Add These Items to Your Diet
Alopecia, characterized by hair loss from the scalp or other parts of the body, can be distressing for those who experience it. While medical treatments are crucial for managing various forms of alopecia, nutrition plays a supportive role in maintaining healthy hair follicles and potentially promoting regrowth. The foods we consume provide essential nutrients that can strengthen hair, support scalp health and address some underlying factors that contribute to hair loss. Let's look at ten foods to help manage alopecia.
1. Fatty Fish
Salmon, mackerel, sardines and other fatty fish are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which have powerful anti-inflammatory properties that may help calm autoimmune responses associated with certain types of alopecia. These fish also provide vitamin D, often deficient in people with alopecia areata, high-quality protein essential for hair structure and B vitamins that support cellular energy production in follicles. Research suggests that omega-3 supplementation can reduce inflammation and potentially improve outcomes in inflammatory conditions. Including fatty fish in your diet a couple times a week provides these benefits in a whole food form.
2. Eggs
Eggs are a nutritional powerhouse for hair health. They contain biotin (vitamin B7), which strengthens hair and can help prevent breakage. Eggs also have protein, amino acids for keratin production, zinc for tissue growth and repair of hair follicles and selenium to help support healthy hair growth cycles. The yolk contains vitamin D and healthy fats that support hormone production involved in hair growth regulation. Studies have shown that biotin deficiency can lead to hair loss, making eggs an excellent dietary addition for those with alopecia.
3. Pumpkin Seeds
These small but mighty seeds are one of the richest plant sources of zinc, a mineral critically important for hair tissue growth and repair. Zinc deficiency has been linked to various forms of hair loss. Pumpkin seeds also provide magnesium, which helps reduce stress (a potential alopecia trigger), iron, essential for delivering oxygen to hair follicles and protein and healthy omega-3 fats.
4. Spinach and Leafy Greens
Dark leafy greens like spinach, kale and collard greens deliver essential nutrients for hair follicle health. They all include iron, which prevents anemia-related hair loss, vitamin A, necessary for sebum production that moisturizes the scalp, vitamin C, which aids iron absorption and collagen production and folate, important for cell division in hair follicles. Iron deficiency is a common reversible cause of hair loss. Increasing leafy green consumption can address this deficiency while providing antioxidants that protect follicles from oxidative stress.
5. Sweet Potatoes
The vibrant orange color of sweet potatoes comes from beta-carotene, which your body converts to vitamin A. This nutrient helps produce sebum, which prevents hair and your scalp from drying out. It also supports cellular growth, including hair follicle cells and provides antioxidant protection against free radical damage. Vitamin A deficiency can lead to dry, brittle hair prone to breakage, while excessive amounts can paradoxically cause hair loss.
6. Avocados
Rich in healthy fats and vitamin E, avocados support scalp health and may help prevent oxidative stress that damages hair follicles. They contain monounsaturated fats that support hormone balance, vitamin E, which increases capillary growth for better blood circulation to the scalp, B vitamins that strengthen hair strands and potassium, which helps maintain cellular integrity. Research shows vitamin E supplementation can increase hair count in people experiencing hair loss.
7. Berries
Strawberries, blueberries and other berries are rich in compounds that support hair health. They have vitamin C, essential for collagen production that strengthens hair, antioxidants that protect follicles from damage and anti-inflammatory compounds that may help with autoimmune-related alopecia. Vitamin C also helps your body absorb iron from plant sources, making berries an excellent companion to iron-rich foods like spinach in your diet.
8. Nuts and Seeds
Walnuts, almonds, flaxseeds and chia seeds provide a blend of nutrients important for hair growth, including alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid with anti-inflammatory properties, zinc and selenium for follicle function, vitamin E for scalp circulation and L-lysine, an amino acid that may help with iron and zinc uptake. A small handful of mixed nuts and seeds daily can significantly contribute to nutrient intake that supports hair health.
9. Greek Yogurt
This protein-rich food contains vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), which may help against hair thinning and loss, vitamin D, especially in fortified varieties, probiotics that support gut health, potentially reducing autoimmune responses and calcium, which plays a role in hair follicle communication. The connection between gut health and autoimmune conditions makes probiotic-rich foods like Greek yogurt particularly beneficial for those with autoimmune alopecia.
10. Bell Peppers
Did you know that red, yellow and orange bell peppers contain more vitamin C than oranges? Vitamin C provides support for collagen production around hair follicles, protects against oxidative stress that can damage follicles and enhances iron absorption from other foods. Vitamin C deficiency can lead to dry, brittle hair prone to breakage and slower growth. Adding bell peppers to salads, stir-fries or as snacks can boost your vitamin C intake significantly.