The best shampoo and conditioner can't make up for a poor diet when it comes to healthy hair. Just like the rest of the body, hair needs vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Experts agree that water, proteins and foods high in essential fatty acids are essential in a successful quest for great-looking hair.
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Drinking plenty of water and other healthy liquids brings benefits for the entire body, including keeping hair silky and supple. Proper hydration can be achieved by drinking six to eight 8-oz. glasses a day of water, diluted fruit juice, vegetable juice, milk and herbal tea. Eating fruits and vegetables also provides hydration as well as essential vitamins and minerals.
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Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential fatty acids keep the scalp and hair from drying out. Check the Resources section below for links to websites that list many foods that are rich in these nutrients, particularly oily fish including salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines and trout. Other foods that contain these beneficial fatty acids are liver, spinach, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, olives, avocados and nuts.
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Hair is made mostly of a protein called keratin, so it needs protein for growth and health. Los Angeles hair doctor Linda Leigh, interviewed by lovetoknow.com, emphasizes that a diet rich in protein creates healthy, shiny hair. A protein-deficient diet can cause thinning hair and hair that grows slowly.
Lean red meat and poultry, dairy products, eggs, soy and nuts are excellent choices for protein. Zinc, found in lean meat and seafood, also helps build hair protein and prevents hair loss.
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Iron carries oxygen to hair, and iron-rich foods include spinach, broccoli, Swiss chard, kale and other dark greens. Dark green vegetables also are an excellent source of vitamins A and C, necessary for producing sebum, the oily substance which is secreted by hair follicles all over the body. Sebum is the body's natural moisturizer and hair conditioner.
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Beta carotene also is essential for hair growth, and is an antioxidant as well as an essential nutrient providing vitamin A. Sweet potatoes, butternut and other winter squash, carrots, kale, spinach and collard greens are rich in beta carotene.
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