Hair is the fastest growing tissue in the human body, and for hair tissue to grow efficiently, it needs vitamins! Vitamins are absorbed by the body through consuming food. Now, this may sound easy; however, in today’s culture of fast-food, highly processed, GMOs – cooking with REAL, unprocessed food can be a challenge. Most food that is sold in grocery stores was not from a farm.

Most of it was engineered or pumped with additional fillers, hormones, or chemicals. Therefore, if you want to get the most vitamins from your foods, you need to start purchasing and eating foods that are grown organically and are not highly processed. Here are the top 5 vitamins that you need to incorporate into your diet for healthy hair growth:

1. Vitamin A

Cells need Vitamin A for growth. This vitamin keeps skin glands working to produce sebum, an oily substance that moisturizes the scalp and helps keep hair healthy. A diet that is deficient in Vitamin A can lead to accelerated hair loss. Find a balance in your diet of this supplement will lead to sustainable hair growth. Start eating sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkins, spinach, kale, milk, eggs, yogurt, and cod liver oil to incorporate Vitamin A into your diet.     

2. B-vitamins

There are many different B-vitamins; however, the most well-known b-vitamin for hair loss is biotin. Biotin is often used as an alternative hair-loss treatment and occurs naturally in a wide range of foods. It creates red blood cells that carry oxygen to nutrients to the hair follicles in the scalp.

Start eating whole grains (unprocessed), almonds, meat, fish, seafood, and dark/leafy greens. Vegan-based diets are oftentimes low in b-vitamins since these vitamins are found mostly in animal foods.

3. Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that protects against the oxidative stress caused by free radicals. An important part of the hair structure is collagen, and your body needs Vitamin C to produce collagen. Vitamin C can also help the body absorb iron, a mineral necessary for hair growth. Iron deficiency has been linked to hair loss.

Consume strawberries, peppers, guavas, and citrus fruits to incorporate this vitamin into your diet.

4. Vitamin D

A diet low in vitamin D can lead to alopecia (another name for hair loss). Vitamin D helps the body create new hair follicles – tiny pores in the scalp where new hair grows. Additionally, your body produces vitamin D when it encounters the UV rays from the sun.

Eat fatty fish, cod liver oil, mushrooms, and other fortified foods to get Vitamin D into your diet.

5. Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an antioxidant that prevents oxidative stress caused by free radicals. Oxidative stress is a chemical imbalance in the body that prevents the body from repairing itself when it gets damaged.

Start incorporating sunflower seeds, almonds, spinach, and avocados into your diet to prevent oxidative stress.

Additional Hair Loss Treatments

If you are experiencing alopecia or hair loss, you may want to consult a dermatologist and consider using a Minoxidil hair loss treatment to strengthen and regrow damaged hair follicles.