Do you dislike those shampoo or hair loss control advertisements? No matter how much we try, it seems an impossible task to acquire those silky smooth locks and put an end to hair fall issues. In my family, starting from my grandmother to my sister, all of them have hair fall problems and they experiment with the most unusual hair products on this planet to see some growth on their scalp. While this is a common situation with most women in our country now, what they fail to understand is that our food and lifestyle habits are hugely responsible for our hair related problems.
Vitamins play an important role for our well-being. In today’s fast paced world, many people skip meals, eat on the run or choose poor quality foods. Fruits and vegetables are rarely added to the daily diet, which leads to various ailments related to vitamin deficiencies, including affecting your skin and hair, resulting in hair loss or baldness and patches on your nails.
Dr. Rupali Datta, Chief Nutritionist, Smart Cooky says, “What you eat has a strong co-relation with the health of your skin and hair. Adequate calories, healthy fats, proteinsand vitamins are vital for healthy hair. Vitamins that are particularly important for the hair include Vitamins A, E and D. Choose fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds daily instead of depending on supplements. Natural forms of nutrients are much healthier anyday.”
According to Dr. Surojit Gorai, Dermatologist, Apollo Hospitals, Kolkata, “vitamins like biotin help produce glucose and break down proteins into amino acids. Since hair itself contains keratin, which is a type of protein, these vitamins help in providing healthy locks.”
Here are five vitamins that you must take for better hair growth –
1. Biotin:
If you want longer, healthier hair then don’t forget biotin. This is quickly becoming one of the most widely used supplements for faster hair growth. Biotin is a B vitamin, and it plays a key role in keeping the hair healthy. While most people get a good dose of biotin from the food they eat every day, it is a water soluble vitamin. That means your body cannot retain it and flushes out what it doesn’t use. So you need to get enough of it every day. Many hair care products now contain biotin.
Food sources of biotin: mushrooms, avocados, eggs, salmon, peanut butter, etc.
2. Vitamin A:
Vitamin A is another vitamin that’s vital for proper cell growth. It helps in producing sebum (oil on the scalp), which keeps the hair from drying out and breaking. According to Amol Ghosh, Clinical Tutor (Rtd), N.R.S. Hospital, Kolkata, “Vitamin A fights free radicals that weigh your hair down. While Vitamin A is essential for healthy hair, you must exercise caution, as too much of it can lead to toxicity and can actually result in hair loss.
Food sources for vitamin-A: cod liver oil, peaches, carrots, spinach, etc.
3. Vitamin E:
Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that repairs and builds tissue, and is essential for healthy hair growth. Alongside eating vitamin E-rich foods, people are raving about the advantages that they reap from its topical use. When you apply vitamin E to your scalp, it reduces inflammation, increases blood circulation, boosts oxygen supply, and repairs damaged hair follicles. Because of its blood thinning properties, it’s also important to remember to discontinue the use of Vitamin E prior to any type of surgery.
Food sources for vitamin E: almonds, seeds, avocado, broccoli, etc.
4. Vitamin C:
Most of us are aware that vitamin C can help boost our immunity, protecting us against frequent colds and other infections. What most people are unaware of is that vitamin C can help strengthen the hair. That’s partly because vitamin C helps the body create and produce collagen, a vital protein for healthy hair, skin, and nails. Moreover, a recent study published in the British Journal of Dermatology says that vitamin C is considered an antioxidant that fights free radicals that damage body tissue.
Food sources for Vitamin C: oranges, red peppers, kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, strawberries, grapefruit and kiwi.
5. Vitamin D:
One approach to boost your vitamin D levels is to spend some time out in the sun. Just around 15-20 minutes every day is enough to get your dose. While this isn’t troublesome during the summer months, you may not be able to soak up enough sun during the winter. That’s where supplements and food sources come into play. To increase your vitamin D levels with food sources, eat vitamin D-rich foods.
Food sources for Vitamin D: halibut, mackerel, eel, salmon, whitefish, swordfish, maitake mushrooms and portabella mushrooms.
Now that you know these vitamins by heart and where to find them, expect to have amazing hair soon!
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