How to tackle common hair problems - Diet Solutions

You can find very easily innumerable beauty supplements and dietary pills on the shelves of most stores to thicken hair or make it grow faster or arrest their falling, but it is advisable to try to get the nutrients you need from foods as much as possible. You would be amazed to know that what we choose to eat and, for that matter, not eat enough – can actually have a great effect on the way our hair looks and grows. In one of the earlier articles posted on this site we have told about the Top-five Healthy Hair Foods (Menu).  The food we take in our diet affects not only our body’s ability to absorb nutrients but also impacts the production of enzymes, and the way our hormones work which are crucial to ensure an optimum hair growth. So, while avoiding unhealthy foods like fried foods, excess sweets, and fat-rich foods like wafers, cookies and cakes is important, it is also imperative to ensure that our body gets the correct quantities of nutrients through natural means. The most crucial hair growth nutrients are –

Water: water makes up almost ¼ th of the strand our hair and drinking an adequate amount of water (at least 8 - 10 glasses a day) ensures a soft, supple and shiny hair.

Proteins:  hair is primarily protein and hence, adding proteins will ensure a better hair growth and less breaking, splitting and falling.

Vitamins:  vitamin A keeps our scalps healthy and controls the oil secretion while vitamins like E, B and C are responsible for hair colour, strength and luster.

Minerals: among the minerals, iron helps to feed our hair follicles with much-needed oxygen and zinc and selenium to help delay graying and hair falling.

DIET SOLUTIONS FOR COMMON HAIR PROBLEMS

Listed below are the simple diet solutions (menu) for the most commonly encountered hair problems.

Hair Problem No.1 – Dry hair which breaks easily

The most common reason for having dry hair which tends to break easily, even with gentle combing, is usually deficiency of essential fatty acids in our food (diet). Essential omega-3 fatty acids are needed to support scalp health. You can always get back the hair’s lost texture and strength by adding the essential fatty acid-rich foods in your menu. These can be found in oily sea fish like surmai, tuna, sardines, salmon and mackerel or bangda. It would not only be your hair follicle thanking but also your arteries and heart. Vegetarians can get these fatty acids from seeds, nuts and olive oil. Sprinkle flaxseed or alsi seed powder over your salads and have pumpkin seeds as snacks. Another nutrient which gains importance with respect to the strength and growth of our hair is our silica, a trace mineral. Unfortunately, food processing and chemical soil treatments strip our foods from the trace minerals. Hence, whenever possible try to choose organic, natural and whole foods over pre-processed packaged foods. Foods that provide silica are - rice, spinach, whole wheat, oat bran, onions, strawberries, cucumbers, sunflower seeds, cabbage, cauliflower and dark green vegetables.     

Hair Problem No.2 – Oily and Limp hair

Greasy or oily hair is often the result of excess oil secretion from our sebaceous glands. Add exposure to dust, dirt and sunlight and you are sure to have an oily look. Diet plays an important role in causing or reducing your chances of getting oily hair. Adding a generous helping of vitamin B in your diet helps. Fight off the unwanted oiliness from your hair by eating lots of fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Massaging your scalp with a warm mixture of vinegar, lime juice and water from brewed tea leaves is also known to help. Also avoid using gels and sprays.

Hair Problem No.3 – Premature or Early Greying

Overindulgence in refined foods, undisciplined life-style, increased stress plays havoc on our hormonal levels and they precipitate the graying of hair. Although the direct link between the role of diet and premature graying of hair is yet to established, it is known that the amino acids like tyrosine act as a precursor to the pigments which are responsible for the colouring of our hair and skin. Hence, adding a good quality of proteins in the diet helps to regulate the secretion of this hair-colouring pigment called melanin.

Early graying of hair is at times hereditary, so not much can be done about it.  But ensuring a well balanced diet supplemented by optimum levels of vitamins A, B, C and proteins aids in regulating the secretion of oil and promoting healthy hair. Dark leafy vegetables such as spinach, broccoli and methi provide anti ageing oxidants and nutrients needed for shiny and soft hair.

Hair Problem No.4 – Thinning of hair and increased Hair Fall or Hair Loss

Thinning of hair or sudden hair loss is usually a sign of iron and protein deficiency. Be certain to add adequate amounts of iron and protein-rich foods to stimulate hair growth and arrest hair fall. Have vegetable juices like spinach and tomato juice, and wheat grass juice. Also eating foods rich in iodine like sea food and kelp supplements are suggested.

Never go on crash diet or a severely low calorie weight loss plan. If you are tempted to reduce weight quickly with crash diets (menu) be prepared to face not only a thinning waist line but also a receding hair line! Boost your hair health by including a well-balanced diet with emphasis on foods high in proteins, iron and vitamins A and B. Last but not the least; focus on doing regular exercises or yoga as that helps in ensuring a proper flow of blood and nutrients to our scalp.