How A Healthy Diet Can Make Your Hair Strong and Healthy

"Forget all those fakers shampoo and conditioners and start eating a healthy diet to have luscious, shiny hair", says Dt. Madhu Sharma, a renowned dietician of North India.

People are unaware of the fact that long and strong hair are an outward sign of a healthy body. This is because a good health highly depends on our body's ability to develop a good hair shaft, health of the skin and hair follicles. For each strand of the hair to stay healthy and glow-y, a regular supply of key nutrients is a must.

Healthy Diet and Healthy Hair

Besides reasons like stress, poor circulation, thyroid problems, hormonal changes, and even over-brushing, having nutrient deficiencies in the body can also have a negative effect hair quality and growth. And…definitely poor hair health means weak, luster-less and triggering hair loss.

Good nutrition is, however, not a quick fix, yet it assures the best possible way to build strong and shiny hair. It might seem funny or weird, but get your hair shave today and start a perfect hair-improving diet tomorrow…and you can see the changes yourself. But, there's really no need to do this!

Starting a hair-healthy diet will give you gorgeous hair within the next six months to a year, which depends on how fast your hair grows. A healthy diet for 150,000 hair follicles is equally good like is for your body.

"Having a balanced diet, while putting a little extra emphasis on things like protein and iron, gives your hair a boost," says Neil Sadick, a clinical professor at the Weill Cornell Medical College.

Bring that charm and density back in your hair with these tricky tips:

1. Wholegrains - Barley, buckwheat, ragi, broken wheat, oats and bajra are a few wholegrains that promote hair growth. All these are known as the 'storehouse' of Vitamin B, iron and zinc that are good for hair follicles. Wholegrains are responsible for regulating the hormones and have a direct effect on the growth and thickness of hair.

2. Sweet Potatoes - Sweet Potatoes are not only a good source of vitamin C for proper digestion, tooth and blood cell formation, but also boost thick hair growth. The anti-oxidant beta carotene in sweet potatoes is essential for functioning of the hair cells. If you want to a healthy scalp and get rid of dandruff, start eating sweet potatoes today.

3. Carrots - Just like sweet potatoes, carrots also contain beta-carotene for boosting hair growth. Adding carrots to your plate whether boiled or uncooked will promote healthy scalp and brightens up your dull hair.

4. Eggs - Eggs are a full-fledged package of zinc, selenium, sulfur, and iron. They also contain biotin - a type of vitamin B that helps hair growth. And.. The protein contained in the eggs aids the body cells to carry oxygen to the hair follicles. Consuming eggs will increase the iron and protein content in your body that will eventually help in hair growth. You can also put raw eggs to feed its benefits directly to the hair.

5. Walnuts and Almonds - Add the crunch and munch of nuts in your diet and get flawless, thick and healthy hair.  Walnuts and Almonds are rich in omega3, Vitamin E and biotin that are good for the hair locks.

6. A rainbow plate of Fruits - Deficiency of Vitamin C in the body can cause hair breakage, so Vitamin C is necessary for healthy hair. Consume fresh fruits daily, including Indian gooseberries, oranges, kiwis, bananas and strawberries. Fruits supply nourishment to the hair follicles and make them bouncy and heavy.

So, when are you starting?

About the Author: This article is contributed by Dietician Madhu Sharma who is a renowned Dietician-Nutritionist in Panchkula. She has devoted her several years in the service of PGI hospital in Chandigarh. Now she runs an independent set up by the name of Diet for Life. She also writes articles for newspapers and magazines. You can follow her on Facebook or you can subscribe to her blog page.