Vitamins and Minerals for Your Hair

What you eat can work magic — or cause a havoc on your hair. To learn which foods will help keep your locks shiny, full, and healthy, read on.

Your body thrives on the right blend of nutrients, and your hair does, too. To get the best vitamins and minerals for healthy hair, choose foods packed with these nutrients.

Protein. More than 90 % of your hair is made up of protein, so you need to have enough protein in your diet to support hair growth. Fortunately, most people in the United States get plenty of protein naturally from their diet. Foods such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products are high in protein. Vegetarians can get protein from plant sources such as soybeans, seeds, and nuts.

Beta-carotene. This antioxidant can help your body synthesize protein, may encourage hair growth, and may help prevent hair loss. Look for it in lots of fruits and vegetables, especially orange ones.

Vitamin A. Vitamin A fosters scalp health. Many orange fruits and vegetables — cantaloupe, apricots, squash, sweet potatoes, and carrots — are good sources of vitamin A, as is broccoli.

The B vitamins. The nutrients in this family of vitamins, often called B-complex vitamins, may help promote hair growth and prevent hair loss and breakage. Vitamin B3 (niacin) may nourish hair follicles, while vitamins B5, B6, and B12 may prevent both hair loss and premature graying. B vitamins can be found in poultry, beef, fish, eggs, whole grains, beans, sunflower seeds, peas, nuts, leafy green vegetables, and fortified breads and cereals.

Biotin. A biotin deficiency can leave your scalp itchy and scaly. To help keep your scalp healthy, choose biotin-rich meats, fish, eggs, dairy foods, nuts, whole grains, and molasses.

Vitamin C. Vitamin C helps your body absorb iron. It also helps keep your blood vessels healthy, helps prevent hair breakage, and promotes hair growth. All the citrus fruits — grapefruit, oranges, lemons, limes, tangerines, and so on — are high in vitamin C, as are berries and melons.

Vitamin E. This antioxidant vitamin helps your cells repair themselves and facilitates your body’s synthesis of protein; it also encourages hair growth and aids in circulation. It is plentiful in green vegetables, olive oil, whole grains, beans, nuts, and avocados.

Vitamin K. This vitamin can promote hair health. Find it in seafood, eggs, liver, dairy products, green vegetables, figs, cabbage, oatmeal, yogurt, and wheat.

Para-aminobenzoic acid. This nutrient might help stave off gray hair. Look for it in yogurt, whole grains, and some organ meats.

Minerals. A range of minerals, including trace minerals, can help promote hair growth and protect against hair breakage. Key among them are silica, calcium, iron, copper, and zinc. These minerals are found in a broad range of unprocessed foods, including meats, seafood, nuts, seeds, liver, eggs, rice, oats, whole-grain cereals, sunflower seeds, lettuce, onion, cauliflower, cabbage, cucumber, bean sprouts, leafy green vegetables, strawberries, dates, and raisins. Organic foods frequently have higher concentrations of trace minerals than conventionally grown foods.

For the broadest range of the best vitamins and minerals for hair health, eat a variety of nutritious foods. That way, you’ll get the benefit of the micronutrients that are found in trace amounts.