Many people want thicker, longer and healthier hair. But there are a plethora of factors that can affect hair growth or hair loss, which can also be overcome with a variety of vitamins that experts say can actually make hair longer and stronger over time.
Mind Your Body Green has hair health specialist and researcher William Goenitz, who shows you how to incorporate five vitamins and one mineral into your diet for better hair quality:
1. Vitamin C
When you think of vitamin C, the first thing that comes to mind is likely brighter skin and a strong immune system. According to Goenitz, it also has many benefits for hair as “vitamin C increases the absorption of iron, which is one of the most important nutrients for hair.” Strengthening the natural immunity also increases the scalp’s ability to fight microbes, which contributes to improving hair growth.
2. Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant, a biologically active compound capable of neutralizing free radicals in the skin, hair and body. “Depending on its purity and source, vitamin E can be great for reducing free radicals, improving collagen, and reducing oxidative stress in the scalp,” Gonetz says.
Goenitz adds that one study found that after taking a vitamin E supplement for eight months, participants experienced 34% of increased hair growth. Some other studies have indicated that vitamin E can help boost circulation in the body in general. As is well known, there is a link between blood circulation and healthy hair growth.
3. Vitamin D
Vitamin D3 is primarily important for hair growth, especially since insufficient levels of vitamin D have been linked to hair loss. “Vitamin D3 interacts directly with hair follicles, and when D3 levels are not optimal, it can reduce hair volume on the scalp and throughout the body,” says Goenitz.
4. Folic acid
Some research has found a link between folic acid intake and hair growth, as it mainly contributes to the production of new cells. Gonetz says that folic acid can also help keratinization in hair during its growth phase.
5. Niacin
Niacin, also known as vitamin B3, helps improve blood circulation throughout the body, including the scalp. When the blood flow to the scalp increases, it becomes in an optimal state of health, so healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp.
6. Iron
Gunitz stresses that iron is the most important mineral for hair, explaining that “ferritin is the iron storage protein in the body, and when it is low because there is not enough iron regularly in the diet, the hair volume will decrease to compensate for what the body needs from iron.” Goenitz says that hair will return to normal levels only once you eat enough iron-containing foods on a regular basis, pointing to foods rich in iron are beef, chicken, eggs, spinach, sweet potatoes and beans.