Hair is not only for looks. It protects the scalp from the wind and sun.
When you are under stress, sick, or aging your hair becomes dull. When the body is weak and defficient of nutrients it affects your hair.
Here are the nutrition we should have to have a healthy hair:
Protein
Hair is 98 percent protein, which helps indicate what nutrients you need to have a healthy hair. Low fat sources of protein like fish and poultry, and legumes such as soy, will be beneficial to keep your hair healthy.
Vitamin A
This kind of vitamin is necessary for skin and hair. Excessive hair loss is one sign of Vitamin A deficiency. Eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day will help get sufficient Vitamin A. This vitamin is commonly found in yellow and orange vegetables and fruits, and also in dark green leafy vegetables. Other sources of Vitamin A is liver, egg yolks and butter. If you choose to obtain your Vitamin A from a capsule, you should consume 10,000 to 15,000 IU of beta-carotene daily.
Vitamin E
This vitamin is essential to keep hair healthy. Doctors recommend that everyone should take 400 IU of Vitamin E daily.
Food sources of vitamin E are unrefined, extra virgin oil, whole grains, avocados and nuts.
Healthy Thyroid Gland
A healthy thyroid gland is essential for healthy hair. When your hair is dull and lifeless it could be an indicator of thyroid deficiency.
Iodine is important for proper thryoid metablolism. It is found naturally in fish and is added to most table salt.
Cysteine
This amino acid is found in large amounts in the hair. The good sources of cysteine are eggs, meat and dairy products, but since they are high in fat, you can also take cysteine capsules up to 1,000 mg daily on an empty stomach.
B Vitamins
One of the members of B-complex is biotin which is added to many shampoos. Some foods high in biotin are nuts, whole grains, vegetables, and organ meats, such as liver. These can reverse hair loss caused by biotin deficiency.
Selenium
Food sources of selenium are tuna, meat, bread, brown and white rice, dairy and nuts. If you choose selenium capsules you should consume 100-200 mcg daily.
This mineral is an antioxidant and acts as an enzyme for many bodily functions.
Silica or Silicon
A form of silicon, called silica, is used as a dietary supplement for healthier hair.
Food sources of silicon are oats, potatoes, millet, and barley.
The average intake of silicon is 10-40 mg daily.
