Vitamins And Your Hair
Did you know that your hair is one of the fastest growing tissues on your body second only to bone marrow? To keep up that growing momentum we have prepared a list of 4 vitamins that are essential to keep your locks rocking their terrific look.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A plays an essential part in hair growth, it improves blood flow, regulates sebum (natural oil produced by your body), and assists in removing scalp debris such as flakes. Having enough vitamin A in your diet ensures that your hair is healthy, well hydrated, and looking its best.
Because your body stores Vitamin A, too much of it will cause side effects such as coarse hair, hair loss, cracked lips and rough dry skin.
Always remember to talk with your naturopath/health care professional before taking a vitamin A supplement.
The best way to ensure your body is getting all the vitamin A it needs is through what you eat. Here are a few foods that are the best source of vitamin A:
Spinach
Sweet Potato
Carrots
Red Peppers
Tuna
Amazing Fact: Just ½ cup of raw spinach contains 64% of your daily recommended amount of Vitamin A. That sure sounds like a superfood!
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
Ah yes, the good old Vitamin C! This vitamin, which is an antioxidant, plays such a big part in our daily lives, seeming to support every part of our health. It’s no wonder that when it comes to hair health this vitamin plays an important role.
Vitamin C stimulates collagen production and collagen is essential to the health of hair follicles. Vitamin C also absorbs iron, which is essential for hair growth. and fights free radicals that may cause damage to your hair.
Because Vitamin C is a water soluble (it dissolves in water), it doesn’t get stored in your body. Any Vitamin C that you consume is delivered to the area of your body where it is required, then the excess is excreted in your urine. Vitamin C is not toxic even in large amounts, however if you consume over 2,000 mg of vitamin C at one time, your body may have problems processing it. The recommended daily allowance of vitamin C for women is 75 mg.
Consult your naturopath/health care professional before introducing
vitamin A supplements into your diet.
Eating a healthy diet is the best way to ensure you have your daily intake of Vitamin C. Here are a few foods that are high in this vitamin:
Guava
Bell Peppers
Kiwi
Strawberries
Oranges
Amazing Fact: Guavas provide more vitamin C than oranges, coming in at 200 mg per single fruit (weighing 100 grams).
Biotin
What is Biotin? Biotin is one of the complex B vitamins and is known as B7, its job is to break down food into energy and carry nutrients throughout your body. According to WebMD “The name “biotin” comes from the Greek word “biotos,” which means “sustenance” or “life-giving.” As a B vitamin, biotin offers a variety of health benefits. It can help maintain the health of your nervous system, liver, eyes, hair, and skin.”
Biotin is well known for hair health as it naturally supports the protein Keratin, which is essential in helping your hair stay elastic and youthful.
Like Vitamin C, Biotin is water soluble and any excess amount in your body will leave through your urine. Through food, our intake of Biotin should be a minimum of 20 - 30 mcg daily. The recommended daily dosage for anyone who chooses to take a Biotin supplement is 2 - 5 mg daily.
Consult your naturopath/health care professional before introducing Biotin supplements into your diet.
As with any vitamin, your daily requirement of Biotin can be attained by eating healthy foods. Here are some foods that are high in Biotin:
Egg yolks
Legumes (peas, beans, lentils)
Nuts & seeds
Liver
Sweet potatoes
Amazing Fact: Egg yolks often get a bad wrap but one egg yolk can supply your body with 13 - 25 mcg of your recommended daily intake!
Vitamin E
Many of us don’t realize that our scalp needs care too. Vitamin E has anti-inflammatory properties and it helps support the immune system, cell function and skin health - our scalp is skin! Vitamin E is an antioxidant that combats free radicals produced by the food we eat and toxins in the environment.
Vitamin E may also stimulate the small blood vessels (capillaries) which increases blood flow to certain areas including the scalp, this will encourage hair growth.
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin which means that it is better absorbed if eaten with fats (olives, olive oil, avocado, etc). Our body requires about 15 mg of vitamin E per day. Taking too much vitamin E can put you at risk of heart damage.
Consult your naturopath/health care professional before introducing vitamin E supplements into your diet.
Of course the best source of vitamin E is through food, here are a few foods which will provide you with the vitamin E your body needs:
Sunflower seeds
Almonds
Spinach Avocados
Squash
Kiwi
Amazing Fact: One ounce of dry-roasted shelled sunflower seed kernels contains 7.4mg of the recommended daily dosage of vitamin E. Amazing!
Let’s wrap it up
Our bodies are a wonderful creation and we have been provided with all the nutrients and vitamins we need to keep it healthy. Eat a healthy diet and your hair will thank-you! Changing our diet isn’t always easy, but if you start slowly by switching out one or two unhealthy foods for a healthier option, you have already made progress. It’s not a race, it’s a journey!
NOTE: before incorporating any supplements into your diet, please make sure to talk with your naturopath/health care professional.
