subject: Vitamins and Minerals for Hair Growth [print this page] Vitamins and Minerals for Hair Growth Vitamins and Minerals for Hair Growth
Many people with thinning hair wonder if taking vitamins to avoid further hair loss is effective. Well, poor diet and stress can really affect your hair growth and what you eat certainly determines how well your hair grows. Considering that the cycles of growth of each hair follicle consist of building up and tearing down of structures, high-quality vitamin for hair growth supplies the body with the proper amino acids, vitamins and minerals that you may not be receiving in your diet to create a beautiful hair.
Many metabolic requirements of the cells of the hair follicle must be met at this time; otherwise sufficient and optimal hair growth will not occur. This means that certain vitamins and minerals must be present in adequate supply or there will be flawed or nonexistent hair growth.
The best vitamins for hair growth include the B vitamins. These vitamins are usually found in fresh fruits, whole grains, eggs, fish, milk and meat. There are many variants of vitamin B like para-aminobenzoic acid that prevents hair from graying, inositol can help prevent hair loss, vitamin B-3 promotes blood circulation to your scalp, vitamin B-5 may stop hair loss and help hair regrowth, and vitamins B-6 and B-12 have also been shown to play a role in healthy hair growth.
Vitamin E is also one of the most beneficial vitamins for hair loss. It is an antioxidant that stimulates the scalp by increasing blood circulation. Increase in blood circulation makes more nutrients available to hair follicles so they can grow longer and healthier hair.
Vitamin A is beneficial to hair follicles as it keeps the hair root lubricated. It is found in red, yellow and orange vegetables, green leafy vegetables, liver and eggs. However, caution must be exercised in taking vitamin A as your body does not break it down like the B vitamins, which are water-soluble. Avoid building up vitamin A in your body as this is dangerous to your health so take only what you need.
Vitamin C is also essential for healthy hair. This can be found in citrus fruits, strawberries, pineapples, tomatoes and in green and red peppers.
Some words of caution though; never take any vitamin supplement without consulting first your doctor to make sure that it is the right vitamin for you and will not interfere with any medical treatment you are currently on.
If you are under severe stress, it is important that you reduce the stress as much as possible because it is an obstacle to hair growth. Rest and adequate sleep also help for the health of your hair. In short, eating right, exercising, reducing stress, resting, getting lots of sleep and taking vitamins can boost your hair growth.
