Healthy hair requires right vitamins and minerals. If you ever wonder “what vitamins promote hair growth?” here is a quick list:
Vitamin B complex
The vitamin B family includes eight different compounds and each compound has a different role on how it affects our body.
Biotin is probably the most popular supplement known for promoting hair growth. Biotin is one of the vitamin B family members that play crucial roles in cell metabolism. There are a variety of hair restorative formulas that contain Biotin as one of the main ingredients.
Foods rich in vitamin B: Legumes, eggs, green peas, avocados, nuts and whole grains
Iron
Hair is made of protein and iron is an essential component to developing healthy proteins.
A common remedy for preventing hair loss involves increasing your iron intake with supplements or by eating more iron-rich foods.
Note that it’s important to talk to your doctor before you start taking high doses of iron. If you take too much it can cause damages on your liver and kidneys. Also, excess iron is known to cause hair loss.
Foods rich in iron: Red meat, eggs, dark green vegetables (collard greens, spinach, kale), dried fruit and lentils
Zinc
Without zinc, your hair can easily become dry and brittle (even your scalp), which can cause unwanted hair shedding. Similar to Biotin, most of hair growth supplements contain zin to help address hair loss issues.
Foods rich in zinc: Oysters, dark meet, crab, lobster, and chocolate
Vitamin D
Vitamin D helps with a proper hair growth cycle. According to an article from Wall Street Journal, there is a close relation between vitamin D and hair loss. The article recommends taking vitamin D supplements to activate dermal papilla cells in order to promote hair growth.
Your body is also capable of taking in vitamin D from sunlight, which is why people who live in areas with limited sunshine tend to have more issues with hair thinning. However, make sure to avoid spending too much time in the sun without protection because the UV rays from sunlight can also make your hair brittle and more prone to damage. There are a plenty of hair sunscreens that can help you avoid this problem.
Foods rich in vitamin D: Fatty fish (salmon, tuna), cod liver oil, cheese, mushrooms or beef liver
