15 Foods For Healthy Hair Growth
Ageing brings in many changes to the elderly’s body, and so hair is no exception. Colour and texture change are natural in regards to the hair’s health. According to the experts, diet plans and lifestyle of the elderly also play a vital role in the overall hair’s health.
As the old saying goes “you are what you eat”, so having a nutrient diet can not only help into a healthy lifestyle for elders but also show a significant effect on the hair’s health. So are you wondering which are the foods for healthy hair growth? Diet rich in protein and iron are considered the best food for healthy hair growth.
Apart from hair growth, each superfood will be mentioned with what other benefits they add to a senior’s diet.
Here are the 15 superfoods that elders can eat and promote healthy hair growth.
Foods For Healthy Hair Growth
1. Eggs
Eggs are rich in the two most important nutrients that aid in fast hair growth – protein and biotin.
Adding adequate protein to the elderly’s diet is essential, as hair follicles are made mostly of proteins. And to produce the hair protein called keratin, biotin is required. That’s the reason, biotin is the key ingredient of the best hair growth shampoos and hair growth supplements.
Eggs also contain zinc, selenium and other great hair health nutrients. Plus, makes them the best food for healthy black hair.
Eggs have not only hair benefit but many more that aid the health of elders – like strong bones and muscle synthesis.
2. Berries
Berries especially like strawberries are a hair growth booster. They are rich in antioxidant properties particularly Vitamin C.
Vitamin C in our body helps in supplying blood to our hair follicles. These antioxidant properties in berries also help in protecting hair follicles from harmful molecules – called free radicals.
Plus, vitamin C is beneficial in producing collagen, a protein type that strengthens our hair from becoming brittle and weak.
What’s more, berries have added benefits of aiding in arthritis, bowel movement, short-term memory and many more, especially for elders.
3. Spinach
Spinach is the best healthy hair food for vegetarians. Packed with beneficial nutrients like iron , folate magnesium, vitamin A & C, spinach promotes in keeping hair lustrous and shiny. Plus, it produces sebum that leaves the elder’s hair and scalp moist and conditioned naturally.
Spinach is the best plant-based source of iron, which helps red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body. Which indeed, not only benefits in hair growth and repair but also fuels the metabolism rate in elders.
Also, must point out the benefits of spinach in senior’s diets that help blood clotting and reduce bone fragility.
4. Seafood and Fatty Fish
Fatty fish like salmon, herring and mackerel and shellfish like oysters and shrimps have nutrients that aids in hair growth. They are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which has a linking connection to healthy hair roots.
Plus, seafood is an excellent source of selenium, protein, vitamin D3 and B vitamins. These nutrients promote strong and healthy hair and increase the hair density.
And apart from hair benefits, the omega-3 fatty acids in seafood reduces the risk of chronic eye conditions, Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline. And which are the dominant issues in the elderly crowd.
5. Sweet Potatoes
To add beta-carotene in your diet, have sweet potatoes, they are a great source of it. Our body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A, which is a nutrient for healthy hair and skin.
A regular-sized sweet potato can provide much more than an elder’s daily vitamin-A needs with the enough beta-carotene it has. Studies say that the amount is almost 4 times higher than the requirement. And that’s necessary too, considering how Vitamin A produces sebum, which aids in conditioning hair naturally.
Plus, sweet potatoes are an excellent source of potassium which helps seniors maintain normal blood pressure and heart functioning. It is best for elders who are not physically active as it helps strengthen their heart on their own.
6. Avocados
Avocado is a mini bundle of all the nutritious and healthy fats but is not easily accessible in the local markets.
Avocados are rich in Vitamin E, making them the best food for healthy hair. A medium avocado contains 21% of the daily vitamin E needs, that keeps hair follicles unclogged and promotes hair growth.
Vitamin E too has the antioxidant properties similar to vitamin C, that fights hair damage and neutralizes free radicals. Plus, they also are a source of essential fatty acids, which plays a vital role in hair growth.
These fats are those which can not be solely produced by the body but are important for your cells.
Additionally, avocados are proven to work on memory, problem-solving skills; and mainly aids in lowering LDL (“bad”) cholesterol in elders.
8. Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds are the most convenient, tasty and are packed with a mixture of various nutrients that promotes healthy hair growth.
Nuts contain nutrients like vitamin E, zinc, essential fatty acids and B vitamins which are nourishing nutrients for thick hair.
Seeds are low in calories making them perfect for your diet with added hair growth benefits. Seeds contain vitamin E, zinc and selenium. A handful contains more than 50% of vitamin E required for your daily diet.
You should consume a mixture of both seeds and nuts early morning as you start your day to get the best benefits.
Nuts and Seeds are also linked to other health benefits for elders like lowering the risk of heart and chronic disease, reducing inflammation and controlling weight-related issues of diabetes .
9. Sweet Peppers
Sweet peppers are one of the top known source of vitamin C that aids hair growth.
Although we often think oranges as the best source of vitamin C, a sweet pepper provides nearly 5.5 times as much vitamin C as an orange.
Vitamin C reduces breaking and weakening of hair by producing collagen, which helps in strengthening the hair strands.
Sweet peppers are also rich in vitamin A, that speeds the hair growth and stimulates the production of sebum. This produced sebum keeps hair long, soft and shiny.
And talking about added benefits to elders, having sweet pepper in the diet helps in fighting cancer, treat asthma and increases bone density.
10. Whole Grains
The Indian diet always has a lot of whole grains which usually includes wheat, beans and pulses.
These whole-grain foods are rich in biotin that aids and promotes blank and shiny hair growth. They are also packed with other hair-growth nutrients like iron, protein, zinc and vitamin B.
Especially beans, they act as a rich plant-based source of protein for vegetarian elder’s diets. Having a 100 grams serving of black beans provides 7% of the daily zinc required.
Apart from hair benefits, whole grain reduces the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, lowers the level of cholesterol and reduces inflammation in elders. And they are inexpensive and convenient too.
11. Soybeans
According to a few studies, soybeans act as healthy food for healthy hair growth. Soybeans have abundant spermidine, which prolongs the active phase of healthy hair growth.
They also aid in nourishing and conditioning our hair deeply, improve texture and prevent baldness.
Elders can get the benefits from soybeans, either by consuming or massaging on the scalp a mixture of soy oil and essential oil. Soybeans are best for healthy hair and scalp.
In fact, Soybeans are used in the elderly to fight health issues like cardiovascular diseases, type-2 diabetes, cancer and obesity.
12. Greek Yogurt
Greek Yogurt is filled with two main minerals that connect hair growth – selenium and iodine. A deficit in any of these minerals causes malfunctioning of thyroid glands, leading to hair loss.
A cup of greek yogurt contains 50% of your daily iodine needs and 34 % of selenium.
Consider adding greek yogurt regularly to elder’s diet, especially in their breakfast. It benefits in having frizz-free and soft hair health and growth. Plus, adds support in chronic constipation, controls BP and improves bone and cardiovascular health.nbsp;
13. Oatmeal
Oats are a great source of beta-glucans(a type of soluble fibre), iron, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids, which stimulate thick and healthy hair growth.
You can either have it as a meal or breakfast; or apply it as a mask to your hair and scalp.
Oatmeals not only nourish the hair but also help in lowering blood pressure and regulate blood glucose levels in the elderly.
14. Carrots
Carrots known for their richness in vitamin A, become the best and convenient food for healthy hair growth. By now, you must be known that vitamin A produces sebum that helps to condition our hair and scalp naturally.
Apart from hair benefits, carrots are well-known as a skin treatment. The antioxidants present in them prevents skin dryness, hyperpigmentation and wrinkles in the elder’s body.
Carrots are considered as one of the superfoods to add in the elder’s diet. Not to forget, carrots major aids in regular bowel movements in an elder.
15. Beets
Beets are red roots that are rich in a natural chemical known as nitrates. These nitrates improve the blood circulation and bring oxygen and other nutrients to the hair follicles. And which promotes having long and black hair.
Elders should include beets in the form of juice to their diet. This in fact helps in combating the progression of dementia by increasing the blood flow to their brain.
The Bottom Line
What elders eat has a direct impact on their body, hair and skin. A deficit in nutrients like biotin, iron, and zinc, with a whole variety of vitamins plus the essential fatty acids leads to problems for the hair while hampering overall health.
Fortunately, taking care of adding these nutrients in elder’s daily diet helps to the colour, texture, and growth of hair. Plus also improve heart conditions, weak-memory issues, chronic constipation and so on.
But it is actually challenging to hold on all these nutrients in the elder’s diet without forgetting. At this point, we suggest you to opt for home care services like us, at Emoha, where caregivers are intensively trained and taught about elder healthcare.
Emoha is trusted with senior care services to ensure better health and lifestyle for our beloved elderly. To connect with Emoha contact us at 1800-123-445555 or mail us at eldersfirst@emoha.com.
