Foods for healthy, rich, shiny and strong hair.

What many would do to have such great looking hair is to apply chemicals.

Instead of applying chemicals, which sometimes can have detrimental effects on hair, nutritionally, hair can be made thick, healthy, shiny and look fresh.

For a long time scientists have ignored the influence of nutrition on beauty, instead scientist’s have directed their attention more to impact of nutrition on health. What is becoming clear as more and more research is being carried out and published is that proper nutrition can promise a stunning hair locks.

As usual, desirable, long lasting changes, cannot be achieved overnight, they require diligence and consistency. To achieve wonderful hair would require long term (at least 6 months) health nutrition and care.

Nutrients Necessary for Gorgeous Hair.
Healthy, Lustrous and strong hair depends on two key things: Healthy scalp with healthy follicles and a body with the building blocks to construct strong hair shafts. Nutrients required for health scalp and the necessary building blocks are: protein, healthy fats, water, vital vitamins, and minerals-in the correct amounts.

Protein
Hair is about 97 percent protein, making protein a key requirement for nice, strong hair. Deficiency in protein means that the body cannot make new beautiful hair to replace that it has lost. The hair is made up of protein called keratin which gives it strength and elasticity. Foods that provide the necessary protein to guarantee strong and health hair include: salmon, yogurt, walnuts, oysters, fish, shellfish, turkey, chicken, beef, lamb, soybeans, eggs, nuts, and dairy products.

Lack of protein can cause the hair to become thin, break and become pale due to loss of pigment.

Omega 3 fatty acids
The hair shaft is made up of about 3% fat. Fats are needed to build the cell membranes in the skin of the scalp and for the natural oil that keeps the scalp and hair from drying out.

A lack of essential fatty acids can lead to development of dandruffs and make your hair dry, brittle, and slow growing.

Foods that can provide the required essential fatty acids and Omega 3 Fatty acids include: salmon, walnuts, spinach, mackerel, herring, sardines, trout, flax, hemp seeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, soybeans, and whole grain products.

Vitamins for shiny locks
There are many commercial products offering supplements claiming to strengthen hair, make it longer, make it shiny, prevent hair loss etc. Provided you can obtain balanced diet, there is no need for the supplements. Below are the most essential vitamins for luxurious looking hair.

Vitamin A-Vitamin A helps to produce and protect the oil in the scalp. Note that excess of vitamin A (due to supplements) causes hair loss. It is easy to get significant amounts of Vitamin A from sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, kiwi, oysters, yogurt, salmon and tomatoes.

Vitamin B Complex- Lack of Vitamin B causes slow growth and leads to weak and brittle hair shafts. Vitamin B6 helps create melanin, which gives hair its color.  Although there is no evidence that this vitamin has useful effect, Vitamin B7 is now a common additive to commercial shampoos (check the label of your shampoo).

The best sources of Vitamin B include: walnuts,  yoghurt, spinach, wild salmon,  spinach and oysters.

Vitamin C. Another very beneficial micro nutrient is vitamin C, which plays an important role in both maintaining great hair and fabulous scalp. Deficiency of Vitamin C can cause hair breakage.

It is basic to acquire sufficient vitamin C from most of these foods: peppers, blueberries, sweet potatoes, spinach, tomatoes,oranges, strawberries, lemons, and broccoli

Vitamin E- Vitamin E is an antioxidant which helps protect scalp’s natural oils. Good sources of vitamin E include wheat germ, sunflower seeds, safflower & sunflower oils, almonds, peaches, prunes, cabbage, asparagus, and avocados.

Minerals for lovely hair.
Five key minerals affect many things in hair ranging from growth rate, colour and texture. The ideal way to obtain the required minerals is by eating healthy foods.

Iron-Iron plays a role in hair health because it helps red blood cells carry oxygen to the hair follicles. It has been well established that women with hair loss and baldness often have low levels of iron in their blood. The best sources of iron are oysters, spinach, and tomatoes. Other animal sources of iron include lean beef, turkey, duck, lamb, chicken, pork, shrimp, and eggs. Good plant sources of iron include soybeans, lentils, beans, and bran.

Selenium-Selenium helps keep skin supple and elastic by preventing cellular damage from free radicals. Paradoxically, too much selenium can cause hair loss. Eating any of the following foods will deliver significant amounts of selenium: salmon and oysters, tuna, crab, whole wheat bread, wheat germ, garlic, eggs, and brown rice.

Silicon-In the human body, silicon is found in high concentrations in the skin and hair. It is important to the health of the scalp, plus it helps strengthen the hair. High-fiber diets contain lots of Silicon, which is widely distributed in whole grains, bananas, root vegetables, rice, soybeans, and many other foods.

Sulfur-Sulfur is present in cysteine, an amino acid that makes keratin and is crucial to hair growth. Sulfur helps body to create longer, stronger hair. Consuming any of the following food will provide sufficient Sulfur; eggs, meat, fish, dairy products, onions, and garlic.

Zinc-A zinc deficiency can cause, hair loss, loss of eyelashes and cause the scalp to become dry and flaky. Zinc is an antioxidant and helps guard against free-radical damage to the scalp.