- Dry, malnourished‑looking hair or hair loss is one of the most common hair‑related problems.
- The cause is often a diet that lacks the necessary vitamins or minerals.
- In many cases, you just need to change up your diet to get your hair back to looking its best.
A healthy lifestyle, led by the intake of quality nutrients, plays an essential role in maintaining healthy, high‑quality hair. Although factors such as age or genetics are beyond our control, nutrition can have a greater impact than anything else. What foods should you include in your diet to maintain healthy hair, and does it make sense to rely on supplements?
Nutrition for healthy hair: beware of protein, vitamin and mineral deficiencies
A lack of protein in the diet can be one of the causes of hair loss. This is due to a lack of essential amino acids (l‑lysine, l‑methionine), which the body needs to maintain healthy hair. In addition to protein, it’s important to focus on certain vitamins and minerals.
Studies show that a deficiency of vitamin D and B vitamins is associated with reduced hair quality. As for minerals, it’s important to ensure adequate intake of zinc, selenium, copper, and magnesium. The simplest approach is to seek out these nutrients in common foods and incorporate them into your diet.
8 foods you should include in your diet for healthier hair
1. Eggs
Eggs are a superfood when it comes to hair health. They contain high‑quality proteins, particularly rich in amino acids that are important for maintaining healthy hair (l‑lysine, l‑methionine, l‑cysteine).
In addition, eggs contain high levels of vitamin B7, zinc and selenium. Don't forget the egg yolk, which is by far the richest part of the egg in terms of trace elements.
2. Salmon
Salmon and other fatty marine fish are rich sources of vitamin D. A deficiency of this vitamin has been linked in studies to reduced hair quality.
In addition, fish contain high levels of omega‑3 fatty acids and other antioxidant substances, which are also positively linked to hair health.
- Learn more: Which Omega 3 Supplement is Best?
3. Pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin seeds are one of the best sources of minerals among common foods. They are magnesium, zinc, copper and iron, with 100 g often providing the recommended daily allowance of these elements.
They contain a relatively high proportion of protein and fibre. Adding pumpkin seeds to yoghurt or snacks is an easy way to boost hair nutrition.
- Learn more: Which Are the Healthiest Nuts to Eat?
4. Sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes differ from regular potatoes mainly in their vitamin A content. Just one serving contains several times the daily dose of vitamin A in the form of beta‑carotene.
Sufficient vitamin A is essential for maintaining healthy hair. However, the famous "the more the merrier" does not apply here either - some studies show that excessive intake of vitamin A (from supplements) can cause hair loss.
5. Beef
Eating beef regularly can be an effective way to boost hair nutrition. It can also help to reduce hair loss. Beef is an excellent source of high‑quality protein and iron in heme form, which is much more readily available to the body than plant sources of iron. Both protein and iron deficiency have been associated with increased hair loss.
However, the well‑known adage of 'everything in moderation' also applies here, as excessive beef consumption is not advisable.
6. Oats
Regular consumption of oats is an easy way to get a wide variety of important nutrients into your diet. As well as being high in fibre, oatmeal is a good source of iron, zinc and magnesium.
A deficiency of these mineral elements can lead to a reduction in hair quality. Oats is thus an easy way to minimise these risks.
- Learn more: Oats and Health: Why Include Them in Your Diet?
7. Brazil nuts
Brazil nuts are the record holder for selenium content. Just one nut can provide the daily recommended dose of selenium, making it one of the best natural sources for addressing selenium deficiency.
Although studies are inconsistent on the role of selenium deficiency in hair loss, some sources suggest that it may be a contributing factor. However, be cautious about excessive selenium intake, as it is toxic to the human body and can, in turn, cause hair loss.
- Learn more: Which Are the Healthiest Nuts to Eat?
8. Beans
Beans are one of the richest plant‑based sources of protein. Since protein deficiency can lead to reduced hair quality or hair loss, regular consumption of beans is a good preventive measure, particularly for vegans.
As legumes, including beans, have a lower proportion of l‑cysteine and l‑methionine compared to animal proteins, it’s advisable to combine them with other protein sources to complete the amino acid profile. For beans, rice protein is a suitable combination.
Should you use supplements?
Dietary supplements aimed at improving hair quality or promoting hair growth are among the best‑selling products, though their effectiveness is questionable based on numerous studies. While supplements based on micronutrients that positively affect hair quality (B vitamins, vitamin A, zinc, selenium, copper, iron) can have a positive impact, these are still substances that can be provided naturally in a varied and balanced diet.
Special forms of hydrolysed collagens, marketed as bioactive collagen peptides (Peptan, Verisol), are also gaining popularity. Some studies have observed increased hair strength as a result of taking these collagens, but more research is needed to confirm the claimed benefits. For instance, the aforementioned study included only 44 older women and found an increase in hair thickness of about 2 micrometres.
Bottom line
The nutrients in the diet we eat have an impact on maintaining healthy hair. It is therefore important to ensure that we get enough high‑quality protein in our diet and focus on getting enough zinc, magnesium, selenium, iron and vitamins (mainly from the B group, but also vitamin A).
Although supplements can help replenish these trace elements, they are not more effective than a varied and balanced diet. Therefore, we should prioritise foods rich in the nutrients mentioned above, with supplements serving only as an addition to a healthy diet.
