Some Top Foods for Healthy Hair
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When
it comes to healthy hair, it’s not just what you put on your tresses that counts
-- it’s what you put in your body, too. "Just like every other part of
your body, the cells and processes that support strong, vibrant hair depend on
a balanced diet," It can take longer to notice changes (both good or bad!)
in your hair than in your skin. For example, "just one week with a poor
diet can yield acne flare-ups or dry, sallow skin within days," "but
with hair, it can take a few months for a nutritional deficiency or the effects
of a crash diet to show up." The nutrients you eat today help fortify the
hair follicle -- from which each strand is born --- and the scalp that
surrounds it. "Healthier follicles? Healthier hair. Healthier scalp?
Healthier hair!" Of course, there's more to your hair than
what you eat. Smoking, hormonal imbalances, and not enough sleep can also
affect how your hair looks and feels. No magic nutrient can make up for those
concerns. Still, you have a lot more leverage than you might think. If you eat
a balanced, varied, protein-rich diet that focuses on the following 10 foods,
you'll be giving your hair the TLC it needs and deserves.
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1. Salmon Besides being rich in protein and vitamin D
(both are key to strong hair) the omega-3 fatty acids found in this tasty
cold-water fish are the true superstar. Your body can't make those fatty acids,
which your body needs to grow hair. About 3% of the hair shaft is make up of
these fatty acids. Omega-3s are also found in cell membranes in the skin of
your scalp, and in the natural oils that keep your scalp and hair hydrated. If
salmon doesn't thrill you, you can also get essential fatty acids from fish
like herring, sardines, trout, and mackerel, as well as avocado, pumpkin seeds,
and walnuts (see below for more wonderful things about walnuts.)
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2. Sweet Potatoes: Sweet potatoes are a great source of the
antioxidant beta carotene, which your body turns into vitamin A.
"Basically, every cell of the body cannot function without enough A," It also helps protect and produce the oils that sustain your
scalp, and being low on vitamin A can even leave you with itchy, irksome
dandruff. Carrots and mangoes are all good sources of beta carotene.
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3.
Eggs are a great source of protein, eggs are loaded with four key minerals:
zinc, selenium, sulfur, and iron. Iron is especially important, because it
helps cells carry oxygen to the hair follicles, and too little iron (anemia) is
a major cause of hair loss, particularly in women. Other options are that you
can also boost your iron stores with animal sources, including chicken, fish,
pork, and beef.
4. Poultry This everyday entree is extraordinary when it comes
to protein, as well as hair-healthy zinc, iron, and B vitamins to keep strands
strong and plentiful. Because hair is nearly all protein, "foods rich in
protein are literally giving you the building blocks for hair,. Other options:
Lean cuts of beef are another good source of lean protein.
By...Belinda Yeboah
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