5 Essential Vitamins for Hair Growth and Strength
Hair
loss will affect everyone at some point in their life. Hair is an essential
part of self-perception and self-confidence, and it can be frustrating and
depressing to lose hair. About 40% of men have noticeable hair loss by age 35,
65% by age 60, and 80% by age 80. Perhaps the worst part about hair loss is
that it seems incurable, like a plague that strikes down all the hairs on one’s
head. Thankfully, there are options, like vitamins for hair growth, that can
minimise hair shedding, and even restore one’s precious hair.
Hair
loss is normally caused by genetic, hormonal, and age-related factors, but
nutritional deficiencies can add fuel to the fire, making hair loss a difficult
to deal with. Many overlook the importance of a healthy diet, and many diseases
and ailments are in one way or another connected to nutrition. Getting the
proper balance of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients is vital for healthy
hair. This guide to the top 5 vitamins for hair growth will uncover how each
vitamin is involved in the complex process of the normal hair cycle.
What is Vitamin A and why is it important?
Vitamin
A refers to a group of fat-soluble vitamins that stimulate and support the
immune system and vision. This group of vitamins is active in many biological
processes. One of the most harmful mechanisms that damages hair is oxidative
stress. Essentially, it’s when free radicals form in the body and cause damage
to cells, tissues, and organs.
How
does Vitamin A help hair growth?
Vitamin
A has excellent antioxidant properties, making it one of the best vitamins for
hair growth. It is always included in fortified skin care products because of
its positive effect on skin. Vitamin A keeps skin clean, healthy, and supple.
Skin on the scalp also has to be properly moisturized, and must have good blood
circulation to properly function. This puts Vitamin A on the short list of
essential vitamins for strong, full hair.
Studies have shown that the depletion of
Vitamin A in the body causes oxidative stress and energy deprivation. The
effect of oxidative stress on hair can be devastating. It leads to weakened
hair follicles and hair shedding, and if there are vitamin deficiencies at a
young age, one may start experiencing hair loss earlier in life.
What foods contain Vitamin A?
Good
sources of Vitamin A can be found in many fruits, vegetables, and animal
products. They include:
·
Meat, dairy, and eggs
o Beef
o Liver
o Eggs
o Fortified milk
·
Seafood
o Shrimp
o Fish
·
Fruits and vegetables
o Sweet potatoes
o Carrots
o Pumpkins
o Spinach
o Kale
o Mangoes
What’s the recommended dosage/requirements?
The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for adults is as follows
(in micrograms):
·
900 mcg daily (3,000 IU)
for men
·
700 mcg daily (2,300 IU)
for women
·
770 mcg daily (2,600 IU)
for pregnant women 19 years old and older
·
and 1,300 mcg daily (4,300
IU) for lactating women 19 years old and older
Another important thing to note is that unlike some vitamins,
like Biotin, that can be taken in very large amounts, Vitamin A can cause
severe side effects if taken at toxic doses. These side effects include hair
loss, so there is a risk of doing more harm than good when buying and taking
natural vitamin pills exceeding the daily recommended amount.
What are B Vitamins and why are they important?
The B
vitamin family includes several specific hair growth vitamins, and in general,
all B vitamins are involved in cell metabolism. The B vitamin complex is a
powerful army of 8 main essential vitamins.
Vitamin B Number
Name
Vitamin B1
thiamine
Vitamin B2
riboflavin
Vitamin B3
niacin (nicotinic acid), nicotinamide riboside
Vitamin B5
pantothenic acid
Vitamin B6
pyridoxine, pyridoxal, pyridoxamine
Vitamin B7
biotin
Vitamin B9
folate
Vitamin B12
various cobalamins; commonly cyanocobalamin or methylcobalamin in vitamin supplements
How do B Vitamins help hair growth?
The two most important hair growth vitamins in the B family are
biotin and niacin. Biotin, also known as vitamin H (the H stands for Haar und
Haut, German words for "hair and skin”). Biotin plays a key role in
protein synthesis. Keratin happens to be one of the vital proteins for strong,
thick hair, as it is what gives hair structure and strength. Biotin is included
in all hair, skin, and nails supplements, even though clinical evidence has not
proven that it is as effective as companies say.
A recent study included
women who sought help for hair loss. According to the study, 38% of the women
had biotin values consistent with biotin deficiency (<100 ng/L). So even
though science is not quite up to speed with biotin, it is clear from studies
like this that biotin plays a vital role in hair loss. Because few of us eat a
balanced, healthy diet, supplementing with a B vitamin complex makes sense.
Niacin encompasses the B3 vitamin complex, which includes
nicotinic acid and nicotinamide. Niacin is involved in various physiological
processes, including fat metabolism. Niacin is also involved in hair and skin
health. It stimulates blood flow to the scalp, improves the barrier properties
of skin, and aids in the removal of waste products from the skin. If one has
hair growing slowly or coming in thin, taking niacin should be part of
everybody’s daily regimen.
Apart from oral supplementation, recent evidence has
shed light on niacin as a topical solution for treating hair loss. It
demonstrated a significant increase in hair fullness, showing that long-term
topical niacin application can promote hair growth for women experiencing hair
loss.
Which foods contain B Vitamins?
There are many foods that are rich in B Vitamins. They include
·
Meat, dairy, and eggs
o Beef
o Poultry
o Eggs
o Fortified milk
o Yogurt
o Cheese
·
Seafood
o Fish
·
Fruits, vegetables, legumes
o Bananas
o Potatoes
o Broccoli
o Avocados
o Spinach
o Soybeans
o Black-eyed peas
o Chickpeas
·
Grains
o Cereals
o Whole and enriched grains
What are the recommended dosage/requirements?
Since the B Vitamins include so many important compounds and
functions, we will focus on the top-2. Over the years, researchers and
nutrition specialists have looked into setting not the minimum requirements for
biotin, but the maximum dosage. It seems that biotin has little side effects
even when dosed over thousands of times. The actual effect of this mega-dose is
debatable, so it may just be money down the toilet (literally).
The
daily requirements for biotin are as follows:
·
30 mcg for men, women (including pregnant women) 19 years old
and older
·
35 mcg for lactating women 19 years old and older
The
daily requirements for niacin are as follows:
·
16 mg for men
·
14 mg for women
·
18 mg during pregnancy
·
17 mg during lactation
What is Vitamin C and why is it important?
Vitamin C is perhaps the most well-known vitamin that promotes
hair growth and strength. Most people associate it with citrus fruits and
pirates. The latter often suffered from a disease called Scurvy, a severe form
of Vitamin C deficiency. Once modern doctors and scientists found the reason
sailors and other people had bleeding gums, and sometimes even bleeding skin,
they were able to stop the disease in its tracks. Vitamin C is a strong
antioxidant, and helps the immune system fight off infections.
How does Vitamin C help hair growth?
Vitamin C has vital anti-oxidant properties which already make
it a strong part of the essential hair growth vitamins. It neutralizes free
radicals, highly reactive molecules, that can directly damage lipids, proteins,
and DNA. Vitamin C is involved in many biological processes including collagen
synthesis. This is important as collagen is included in many different tissues,
such as skin, hair, and blood vessels.
Vitamin C deficiency affects the actual creation of the hair
shaft, influencing shaft strength and thus has been cited as an indirect cause
of telogen effluvium (hair loss during the resting phase of the hair follicle).
Which foods contain Vitamin C?
Everybody knows that citrus fruits are high in Vitamin C, but
there are more foods that you should be eating to get the required daily dose
of Vitamin C:
·
Fruits and vegetables
o Citrus fruits
o Strawberries
o Tomatoes
o Potatoes
o Broccoli
o Peppers
o Spinach
What are the recommended dosage/requirements?
Vitamin C is one of the essential vitamins for hair growth. To
keep hair looking sleek, shiny, and strong, include foods high in Vitamin C.
The daily requirements are as follows:
·
90 mg for men
·
75 mg for women
·
80 mg for pregnant teens
·
85 mg for pregnant women
·
115 mg for breastfeeding teens
·
120 mg for breastfeeding women
What is Vitamin D and why is it important?
The Vitamin D family includes several key vitamins that most
notably are involved in calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus absorption. Humans
get their daily dose of Vitamin D through foods and sunshine. This is because
Vitamin D is synthesized in the skin. Don’t worry, it’s impossible to get too
much Vitamin D, as overdoses are mitigated by a natural equilibrium in the
body. Vitamin D promotes the normal function of the immune system, normal
inflammatory response, and muscle function.
How does Vitamin D help hair growth?
Vitamin D plays several key roles in hair and skin maintenance.
Vitamin D deficiency has also been directly associated with hair loss. The human body has
Vitamin D receptors (VDR) in skin, which have been shown in studies to
play a key role in hair follicle maintenance. This is why Vitamin D makes the
top-5 of the best vitamins for hair growth. Changes induced by the activation
and expression of VDR are thought to promote the natural progression of the
hair cycle for faster hair growth. Specifically, Vitamin D stimulates and
regulates keratinocytes, the cells that make keratin. Vitamin D has shown
promise as a topical solution for alopecia in studies done on animals. Although attempts were made to recreate this hair
regrowth in humans, there is not enough evidence available to recommend it in
topical form.
A study done
by Egyptian scientists investigating serum ferritin and Vitamin D found a link
between low levels of Vitamin D and hair loss in females. The authors even
proposed that testing Vitamin D levels as a screening tool could be beneficial
in the treatment of hair loss and thin hair.
Which foods contain Vitamin D?
·
Dairy and eggs
o Fortified milk
o Cheese
o Eggs
·
Seafood
o Fatty fish
·
Grains
o Cereals
o Whole and enriched grains
What are the recommended dosage/requirements?
Vitamin D is one of few vitamins to get revamped dosage
recommendations. Before, the daily requirements were deemed higher for pregnant
and lactating women, but now there is a unified golden number - 600 IU. The new
numbers are as follows:
·
15 mcg for all men, women
(pregnant or lactating) <70 years of age
·
20 mcg for men and women
>70 years of age
What is Vitamin E and why is it important?
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin made up of several compounds
and fractions. The most biologically active compound is alpha-tocopherol, a
strong antioxidant that protects cell membranes from free radical damage. The
human body also requires Vitamin E to keep the immune system strong and act
against foreign invaders like bacteria and viruses. Vitamin E works in a
synergy with Vitamin K to make red blood cells, and keep them from clotting
inside blood vessels.
How does Vitamin E help hair growth?
The main benefits of Vitamin E on hair growth and beauty are
ingrained in its potent antioxidant properties.
As already mentioned, oxidative stress lies
at the core of hair loss risk factors. This is important because there is
evidence that oxidative stress contributes to hair greying and hair loss.
Which foods contain Vitamin E?
·
Dairy and eggs
o Fortified milk
o Cheese
o Eggs
·
Vegetables
o Leafy greens
o Spinach
o Avocados
·
Nuts and seeds
o Almonds
o Sunflower seeds
·
Grains
o Whole grains
What are the recommended dosage/requirements?
The daily recommendations for Vitamin E are as follows:
·
19 mg for lactating women
Conclusion
Hair
loss and thinning are a major problem, and a major headache for millions around
the world. About 60% of hair loss sufferers would rather have more hair than
money or friends. This goes to show that identifying deficiencies is
unavoidable when seeking a complex hair loss regimen. Only by getting the right
balance of nutrients, knowing what vitamins are good for healthy locks, and
implementing lifestyle changes, can one attain hair goals and improve
self-confidence.
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