Does Your Diet Affect Your Hair?

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Tuesday, April 29th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed

We have all heard hair is dead. This is true sort of. Your hair shaft that you see is dead and is made up of a protein called keratin. However your hair follicle is very much alive and well. The cells that make up your hair follicle are no different then the other cells of the your body; they require proper nourishment. Therefore the answer is yes; diet does affect the health of your hair.

The two most important factors to be concerned about for healthy hair are ensuring you are getting enough high quality protein (which makes up your hair) and adequate caloric intake. Your body automatically nourishes the areas that it deems most important therefore the heart, brain, kidneys and so on are feed first. The skin, nails and hair are therefore feed last. Your must ensure that you are taking in enough of the required vitamins, minerals and nutrients on a daily basis so there are adequate amounts to go around.

Healthy hair depends on:

1. High quality proteins: Fish, tofu, legumes, meats, dairy

2. Iron: Red meats, dark greens, legumes, organ meats, fortified grains and cereals

3. Zinc: Shell fish (oysters), red meat, beans, nuts, fortified grains and cereals

4. Copper: Shellfish, meats, nuts and seeds

5. Vitamin A: Oranges, dark green and yellow fruits and veggies (ie. mango, broccoli, squash, carrot, pumpkin)

6. Vitamin C: Colored fruits and veggies (ie. Spinach, red peppers, strawberries, orange, mango, tomato)

7. Vitamin B complex: meats, shellfish, milk, eggs, legumes, fruits and veggies

The bottom line is make sure you are eating a balanced diet, with plenty of fruits, veggies and whole grains, complemented with protein, and take a multivitamin for insurance.

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