Proper hair care may be essential to preserving the health and longevity of your locks but your diet can also be a key factor in how strong your hair is, with certain foods promoting more growth than others. Just as your diet has the capacity to bolster your complexion and even out your skin tone, it can also be beneficial in enhancing your hair and allowing it to appear thicker and healthier than before.
We spoke with cosmetologist and hair expert Ghanima Abdullah who explained the best ingredient to include within your morning smoothies for healthy hair growth, while explaining what may be to blame for hair loss to begin with.
Anything High In Iron
One of the leading causes of hair loss and thinning strands is anemia, or a lack of sufficient red blood cells in the body. Therefore, prioritizing foods ingredients that are high in iron can help to add much needed strength to your strands while also providing a slew of other benefits to the body. “Not having enough iron in the body means not enough oxygen is transported to the hair follicles. Therefore, we suffer from hair loss,” explains Abdullah.
As a lack of iron may be responsible for hair loss, it would make sense that making up for this deficit could help your strands grow stronger than before. “When more oxygen is transported to the hair follicles, it causes hair growth. This is the principle behind minoxidil, to increase blood flow to the scalp so that it will bring oxygen and other nutrients.”
One of the top foods that Abdullah suggests for increasing your iron consumption are beets. “Beets are full of iron, and naturally the body absorbs iron better from food sources. If you have anemia due to iron deficiency, you can consume beets every day without adverse effects,” she explains. Many people turn to supplements to bridge the gap of any holes within your diet, but finding ways to naturally integrate these factors into your diet will ultimately be the healthier route towards strengthening and rebuilding thinning hair. Paired with antioxidant rich fruits, beets can actually make a great addition to your daily smoothie but the flavor is certainly not for everyone.
If you find yourself not thrilled with the idea of drinking beets with your breakfast (I’m with you there,) Abdullah suggests another iron-rich fruit that may also be useful for sparking healthy hair growth. “Another smoothie ingredient that has pink, blood-like flesh, from which you can tell that it's rich in iron is the sapodilla plum or zapote fruit,” she explains. “It has a completely different taste than beets and other fruits. It's frequently used to make a smoothie that tastes more like ice cream, because zapote is so rich in flavor. The flesh has a bright pink, salmon color with lots of iron.”
While drinking a beet or zapote smoothie will only be of benefit to your body if your hair loss is due to anemia, adding more iron-rich ingredients into your routine can support healthy hair, aiding in new growth while strengthening the existing strands. Of course if your hair loss is severe it will be worth discussing with a specialist what the best roadmap to growth will be, but increasing your iron intake is a great place to start at home.
