What Foods Are Good for Healthy Hair Growth?

Certain nutrients are necessary to regulate your hair growth cycle and can increase hair growth. Foods for hair growth and thickness can include avocados, collagen powder, dark leafy greens, and salmon. These foods are rich in nutrients like folate, magnesium, protein, and vitamins E and C.

Following a well-rounded diet full of foods that are rich in the nutrients required for hair health is crucial to supporting hair growth. Other ways to grow your hair naturally include massaging the scalp and not applying too much heat to your hair.

How Does Diet Affect Hair Growth?

Your hair is made up of two structures: the hair shaft and the hair follicle. The hair shaft is the visible part of hair outside the skin, while the hair follicle is hidden underneath the skin.

The life cycle of a hair shaft is around 3.5 years. Hair grows at an average rate of 0.05 inches per month. It grows from hair follicles, which depend on certain nutrients to stay healthy and nourished. Hair follicle cells are among the most rapidly dividing cells in the body. These cells are sensitive to nutrition deficiencies and toxins, which can lead to poor hair growth and hair loss.

The scalp houses around 100,000 hair shafts that are at various stages of growth at any moment. Hair growth happens in four phases: anagen (growth), catagen (regression), telogen (rest), and exogen (shedding).

1. Avocados

Avocados have hair health-promoting nutrients like folate, magnesium, and vitamins E and C. Folate is a B vitamin that's necessary for healthy hair. A folate deficiency can cause hair, skin, and nail changes and is associated with hair loss.

Magnesium is a mineral that plays an important role in the body's stress response and protects the body from adverse effects. Having suboptimal or deficient magnesium levels can increase your susceptibility to stress, which may impair hair growth.

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant and may promote hair health. It protects hair follicle cells against oxidative damage, which can disrupt growth. It's unclear how eating vitamin E-rich foods may benefit hair growth. Some evidence suggests that low blood levels of vitamin E may trigger skin and hair disorders.

Vitamin C also functions as an antioxidant and may protect the hair follicle against oxidative stress. It's also needed for the proper absorption of iron, which helps regulate the hair growth cycle.

2. Blackberries

Blackberries are rich in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds like anthocyanins, ellagic acid, and quercetin. Inflammation accelerates the transition from the anagen to the telogen phase. It's also associated with the progression of hair loss. Research has shown that inflammation is linked with common forms of hair loss, such as alopecia areata.

Consuming foods rich in antioxidant compounds may lower oxidative stress. This condition occurs when harmful free radicals overwhelm the body's antioxidant defenses. These compounds also protect hair follicle cells from oxidative damage, thus promoting healthy hair growth.

Blackberries are one of the best sources of antioxidants. Research has found that blackberries have some of the highest antioxidant levels out of all berries.

3. Collagen Powder

Try incorporating collagen powder into your diet for an easy way to boost your intake of this hair growth-supporting protein. Research is limited, but some evidence suggests that collagen supplements can promote hair growth. These supplements increase the amount of hair in the anagen phase and reduce the amount of hair in the telogen phase. Collagen supplements can also boost hair density.

Your current diet could negatively affect your hair growth if it's low in protein. You can add collagen powder to coffee, smoothies, and recipes like oatmeal and chia pudding. This can help boost your protein intake. Just remember to talk to a healthcare provider or pharmacist before starting a collagen supplement.

4. Dark Leafy Greens

Dark leafy greens like spinach, kale, and arugula have nutrients that are important for hair health, such as B vitamins and vitamin C. Research has shown that a diet rich in fresh vegetables, like dark leafy greens, can improve hair growth in people with hair loss.

A review published in 2020 found that the Mediterranean diet may promote hair growth in people with androgenetic alopecia (male or female pattern hair loss). The Mediterranean diet is rich in vegetables like dark leafy greens.

Dark leafy greens are also rich in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds, such as quercetin and kaempferol. These compounds may protect hair follicles from damage that can lead to unhealthy hair and hair loss.

5. Ginger

Ginger contains phenolic compounds called gingerols and shogaols that may reduce markers of oxidative stress in the body. People with some types of hair loss have been shown to have decreased antioxidant activity and higher levels of oxidative stress in the blood.

A study published in 2015 followed 41 people with type 2 diabetes who were supplemented with 2 grams (g) of ginger powder per day for 12 weeks. The participants had significant reductions in blood levels of malondialdehyde compared to the control group. Malondialdehyde is a marker of oxidative stress.

6. Greek Yogurt 

Low protein intake can cause hair loss and thinning of the hair. It's important to consume protein-rich foods with every meal and snack. Greek yogurt, for example, is much higher in protein than regular yogurt.

Greek yogurt is also rich in selenium and vitamin B12. Selenium is a mineral that can protect the hair follicle against oxidative damage. A B12 deficiency can result in hair loss It's more common in people with conditions that cause malabsorption, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and those who follow a vegan diet.

7. Lentils 

Lentils are one of the most protein-rich plant foods you can eat. One cooked cup proves 17.9 g of protein.

Protein is essential for the hair growth cycle. Some evidence suggests that reduced protein intake can trigger telogen effluvium and cause poor hair growth. Telogen effluvium is a type of hair loss that can be triggered by stress.

Lentils are also rich in the amino acids that support proper hair growth, including leucine, isoleucine, lysine, and valine. Deficiencies in amino acids, or the building blocks of protein, are more common among people with hair loss. People with androgenetic alopecia are more likely to be deficient in the leucine and valine.

8. Organ Meats 

Organ meats, such as beef liver, provide iron, selenium, and zinc. These minerals are involved in hair growth cycle regulation. 

An iron deficiency, for example, can cause hair loss. Some evidence suggests that people with alopecia areata, androgenetic alopecia, and telogen effluvium are more likely to have low ferritin levels. Ferritin is a storage form of iron.

Just keep in mind that organ meats are very high in vitamin A. Vitamin A is necessary for overall health, including hair and skin health. Taking in excessive amounts, which usually occurs with high-dose supplementation with preformed vitamin A, can result in hair loss.

9. Oysters

Oysters are a rich source of zinc, which plays an important role in hair cycle regulation. Low and deficient blood levels of zinc have been associated with hair loss. Research has shown that people with conditions like alopecia areata and androgenetic alopecia have lower zinc levels than others.

Two oysters have more than 100% of your daily needs for zinc. Oysters also provide other nutrients important for hair health, including protein, selenium, and vitamin B12.

10. Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are an excellent source of magnesium, with 1 oz providing 156 milligrams (mg). Magnesium helps control the stress response. Elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol have been seen in people with different types of hair loss, such as androgenetic alopecia.

11. Salmon

Salmon is high in protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins B12 and D. These nutrients can support hair health and growth. 

Wild-caught salmon provides 1.22 g of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and 0.35 g of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) per 3-oz serving. These omega-3 fatty acids have powerful anti-inflammatory properties. DHA and EPA may protect the hair follicle from oxidative damage, support healthy hair growth cycles, and improve hair density.

Salmon is one of the few foods that's rich in vitamin D. Research has shown that vitamin D is required for a normal hair cycle and initiates the growth phase of hair.

12. Sunflower Seeds

A 1-oz serving of sunflower seeds has 49% of the daily value for vitamin E and packs about 5 g of protein. Both of these nutrients are necessary for healthy hair growth. Sunflower seeds are also high in selenium and zinc, which are needed to maintain healthy hair.

A Quick Review

Your hair is in a constant state of growth. The hair follicles are highly sensitive to changes in nutrient levels and oxidative stress.

Following a diet that's rich in nutrients can maintain healthy hair and support hair growth. B vitamins, protein, selenium, vitamin E, and zinc are essential for keeping hair healthy and strong. Incorporating foods like blackberries, collagen powder, Greek yogurt, lentils, and salmon into your diet is one way to encourage hair growth.