Foods that Help with Hair Loss

Excessive hair shedding is a common problem for many. While there are many possible reasons for hair loss, including genetics, stress, certain medications and a bad diet.

Many times, people suffering from hair loss and are seeking hair loss advice are tempted to use herbal and natural treatments, without first verifying the cause for their hair loss. For example, if hair loss is the result of a deficiency in a certain vitamin, hair serums can do little to help. Vitamins need to reach hair follicles via the blood stream.

A change of diet can go a long way in helping your body get back desired levels of vitamins. Foods that help with hair loss include:

• Fish, eggs and beans. Hair is made up of protein. Therefore, it is imperative that the protein be present in a diet to maintain a healthy hair. Other sources of protein are red meat, tofu, chicken, almonds, beans and yogurt. Remember, it is protein from foods that one consumes that is beneficial, not protein from shampoos and conditioners.
• Soybeans, walnuts and lentils. These contain biotin and additional complex B vitamins. B vitamins are mandatory for healthy hair follicles.

• Liver, green vegetables and raisins. Iron is an essential mineral that helps produce hemoglobin which carries oxygen to different parts of the body through the blood. Adequate blood supply to the scalp stimulates and promotes hair growth. Other sources of iron are eggs, dates, beef and pumpkin seeds.

• Lemons, oranges and tomatoes. Vitamin C aids in the absorption of iron in the body. More Vitamin C means more Iron is absorbed, and a lack of iron can quickly cause hair shedding.

• Seafood. Seafood is rich in Zinc. People who suffer from zinc deficiencies are also susceptible to hair loss. Eating fish, mussels, shrimps, crabs and oysters will help prevent hair strands from breaking off. However, one must remember that too much zinc can also lead to hair loss.

While this is a list of foods that help with hair loss, you might first need to do some blood tests to know what exactly is missing from your diet. If, for example, your diet does not contain enough iron, than you might want to refrain from drinking tea, coffee and Coca Cola, as these drinks contain caffeine and cause delay in the absorption of iron.