21 Best and Worst Foods for Hair Growth

 There's a saying that "beauty comes from within." In the case of hair growth, it is indeed true. Your outward appearance reflects the state of your internal health. Therefore, it is necessary to nourish your body with all the essential nutrients to maintain and boost your holistic condition.
 
You can receive your daily dose of hair growth nutrients through your everyday diet. Thus, it would be best if you were meticulous in choosing what's best for your health. Check out the best and worst foods that can affect the quality and the quantity of your hair growth. 

 
Plants can provide you a myriad of hair growth benefits. What foods must you include in your hair care regimen? Check out 14 of the best foods for hair growth.
 

Thanks to Mother Nature, people are well-provided with plants and crops enriched with hair vitamins and minerals. Here is a list of some of the healthiest plant-based foods for hair growth.

 
Vitamin C is an essential hair growth nutrient. Luckily, oranges are abundant with this vital vitamin. These sweet citrus fruits are loaded with antioxidants that can ward off free radicals. By doing so, you can prevent oxidative stress from damaging your follicles and affecting the hair growth cycle.

 
Slathering coconut oil on your hair and scalp isn't enough. You can also include coconut milk, meat, and oil in your everyday meals. Coconut is packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that can contribute to hair growth. Coconut meat also contains good cholesterol, which can prevent heart diseases. If your heart is in its best condition, it can pump enough blood to travel and reach your hair follicles.

 
Spinach, just like any other green leafy vegetable, is an excellent source of iron. Your red blood cells need hemoglobin, which your body can only produce with this essential mineral. Without enough iron, your blood won't have enough RBC to carry oxygen for your hair follicles.

 
Do you want to know the secret behind a rabbit's fuzzy coat? It's no other than carrots! These orange root veggies have high levels of vitamins A and C. These vitamins can boost collagen production, thereby making your hair healthy and flexible. The carotenoids found in carrots act as natural sun blockers, thereby preventing the sun's ultraviolet rays from damaging your scalp and shaft.

 
Soybeans have so much to offer. Aside from being loaded with plant-based proteins, these beans are also abundant sources of isoflavones. These phytoestrogens can keep your hormones in check since these organic compounds can imitate estrogens. With these estrogen imitators' help, you can regulate your hormonal levels, thereby preventing DHT from binding your follicles.

 
Free radicals are among your hair's most dangerous perpetrators, for they can severely damage your hair follicles. But don't worry, for blueberries can help you fight against this problem. These deep purple berries are packed with antioxidants that can protect your hair from oxidative stress.

Eating almond nuts during breakfast or snack time is beneficial for your locks. These nutty treats can prevent the onset of hair aging. Almond nuts contain catalase, an antioxidant that can stop your hair from greying. The vitamin E found in these nuts has antioxidant properties that can promote lustrous and thick hair growth.

 
Whole grains can give you a punch of carbohydrates, much-needed nutrients for energy production and consumption. Your body uses carbohydrates to break down keratin for your hair follicles. Without enough energy, the hair cells residing in your follicles will stop growing, thereby hampering your locks from thriving.

Animals can also provide various products that can benefit your lovely mane. Check out the best foods sourced from animals. 
 

 
Your locks are made from the hair protein called keratin. Therefore, keeping your protein levels in check guarantees the physical structure of your hair strands.
 
Don't worry, for your trays of eggs can provide you with enough protein for your hair. Eggs are also rich in biotin, a hair growth vitamin known to promote thick hair growth.

 
Dairy products, such as milk, also provide you with sufficient protein supply. Milk is also a go-to source of vitamin B12, an essential nutrient in cell formation and blood production. Aside from the B12 vitamin, milk also contains high vitamin D levels. It helps to repair old hair follicles and create new ones. Studies also explain that vitamin D deficiency can cause hair loss. Therefore, get your burst of proteins and vitamins from milk products. 

 
Fill your plate with salmon, a type of fatty fish overloaded with omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon's anti-inflammatory properties can alleviate inflammations, allowing your follicles to receive other nutrients. Without enough fatty acids, you may experience hair loss problems.

 
Pump your smoothie with yogurt, fermented milk that can provide you a punch of proteins and lactic acid.
 
Studies show that yogurt's probiotic bacteria can protect pregnant women and children from toxic metals found in hair growth products, such as lead and cadmium.

Not only can you eat yogurt as dessert, but you can also use yogurt as a primary ingredient for your hair mask treatments.

 
These shelled creatures can supply you with enough zinc, a mineral that keeps your follicles well-functioning. It balances the sebum production of your oil glands, thereby avoiding dandruff formation and greasy hair. Zinc can also regulate androgen levels, thus, preventing unwanted hair loss.

 
Some people may find eating organ meats or offals a disgusting eating habit. However, these meaty parts are loaded with vitamins and minerals. For instance, beef liver is densely packed with vitamin A, iron, and zinc. These nutrients are all essential for proper blood circulation and healthy hair growth.

 
Not all foods are beneficial for your mane. Including these foods in your daily diet can hamper your hair growth. Check out the seven worst foods that you must avoid for the sake of your locks. 

 
Nothing feels more satisfying than grabbing a bite of your favorite doughnut or cake. Yet, no matter how mouth-watering sweet desserts are, you need to control your desire over them. People who frequently eat sugary foods are prone to hair loss problems. It can increase the androgen levels in the body, thereby putting your follicles in danger. Bingeing over sugar-sweetened diets also increases your chance of having heart diseases, affecting your body's blood circulation.

 
A sugar-free soda does not guarantee healthy hair growth. Most diet sodas use artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, to replace natural sugar. However, studies show that aspartame can make your hair strands thinner and lead to hair loss. Diet soda also has many preservatives that can affect your overall health. 

 
A conversation can go a long way with the help of alcohol. However, overconsumption of alcoholic beverages can also pave your path towards hair loss. Drinking alcohol dehydrates your follicles, making your strands thin and brittle. It also disrupts your sleep cycle, which, of course, affects your hair growth cycle, too.

 
Having too much salt on your diet is a big no-no for both palate and hair. High levels of sodium content in the body can trigger ailments and even hair loss. Sodium build-up can surround your follicles and prevent them from receiving nourishment. Once the strands are weakened, they will start falling out in no time.

 
Time is a constant enemy. Many people are either busy or lazy enough time to cook their meals. Thus, fast foods were made to solve this problem. Eating fast food meals once in a blue moon will not harm your body. However, be wary of their fat, salt, and sugar content, which can adversely affect your hair growth. 

 
Aside from acne breakouts, frequent consumption of starchy foods, such as bread, rice, potatoes, and cereals, can also initiate hair loss. Too much intake of starch can clog your pores on your skin and scalp, thereby causing inflammations. It can also prevent nutrients from reaching your follicles, leading to weakened strands and grey hair.

 
Not all fishes are healthy for the body. Swordfish is a type of fish that you must avoid for the sake of your locks. It contains high levels of mercury, which can be hazardous for your hair follicles. 

What you eat affects the quality of your locks. Don't let unhealthy foods ruin your hair's reputation. Choose what's best for your mane. Always remember that meals enriched with hair-boosting vitamins and minerals can prevent you from spending for hair loss treatments. 

Eating healthy meals is not enough to treat your thinning hair. So what can you do to defeat any hair loss problem? The answer is simple: choose the best hair growth products. Use shampoo and conditioner products enriched with hair vitamins and DHT blockers to ensure a healthy, growing mane.