Top 10 good food sources for hair growth

Who doesn’t want long and healthy hair? In case if you don’t know, hair is made up of keratin and dead skin cells. While there’s no direct method to make your hair grow faster overnight, there are steps you can take to keep your hair healthy and long. Include the below mentioned food in your meals and see the results for yourself.

1. Eggs: “When it comes to diet, nutritional deficiencies associated with hair loss include low levels of biotin, iron, and vitamin D,” says Li. To replenish many of these nutrients—particularly biotin—add eggs to your regular rotation.

2. Barley: If you’re suffering from hair loss, eat foods—like barley—that promote better blood flow to the scalp in order to help hair follicles survive, says Li.

3. Almonds: A biotin deficiency can cause thinning, Conversely, adequate biotin intake—one serving of almonds, for example—can thicken hair and even stimulate new growth, leading to silky, strong strands.

4. Avocado: Avocado provides natural oils that keep hair feeling supple, plus helps hair retain moisture—two big reasons you’ll find this ingredient in a variety of nourishing DIY hair masks. It also contains a wealth of nutrients, including vitamins A, B6, D, and E, says Taub-Dix.

5. Guava: This tropical fruit is packed with vitamin C, which has been shown to help the body produce collagen, a substance that makes hair stronger and less brittle, says Li.

6. Strawberries: Fresh (or frozen!) strawberries provide antioxidants that help protect hair follicles and vitamin C to support collagen production—two things that result in stronger strands less prone to breakage, says Taub-Dix.

7. Mango: To coax stem cells to your scalp to speed up growth, try fruit that naturally increases stem cell production in the body, like tropical mango, says Li.

8. Sunflower seeds: Zinc is an excellent nutrient for hair growth since it can stimulate follicle recovery, support protein synthesis, and improve nutrient absorption, says Carielle Nikkel, MS, RDN, director of nutrition at Persona Nutrition. Though fish and meat are the main dietary sources of zinc, sunflower seeds are a great vegan and vegetarian option.

9. Beans: Beans and other legumes are full of hair-nourishing ingredients, like protein, B-vitamins, and zinc, says Zive.

10. Green Peppers: Vitamin C—something ample in green peppers—also protects our bodies against oxidative stress, which contributes to hair loss and graying, says Nikkel.