Long, luscious, flowing locks are something most of us dream of having, but thanks to genetics, stress or other environmental factors, many of us our left with limp, lifeless strands instead. Forget the products, shampoos and conditioners promising little more than a quick fix; truly health hair is the result of a well nourished body and a nutrient rich diet. While hair only can grow so quickly (one-quarter to one-half inch per month), incorporate these plant-based foods and give it time! Within a few months, you will start to notice a lasting change in the health of your hair that no salon product could ever deliver.
While a few of these foods may be new to you, each item listed can seamlessly be integrated into your meals, and I will provide ways to do so in the descriptions below.
- Radishes: Radishes may not make their way into your diet that often, but these red-skinned little beauties are bursting with hair-strengthening nutrients such as vitamin C, silicon and sulfur, which all work towards building a healthy head of hair. One of the greatest things about radishes is their ability to clean the digestive tract, and a clean digestive tract allows nutrients to be more easily absorbed. You can eat radishes on their own with a dip, or as a crunchy addition to a veggie loaded salad. Radishes also work great in a veggie quinoa salad.
- Pumpkin Seeds: One of nature’s best kept secrets for strong, resilient hair. Loaded with hair nourishing zinc, sulfur and vitamins A and B, pumpkin seeds are also a rich source of fatty acids that keep your scalp hydrated. Eat pumpkin seeds on their own raw, or include them as a crunchy topping to your salad.
- Carrots: While they may be best known for protecting your eyes, carrots play a big role in protecting the hair as well. Carrots contain the highest amount of beta-carotene of any vegetable, which is the precursor for vitamin A, and vitamin A is necessary to having a well balanced, healthy scalp. Carrots are definitely the most versatile on this list of foods and can be incorporated into a variety of different dishes.
- Nutritional Yeast: If you are a frequent reader of this blog, you have probably seen nutritional yeast included in several of my recipes (Gluten Free Cheez-Its, Vegan Nachos Supreme and Vegan Pasta Primavera just to name a few). This deactivated yeast is different from traditional forms of yeast, and contains a near perfect combination of amino acids and B vitamins that hair naturally thrives on. Nutritional yeast is often used as a cheese replacement for the vegan community or for those with lactose intolerance, and three tablespoons supply nine whole grams of complete protein. That’s right, nine! There are many, many ways you can include nutritional yeast into your diet, and you can find many recipes on my site that do by searching ‘nutritional yeast’ in the search box at the top of the right sidebar.
- Dulse: If you are not familiar with dulse, you’re not alone. Dulse is an ancient sea vegetable that has been around for centuries, and is more or less the edible equivalent of a top shelf hair-product. Dulse is incredibly mineral rich, and is capable of nourishing the hair with essential B vitamins such as B6 and B12. Another benefit to dulse is that it is rich in iron, and iron promotes healthy blood flow to scalp. Dulse is low in sodium, but has a naturally salty taste, making it perfect replacement when you’re wanting to add salty flavor to salads or other meals. While you can get dulse in either whole leaf or flake form, I prefer whole leaf form that I finely chop on my own when ready to use. If you can’t find dulse at your local health food store, you can find it online through stores like Amazon.
There you have it! Five plant-based foods for naturally fabulous hair! Remember, your hair won’t change overnight, but if you want your changes to be long-term, you have to start at the ‘root’ of the issue. No pun intended. 😉