Want Healthy Hair? Add These Vitamins and Foods to Your Diet

Eating a well-balanced diet that contains adequate vitamins and minerals can help you maintain healthy hair.

By contrast, specific vitamin and mineral deficiencies may lead to hair loss or damaged, brittle hair.

While not one vitamin can promote faster hair growth, an optimal intake of all essential vitamins may encourage optimal growth.

Here are the top vitamins to include in your diet for healthy hair.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is essential in many bodily functions — it is vital for immune health, night vision, and critical for cellular growth and reproduction. (1)

Vitamin A is specifically important for hair growth due to its role in growing and replicating the skin cells that form your hair follicles. (1)

Additionally, vitamin A plays a vital role in sebum production, an oily substance that keeps your scalp moisturized and healthy. An adequate amount of sebum is essential for preventing dry, brittle hair. (1)

While it might seem tempting to take supplements to boost your vitamin A intake for more hair growth, it’s best to stick with whole food sources.

Studies have shown that too much vitamin A may lead to toxicity and unwanted hair loss. (1)

Vitamin A comes in two different forms through the diet — preformed vitamin A, derived from animal sources, and provitamin A carotenoids, which come from plant sources. (1)

While there is no upper intake level for vitamin A from plant sources, ingesting too much vitamin A from animal sources may be toxic.

The tolerable upper intake level of vitamin A from animal sources is 10,000 IU (adults 19 years of age or older).

Typically, a healthy, varied diet will supply adequate vitamin A.

Some good sources of vitamin A include:

Preformed Vitamin A:

• Beef liver
• Chicken liver
• Cod liver oil
• Mackerel
• Salmon

Provitamin A Carotenoids:

• Sweet potatoes
• Carrots
• Butternut squash
• Tomatoes
• Cantaloupe
• Apricots

Vitamin B Complex

The vitamin B complex refers to a group of 8 vitamin substances.

These include:

• Thiamine (B1)
• Riboflavin (B2)
• Niacin (B3)
• Pantothenic acid (B5)
• Vitamin B6
• Biotin (B7)
• Folate
• Vitamin B12

These vitamins are essential in cell metabolism — they turn the food you eat into fuel.

Most people get the recommended amounts of these vitamins through diet alone since they are found in a wide variety of food.

Deficiencies in B vitamins biotin, folate, riboflavin, and B12 have been associated with hair loss and balding. (2)

Biotin (vitamin B7) plays a critical role in producing keratin, the protein that makes hair. (2)

Your diet must consist of adequate B vitamins to ensure optimal hair growth. Some good sources of B vitamins include:

• Eggs
• Beef, liver, and poultry
• Trout, salmon, and tuna fish
• Brown rice, barley, millet, and fortified whole grains
• Legumes, like beans, lentils, and garbanzo beans
• Citrus fruit
• Avocado

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant and vitamin that protects the body from free radicals.

Free radicals are unstable atoms in the body that may cause harm if not kept in check.

In the case of hair health, free radicals may cause damage to the hair follicle, leading to hair loss and baldness. (1)

Additionally, vitamin C plays an essential role in absorbing iron, making it a critical vitamin in iron deficiency hair loss. (3)

Vitamin C is best absorbed through food. Thus, it is essential to include a variety of vitamin C-rich foods in your diet to promote optimal hair growth. (1)

Some good sources of vitamin C include:

• citrus fruits, like oranges, kiwi, lemon, grapefruit
• strawberries
• tomatoes
• bell peppers
• cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower

Vitamin D

Vitamin D, best known as the sunshine vitamin, acts as both a vitamin and a hormone.

It plays a vital role in hair health due to its anti-inflammatory properties, protecting the hair follicles from damage due to irritation. (4)

It also affects the hair cycle, signaling the various phases of hair growth.

Research has shown a link between low vitamin D levels and increased hair loss. (4)

To ensure optimal Vitamin D levels, make it a goal to get some sunshine daily. Sun exposure recommendations vary based on your skin color, but aim for 10–30 minutes of sun midday, when the sun is at the highest point. (5)

If regular sunlight is not an option, or if you have a vitamin D deficiency, a vitamin D supplement is recommended.

You may also take cod liver oil. One tablespoon of cod liver oil contains more than three times the recommended amount of vitamin D.

Other sources of vitamin D include:

• Salmon
• Swordfish
• Orange juice fortified with vitamin D
• Dairy and plant milk fortified with vitamin D

Vitamin E

Vitamin E acts as a critical antioxidant and has been shown to increase circulation in the body, an essential component of healthy hair follicles and hair growth. (6)

Like vitamin C, vitamin E also protects the body from free radical damage.

Research has shown that vitamin E protects the scalp, giving hair a solid foundation to grow. (6)

To ensure optimal intake of vitamin E, get creative with adding the following to your daily diet:

• Add wheat germ to smoothies or oatmeal.
• Try sunflower seeds on a salad or eat them alone as a snack.
• Pair almonds with an apple as a perfect snack between meals.
• Flaxseeds and flaxseed oil can be used for cooking or added to salads and smoothies.
• Peanut butter makes an easy sandwich for a quick meal on the go.

Iron

Iron deficiency is the most prevalent nutrient deficiency in the world. (1)

Research has determined hair loss to be one of the most common signs of inadequate iron levels. In most cases, hair growth can be restored once optimal iron stores are achieved. (7)

To increase your iron intake, choose iron-rich foods like:

• Red meat, pork, and poultry
• Beans and legumes
• Dark green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, kale, and collard greens
• Iron-fortified cereals, such as bread and pasta

Additionally, you may increase the iron content in your food by cooking with cast iron pans and pairing your plant-based iron-rich foods with vitamin C foods like tomatoes, bell peppers, strawberries, or citrus foods.

Essential Minerals

Selenium and zinc are essential minerals, meaning the body cannot make them, and they must come from the diet.

Researchers have determined that zinc keeps the oil glands around the follicle functioning properly by producing adequate sebum oil and protecting the follicles from inflammation. (8)

Studies indicate that hair loss is a common side effect of zinc deficiency. However, adequate dietary intake may reverse deficiency-related hair loss. (8)

Additionally, research reports that both low selenium and low copper levels may be linked to premature greying. (1, 9)

Here are some good sources of these essential minerals:

• Oysters, tuna, halibut, and sardines.
• Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, and cashews.
• Red meats and poultry.
• Beans and legumes, like lentils, garbanzo beans, and black beans.

Keep in mind, too much of these minerals may contribute to undesirable hair loss and breakage. Hence, it is best to get these minerals from whole foods.

Related: Foods High in Zinc

Frequently Asked Questions

The Bottom Line

Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet is a critical part of healthy hair growth.

While a variety of nutrients are needed to maintain hair growth, some of the best vitamins include:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin B Complex
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E
• Iron
• Zinc
• Selenium
• Copper

Taking care of your body from the inside is necessary to see the benefits on the outside.