UNDERSTANDING OPTIMAL NUTRITION
Understanding Optimal Hair Health by Joseph R.Yaker, MD
Genetics is a major factor in hair loss. Other factors include medical conditions, grooming, hormonal imbalances, medications, or styling habits. These can contribute to thinning, baldness, or shedding. The other important factor that is often overlooked is proper nutrition. Healthy hair requires a healthy diet, just as much as healthy shampoo and conditioner.
Like any other body part, hair needs a variety of proteins, vitamins and minerals, proper oxygen, and blood circulation to live and grow. Your hair is affected by your overall health. As a result, if poor health conditions or nutritional deficits occur, hair quality may be negatively impacted, and hair loss may result.
Below is a list of important vitamins, nutrients, and proteins to optimize your hair’s health.
VITAMINS
VITAMIN A
Foods that are rich in Vitamin A assist the body in the production of sebum, an oil substance that is needed in moisturizing and lubricating the skin and hair. Vitamin A deficient individuals may suffer from a dry and itchy scalp.
Recommended Foods: Carrots, yellow and green vegetables and fruits, pumpkins, sweet potatoes
VITAMIN B
When it comes to your hair, there are few vitamins as important as vitamin B. Vitamin B is a complex of vitamins, including B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, and B12. Due to your body’s inability to store most B vitamins, you must consume food sources or supplements rich in B vitamins. Without these complex vitamins, you can have dry, brittle hair and a dry, flaky scalp.
B1 (THIAMINE)
Your body needs vitamin B1 to process and distribute the food you eat throughout your body. If you do not get enough vitamin B1, your hair follicles may become malnourished, leading to poor hair health or even hair loss.
Recommended Foods: Asparagus, broccoli, eggplant, beets, cabbage, brussels sprouts, green beans, mushrooms, peas, spinach.
B2 (RIBOFLAVIN)
Vitamin B2 is a powerful antioxidant that is integral to energy production. As a result, vitamin B2 can improve the health of your scalp, contributing to healthy hair growth. It would help if you also had vitamin B2 to digest vitamin B6. A deficiency in one typically leads to a deficiency in the other.
Recommended Foods: Chicken, nuts, dairy products, fish, eggs, green vegetables, legumes, turkey, and whole grains.
B5 (PANTOTHENIC ACID)
Vitamin B5 has been shown to give hair strength, flexibility, and shine while preventing hair loss and possibly graying.
Recommended Foods: Avocado, cauliflower, chicken, beef, broccoli, corn, duck, kale, legumes, lentils, egg yolks, salmon, turkey, wheat germ, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, sunflower seeds, whole grains.
B6 (PYRIDOXINE)
Vitamin B6 works with B9 and B12. They help make hemoglobin. Hemoglobin carries oxygen to your body’s tissues. This includes your hair. B6 plays a big role in processing protein, which helps your hair grow. It also helps your hair cells get the amino acids they need. Amino acids are what makeup proteins. B6 may also balance hormone activity, which could affect hair growth. This means it might help prevent thinning hair. This still needs more research, but it’s an interesting thought.
Recommended Foods: Bananas, sunflower seeds, cheese, chicken, beans, carrots, fish, shrimp, spinach, lentils, milk, and whole grains.
B7 (BIOTIN)
Some studies suggest that vitamin B7 can help keep hair strong and healthy. Biotin deficiency can cause hair loss. Taking supplements can improve hair. Friendly bacteria in our gut make more biotin than we need each day. The average American gets enough biotin from their diet. There’s little risk of biotin deficiency in this country. Biotin supplements, marketed to help with hair loss, can help if you are not deficient.
Recommended Foods: Brown rice, sunflower seeds, sweet eggs, green peas, lentils, nuts, oats, onions, soybeans, salmon, potatoes, walnuts.
B9 (FOLIC ACID)
Vitamin B9 aids in hair follicle cell division and growth. Since folic acid helps your hair cells work and grow, you must receive adequate folic acid daily.
Recommended Foods: Avocado, beets, beans, citrus fruits (orange, grapefruit), green leafy vegetables, lentils, nuts, strawberries, seeds, whole grains.
B12 (COBALAMIN)
Vitamin B12, similar to vitamin B6, helps grow healthy hair. It helps make red blood cells. These cells bring oxygen to your hair cells. Your body can keep a lot of vitamin B12. Still, getting it from food can be tough, especially when you age.
Recommended Foods: Beef, chicken, egg yolks, liver, dairy products, fish, milk, and shellfish.
VITAMIN C
Vitamin C is a vital antioxidant. It helps make collagen, which strengthens hair and prevents breakage. In addition, Vitamin C is good for proper circulation, hair growth, and even hair color.
Recommended Foods: Blackcurrants, broccoli, blueberries, Brussels sprouts, cucumbers, kiwi, lemons, limes, oranges, guava, papaya, sweet potatoes, strawberries, and tomatoes.
VITAMIN D
Your body naturally makes Vitamin D under the sun. Normal sun exposure can give your body enough Vitamin D. Yet, some people may not get enough. These can be those with dark skin, folks not often outdoors, those who shield their skin a lot (with sunblock or clothing), those living where sunny hours are rare, older folks, overweight individuals, and pregnant women. As such, even if they eat foods rich in Vitamin D daily, they might still need added supplements.
Recommended Foods: Dairy products, tofu, fish, mushrooms, eggs, whole grains.
VITAMIN E
Vitamin E enhances oxygen uptake and blood circulation, nourishing damaged hair and preventing hair breakage.
PROTEINS
Just like muscles require protein to grow, hair is mostly made up of protein, which is essential to stimulating hair growth and helping maintain healthy hair by providing strength to the hair shaft. If you aren’t eating enough protein in your diet, you will most likely have hair that is weak, brittle, dry, and lifeless. In addition, extremely low protein levels can result in major hair loss.
Recommended foods: Chicken, eggs, fish, dairy products, tofu, nuts, soy, legumes, turkey.
MINERALS
IRON
Iron helps transport oxygen-filled blood to hair follicles. Without enough iron, hair follicles can become deprived of oxygen, which results in poor hair quality and, eventually, hair loss.
Recommended Foods: Beans, chicken, clams, turkey, dark leafy vegetables, lentils, mussels, oysters, red meat, whole grains.
MAGNESIUM
The cells lining the hair follicles require magnesium to live and grow. Studies have shown that a lack of magnesium can prompt hair loss. Alarmingly, magnesium deficiency affects at least 68% of Americans, according to the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.
Recommended Foods: Almonds, brown rice, cashews, green leafy vegetables, halibut, lentils, spinach, whole grains.
POTASSIUM
Your body needs potassium. It helps all cells work right, even your hair cells. Without enough potassium, your hair cells might not work well. This could cause hair loss.
Recommended Foods: Avocado, acorn squash, baked potatoes, beets, dried apricots, bananas, green leafy vegetables, mushrooms, lima beans, salmon, sweet potatoes.
SELENIUM
Selenium stimulates hair follicles to encourage new growth while preventing or eliminating dandruff.
The foods to eat are Brazil nuts, salmon, halibut, shrimp, sardines, and tuna.
ZINC
Zinc helps hair grow. It makes proteins that our hair needs. Also, it controls testosterone and DHT (bad for hair). It makes sure scalp glands that produce oil keep doing their job. This oil makes your hair grow. If we lack zinc, we can lose hair. The scalp might also become dry and flaky.
Recommended Foods: Beef, fortified cereals, sunflower seeds, eggs, legumes, oysters, mushrooms, pumpkin seeds, spinach, and whole grains.
OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS
Your body can’t make Omega-3 fatty acids, so we must get them from what we eat. They are in the cells on our scalp. These acids give oils that keep our scalp and hair strands very moist.
Recommended Foods: Fish (mackerel, herring, sardines, trout, salmon, tuna), brussels sprouts, flaxseeds, rapeseed oil, walnuts.
PROMOTING HAIR HEALTH
While the speed of hair growth is generally based on genetics, ethnicity, gender, age, and certain hormones, nutrient deficiencies may also reduce it. Regularly incorporating these healthy foods into your daily diet will promote hair health, leading to stronger, better-looking hair.
Sure, supplements might seem helpful. But too much of a good thing can actually lead to more hair loss! So, don’t rush off to buy hair-boosting supplements if you’re already getting enough proteins, vitamins, and minerals from your meals. Interested in knowing the recommended daily intake for each hair growth nutrient? A quick online search will get you there.
MICRONUTRIENT TESTING
Dr. Yaker offers micronutrient testing to scientifically assess the intracellular level of micronutrients in your blood cells. In addition, this test will measure the biochemical function of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and antioxidants, providing a comprehensive nutritional analysis. Based on your results, a personalized micronutrient report offers specific nutrient replacement recommendations if deficiencies are identified. Also included is supplement information explaining the role and importance of each nutrient found deficient, deficiency symptoms, food recommendations, and toxicity and adult RDI levels.
If you would like more information regarding hair health and would like to meet with Dr. Yaker in Plano, TX, feel free to call us at: 972-627-4366.
