5 Things to Include in your Diet to Avoid Hair Fall

It’s a very animalistic thing – that sense of dread we feel when we see our hair apparently coming out.

There may be many causes of that but one might be related to your diet.

So, here are 5 things to include in your diet to avoid hair fall and hair thinning – or to at least reduce it.

 

A quick reality check

Before we start though, please remember that your hair loss may be due to any of several different reasons.

Many of these are entirely unrelated to diet and if so, changing your dietary consumption patterns alone may have no effect whatsoever and will rarely be a “baldness cure”.

You’ll need a specialist to confirm what the underlying cause is and therefore, what you should do about it.

However, your diet is important to the appearance and overall health of your hair and it’s worth taking note of what follows.

Salads and herbs

In 2018, a study showed that there is probably a link between the consumption of raw vegetables, salads and herbs with reduced rates of male and female ‘pattern baldness’.

The exact bio-mechanics behind this is not understood but it is sometimes referred to as the “Mediterranean Diet Effect”.

Protein-based diets

It is now broadly accepted that protein-rich diets may play a role in reducing hair loss.

Certainly, deficiencies in proteins are known to speed hair loss up and hair follicles are made mostly of Keratin – a protein.

Adding more healthy protein to your diet – chicken, eggs, nuts, fish and so on, may well help.

Foods rich in vitamin A

There are studies showing links between healthier hair and hair loss solutions, with an increase in vitamin A consumption.

So, all you need to do is to research those foodstuffs rich in vitamin A, such as potatoes and spinach, and supplement your diet with them.

Nuts

Most modern human beings simply don’t consume anything like as many nuts as our hunter-gatherer ancestors did.

That’s a pity because they’re fabulously rich in a variety of vitamins, zinc and fatty acids. All of these are known to have beneficial effects on hair health and therefore the avoidance of hair loss.

Beans and pulses

Not only are these relatively affordable and delicious but they’re also an incredible source of zinc, iron biotin and folate – all essential for healthy hair.

Should you take vitamin supplements?

If you have a healthy diet and assuming you have no underlying health conditions, you should not need vitamin supplements to help avoid hair loss.

There may be some exceptions, such as pregnant women or people recovering from surgery etc.

Simply taking vitamin supplements at random is therefore not only likely to be unnecessary but it might also prove to be harmful in some situations. Many suggest you should not use such supplements without first consulting a doctor.

However, there are some other supplements that may have proven beneficial effects.

It’s always sensible to speak to a hair care specialist first.

What about food groups?

Simply cutting out entire food groups from your diet and replacing them with ‘other things’ to try and treat hair loss, may be ill-advised.

Not only is it likely to lead to disappointment in terms of reducing hair loss but again, it might also prove to be harmful.

Most medical specialists would always advise that you replace less healthy foodstuffs in your normal diet with healthier varieties and that may well have a beneficial effect on your hair. That though is not the same as saying you should stop (e.g.) eating carbohydrates entirely and replace them with vitamin supplements or an increase in protein.

In the final analysis, consult a hair care expert first and always verify in advance with your doctor if you plan to make major structural changes to the basic food groups in your diet.