We have all heard that phrase that beauty comes from within, and when it comes to having stronger and healthier hair and nails it seems that beauty really does begin on the inside!
There may be an abundance of nail care and hair care products on the market, but they can only work on improving your hair in its current condition. Could you, therefore, imagine the power of such products if they were to be used on the healthiest of nail and hair conditions?
Fortunately, there is no need to resort to drastic measures such as pills or surgery to get luscious locks or strong and healthy-looking nails. As surprisingly as it may seem, by merely changing your current diet and incorporating key ingredients, you too could soon have the healthiest hair and nails that you’ve ever had, and all by being more mindful of what you put on your plate.
Essential Nutrients That Can Give Your Hair and Nails Extra Strength
Omega 3: Found in many types of fish as well as eggs, walnuts, spinach, and flaxseed.
This essential fatty acid promotes shiner hair while supporting the health of your scalp. If you find yourself suffering from dandruff or dry scalp complaints, your diet may well be deficient in this nutrient.
Vitamin A: Found in sweet potatoes, egg yolks, oatmeal, cheddar cheese, spinach, carrots, apricots, broccoli, and cantaloupe.
This nutrient works on keeping you healthy throughout your entire immune system as well as lending to a more healthy-looking scalp. Vitamin A produces what is known as sebum, which is a conditioning substance that works on keeping your hair feeling and looking healthier.
Vitamin H: Found in eggs, salmon, bananas, peanuts, beans, lentils, and cauliflower.
This nutrient works on both hair and nails by improving the strength. Excellent for thinning hair and weak nails, it is also used by some specialists to treat alopecia.
Vitamin C: Found in oranges, lemon, kiwi fruit, and grapefruit.
This nutrient makes essential collagen in the body which is basically the structural cement. Collagen gives the skin that plumped up support and shape through the body’s fibrous tissue.
By eating more vitamin C products, the hair becomes more fuller and healthier looking, and the nails also retain a more youthful glow.
Protein: Found in chicken, lean red meats, eggs, nuts, seafood, low-fat dairy products, whole grains, and soybeans.
This nutrient is perhaps the most important of all at building strong hair and nails.
With both nails and hair comprising of Keratin, which is a structural protein, the correct amount of dietary protein merely provides a building block for which stronger hair and nails can grow from.
Lean meats are considered the most effective food at upping your protein intake. However, it is worth ensuring that they aren’t overly fatty.
Zinc: Found in Soybeans, lobsters, oysters, green beans, cashews and lean beef.
This nutrient is also active when it comes to aiding the function of the immune system. Zinc forms the connective tissues in the body which regulates its ability to create new proteins. When it does this effectively, the results are healthier hair and nails.
If you lack Zinc in your diet, the signs are often visible through dry and brittle hair and sometimes even alopecia.
Iron: Found in red meat, which is the best source of this nutrient. However, can also be derived from whole grains and legumes.
Hair and nails are always the first to suffer when you lack iron. Usually, the signs are most visible when the nails become very brittle, possibly developing vertical stripes or simply looking spoon-shaped in appearance.
Your hair will become noticeably dry and dull and more brittle, therefore prone to shedding more.
Think Food not Supplements
Some people would instead opt to take their nutrients through a tablet or liquid form. However, such over the counter supplements are not the most effective way of obtaining all your essential vitamins that are required daily.
To ensure better hair and nails alongside a more healthier body both in and out, it is strongly recommended that you implement a varied diet which includes as many fresh food and vegetables as possible, alongside those essential whole grains, eggs, fish pulses and meat choices.
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