When it comes to achieving healthy hair and a nourished scalp, it's essential to consider the role of nutrition as a partner to topical applications or supplements. Just as a balanced, fresh, unprocessed, nutrient dense diet nourishes and regulates multiple body functions, it also plays a key role in maintaining strong hair and a healthy scalp environment.
From protein-rich sources that support the production of keratin – the building block of hair – to fatty acids, vitamins and minerals that combat oxidation and inflammation, selecting the right ingredients to fuel your body can make a difference in maintaining a healthy scalp and hairline you feel proud of.
Eat Your Way to Healthier Hair:
Protein-Rich Foods: Hair is primarily made up of a protein called keratin, so consuming adequate protein is important for hair growth and for tensile strength, as well as cell regeneration which in turn aids the growth and repair of hair follicles. Lean meats, such as chicken and turkey, offer high protein content without excessive amounts of fat. Fish, particularly mackerel, trout and salmon, not only provide protein but also omega-3 fatty acids, which support scalp health (crucial for healthy hair) and reduce inflammation.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce inflammation, which can positively impact hair density, hair loss, and promote scalp health. These acids are deemed ‘essential’ nutrients because our bodies can’t produce them on their own, so they must be introduced through our diet or supplementation. The three main types of omega-3 fatty acids are alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Fatty fish, chia seeds, flaxseeds, walnuts, soybeans, and eggs are all excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
Iron: Iron is a vital trace mineral that plays a crucial role in numerous bodily functions, including hair growth. The mineral aids in the production of red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body. Low iron levels can cause hair follicles to enter a resting phase prematurely, resulting in thinning hair or, in severe cases, hair loss. To boost your iron intake, spinach, tofu and lentils are three excellent, nutrient-dense, sources.
Vitamin C: Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that plays a significant role in protecting the body against environmental stressors. It helps to neutralise harmful free radicals, reducing oxidative stress, and inflammation. This, in turn, may help to protect against the negative effects of pollution, UV radiation, and other environmental factors we’re all exposed to on a daily basis that can impact skin, lungs, and other organs - including your hair and scalp. Vitamin C is easily destroyed by heat, so the best way to up your consumption is to add a diverse range of fresh fruits like kiwi, grapefruit and oranges, as well as vegetables like broccoli into your diet. Iron aids your body’s consumption of vitamin C, so a salad of leafy greens (iron-rich) with red peppers (vitamin C) is a great example of ingredients to include in your diet to up your nutritional intake.
Vitamin A: Essential for cell growth and a key contributor to a robust immune system, vitamin A is a critical nutrient for overall good health. Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that comes in two forms: preformed vitamin A, also known as retinol, and provitamin A carotenoids, such as beta-carotene. Retinol is found in animal-derived foods like liver, fish, and dairy products, while carotenoids are present in plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables. Beta-carotene, the most common carotenoid, gives many fruits and vegetables their orange colour and in the context of hair health, vitamin A helps produce sebum, which moisturises the scalp and helps prevent hair from drying out, or even breaking. Carrots, sweet potatoes, and leafy greens are all rich in vitamin A.
Spring Water: Although filtered water is often considered the superior choice, spring water from source will contain multiple trace elements crucial to your body’s wellbeing, and as a result it can positively impact your hair and scalp health. Minerals like magnesium, calcium, zinc and sodium can all be found in spring water, and are critical components of various metabolic and immune functions.
As we’ve learned, and probably already know, our overall health – including our hair and scalp – is intrinsically linked with what we put in our bodies. By consciously selecting a balanced, nutrient dense diet, we can support our body’s needs, which ultimately benefits our hair and scalp health.
And because sometimes life gets in the way, incorporating a trusted supplement like Hårklinikken’s Hair Supplement can complement your dietary choices and support you in taking a holistic approach to full body health.
In addition to a healthy diet, the Harklinikken Hair Supplement has been developed over a period of 11 years and is designed to be the ultimate supplement for your hair and scalp. It targets eight key contributors to hair loss and addresses three biological triggers including stress, gut imbalances, and nutrient deficiencies, while supporting five factors essential to hair growth, health, strength, and density.
This vegan hair booster encapsulates an innovative blend of ingredients clinically proven to impact each concern - supports, strengthens, and maintains better conditions for hair growth by targeting common internal triggers of hair loss and thinning with precision-picked safe level ingredients at efficacious levels.
Each science-backed constituent has been studied for its proven ability to positively impact scalp and hair health, cognitive ability, sleep, gut health, and skin.
