatoes, carrots,
pumpkins, spinach, and kale all
contain beta-carotene which the
body converts to vitamin
A. Vitamin A is also
found in milk,
yoghurt and
eggs as well
as cod liver
oil.
B vitamins
help to create
red blood cells
that carry oxygen
and nutrients to your
scalp and hair follicles. One of
the best-known B vitamins for
hair growth is biotin. A deficiency
in which can cause hair loss.
Whole grains, almonds, meat,
fish, seafood and dark leafy green
vegetables all provide B vitamins.
Since free radical damage can
block growth and cause hair to
become dull, lifeless and brittle,
it is important to eat plenty of
antioxidants to protect against
oxidative stress. Vitamin C is a
powerful antioxidant, important
to hair health also because of its
ability to help the body absorb
iron as well as create the protein
collagen (an important part of hair
structure). Berries, bell peppers,
amla and citrus fruits are good
sources of vitamin C.
Low levels of vitamin D are
linked to alopecia and research has
shown this nutrient is involved in
helping create new hair follicles.
Daily exposure to sunlight can
help your body to produce
vitamin D and dietary sources
include fatty fish, cod liver oil
and mushrooms. Vitamin E, like
vitamin C, is a potent antioxidant
that can increase hair growth.
Sunflower seeds, almonds, spinach
and avocadoes are good sources to
include in your meal plans.
Minerals are also important to
hair growth, in particular iron and
zinc. Zinc plays an important role
in hair tissue growth and repair.
It is also needed by the oil glands
and follicles to work properly. Zinc
deficiency can also cause hair loss
but supplementing with too high
a dose can also cause hair fall so
it is ideal to get your zinc from
the foods you eat. Oysters, whole
grains, nuts and seeds provide zinc.
Silica has been garnering a
lot of attention over the past few
years for thick healthy hair. This
nutrient helps to deliver the other
vital vitamins and minerals that
are ingested to the hair follicles.
Silica also helps to balance
hormones which can in turn
affect hair growth. Good dietary
sources include bell peppers, soy
yourwellness.com • Volume VII • Issue II • July 2018