What Foods Help Your Hair Grow?

Loss of hair can be due to a poor or sudden change of diet. Your body needs certain nutrients to maintain proper growth, especially when it comes to the growth of hair follicles. A proper diet and taking the right vitamins and supplements will help your hair grow back faster.

Protein

• Lack of protein can cause hair to thin or stunt the growth cycle for hair follicles. However, if you eat more protein you can stimulate the hair-growth process. Since hair follicles are protein themselves, more protein in your system will increase the protein cells to build. Consider a protein-rich diet that includes calves liver, brewer's yeast and wheat germ (see References). Also, take at least two tablespoons of granulated lecithin, which will help strengthen your hair as it grows (see References). Try to balance out your protein diet with other protein sources, like eggs, beans, nuts, yogurt and cheese. Soy protein, found in tofu and other products, is also a beneficial source. For example, a salad with egg, chicken, and tofu for one meal will increase the amount of protein you'd normally eat.

Nutrients

• Other nutrients in your diet can help with hair growth. Eat meals with plenty of iron, such as whole-grain cereals, dark green vegetables and raisins. Eating both liver and eggs can give you the necessary iron and protein that you need. Eggs, meat and other poultry also have B vitamins essential for stimulating hair growth. (If you decide to take vitamin B in pill form to help with your hair growth, make sure to take only one B vitamin supplement a day.) Another essential is vitamin E, which can be found in avocados, nuts and seeds (see References). Also, include fatty acids and sulfur to your diet by eating walnuts, fish, soy and plenty of vegetables. Onions in particular are full of beneficial sulfur.

  Be sure to mix your meals up so that you don't get bored with what you eat. Don't consider it as a diet for losing weight or turn it into something that you'll hate. Exercise and relaxation will also help with your diet and help your hair to grow faster.

Foods to Avoid

• You must also consider food that can hinder hair reproduction. Foods that you should definitely avoid are those with excessive caffeine, sugar and fat (see References). At the very least, try to cut down on coffee, soda pop, buttered popcorn and potato chips.

  If you don't see changes within a month while adhering strictly to this diet, see a doctor to find out what is causing your hair not to grow. Possible growth blockers could include an underlying medical condition. Some prescriptions can have side-effects of causing hair loss or stopping hair growth. Make sure to read the side-effects of the prescriptions you are taking. Never stop taking a prescription that you need to take just to help your hair to grow. A doctor may be able to prescribe supplements that work against those side-effects.