You are what you eat, unfortunately. For many of us, this means that we should be walking around looking more like an oversized platter of breads and pastas and doughnuts and all those other things we know we shouldn’t eat … but how else are we supposed to get through Monday? In fact, there is a very old quote about diet, which goes something like “show me their diet, and I’ll tell you what kind of person they are”, but I can’t remember who exactly it was from history who said it. Nevertheless, it remains true. If you eat a doughnut, you are a doughnut, and doughnuts do not have good hair.
If your hair is looking distinctly less youthful than you’d like, there could be many factors as to what’s causing your shine to fade. Thinning hair is one common cause of hair that looks past its use by date (see products for thinning hair for solutions). Your colour and style could also be wrong for your skin tone and face shape – working with your natural features always delivers as youthful a look as possible, whereas going against the grain can look fake and like you’re trying to hide something.
Today, however, we’re going to look at one of the major contributing factors in achieving and maintaining healthy hair. Your diet.
‘Iron’ing out the ‘root’ cause (terrible pun that’s about to make sense)
- A super quick high school biology lesson is required. Iron. It’s in your blood. You need it to transport oxygen around your body. Now, where the hair follicle is not fed by an iron rich (and therefore nutrient rich) blood supply, the resulting strand of hair is going to be less than impressive to look at. Make sure you get enough iron – this will avoid symptoms of anemia and can really help your hair to look its shiny best from root to tip.
Vitamin C (this is also linked to iron)
A rich iron supply isn’t enough. Your body has to be able to absorb it. Otherwise you’ll have the equivalent of cargo ships queuing at the port. Vitamin C helps the body to absorb the iron rich supply in your blood where it is needed most, which in this case is inside the hair follicle.
Fight back against damaging sunshine
The sun is a double-edged sword. While we need it for the synthesis of vitamin D in our skin, and while it’s also a psychological boost to our wellbeing after weather that seems to be nothing more than year round degrees of winter (unless you live where the weather is year round sun … not saying we’re super jealous or anything), it can be bad for your hair. Vitamin E is the solution (found in nuts) that can help protect your hair from the sun.
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