Eating a well balanced diet is important for the proper function of the entire body. Remaining consciously active in a pursuit of healthy eating benefits all aspects of your life. In this article I am discussing what foods specifically target the goal of growing and maintaining beautiful strong healthy hair. Eating for Healthy Hair is beautiful.

Hair is a keratin protein based cell structure. With this in mind it is understood that a diet deficient in protein would lead to poor cell reproduction and therefore depleted hair growth. Part of a healthy well balanced diet that will promote strong hair growth should have a sufficient amount of protein. Eating steak three meals a day is not necessary to get that needed protein. White meat poultry, milk, cheese, yougurt, eggs and pork tenderloin are all protein rich foods. For the vegan diet, beans, soy, and protein shakes/supplements are excellent options. Seafood is a great source of protein because it’s usually low in fat. Fish such as salmon is a little higher in fat but it is the heart-healthy kind: omega-3 fatty acids, which is also a necessary ingredient in Eating for Healthy Hair

Omega-3’s have been highly researched and found to greatly benefit a vast amount of our bodies necessary functions. It is now known that the types of fats we consume directly effects the health of cell membranes. Every cell in our body is surrounded by a cell membrane composed mainly of fatty acids. The cell membrane allows the proper amounts of necessary nutrients to enter the cell, and ensures that waste products are quickly removed from the cell. Omega-3’s maintain the fluidity of the cell structure. In the hair structure this allows the proper nutrients your hair needs, to grow strong and healthy, to get where they need to go and get the job done. Flax seeds, walnuts and salmon are excellent sources of Omega-3’s. While not as rich in these necessary fats but still very good sources, scallops, cauliflower, cabbage, mustard seeds, shrimp, halibut, cod, tuna, soybeans, kale, collard greens, tofu and Brussels sprouts are also options.

Iron plays a very significant role in the production of hemoglobin which is the part of blood that carries oxygen to your body’s organs and tissues. Researchers are now aware that iron deficiency can be a leading cause of early hair loss. When the hair structure doesn’t get the oxygen necessary for proper cell reproduction it eventually suffocates withers and dies. To prevent this, Eating for Healthy Hair aims to maintain a balanced level of hemoglobin production, therefore a sufficient amount of iron in your diet is the key. Great sources of iron include red meat, especially liver, eggs, and seafood such as salmon, tuna, and oysters. Many grains such as oats and wheats, as well as lentils, beans, leafy greens like mustard or spinach, broccoli, oatmeal, whole wheat bread and soy products such as tofu are all excellent sources of iron.

Nutritionists and dietary researchers agree that proper balanced intake of  the major vitamins are greatly beneficial to growth and sustained health within our bodies. While there are a number of supplements that provide the full spectrum of vitamins, as it pertains to a healthy balanced diet, the foods you eat can generally provide the vitamins and nutrients needed for growth and sustained health. B vitamins play important roles in cell metabolism, which is the growth cycle of every cell in our body, hair included. B vitamins are found in unprocessed foods. Bananas chile peppers, lentils, beans, potatoes, tuna, liver, turkey, molasses and nutritional yeast are all good sources of  B vitamins. Vitamin C is an essential nutrient for your body, it acts as an antioxidant to prevent the breakdown of cell structures. Many fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of vitamin C such as blackcurrant, red pepper, kiwi, papaya, broccoli, strawberry, orange and lemon just to name a few of the many. The benefits of vitamin E are much the same as those of vitamin C in its antioxidant effects. Whole grain foods, sunflower oil, hazelnuts, almonds, milk, eggs, asparagus, and avocado are all great sources of vitamin E.

Eating for Healthy Hair is all about maintaining a nutritionally balanced diet while taking into consideration some food sources that can directly promote strength in your hairs growing process. Drinking plenty of water, getting sufficient amounts of sleep and limiting or avoiding your intake of  unhealthy toxins such as caffeine nicotine and alcohol will further strengthen the effects of your dedication to Eating for Healthy Hair. Chase health and beauty will chase you.