The condition of the skin and hair often reflects the general condition of the human body, as it is a good indicator of organic changes. The diagnosis of many systemic diseases can be detected through skin lesions. Similarly, hair examination is a useful tool in the diagnosis of disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. It is therefore difficult for the skin or hair to look healthy when there are functional changes in the body. A healthy and balanced diet is therefore essential to maintain healthy skin and hair.
Vitamins and minerals for hair enhancement
Among the many vitamins and minerals, we highlight the following for hair beauty care:
- Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that provides nourishment, quality, shine and strength to hair, enhances its natural colour and prevents hair loss. This vitamin can be found in foods such as citrus fruits, strawberries, kiwi fruit and broccoli.
- Vitamin A is a great source of antioxidants that help the skin glands in the scalp to produce sebum and moisturise the hair. It is found especially in spinach, broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, nuts, dairy products and eggs.
- Vitamin D helps to form new follicles where new hair grows. It is found in cheese, green leafy vegetables, seeds and oily fish. It is also obtained from the sun.
- Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that stimulates hair growth. You can find it in sunflower seeds, vegetable oils, nuts, spinach and avocados.
- Biotin gives hair volume and fullness. It can be found mainly in eggs, liver, bananas, milk and dairy products.
- Vitamin B especially 6, 12 and 3, which makes hair softer, shinier and thicker because it favours the absorption of fats and proteins in the body, which improves hair health. You can eat them especially in pulses.
The importance of diet in keeping hair and skin healthy
As mentioned above, a healthy and balanced diet plays a very important role in keeping hair and skin in good health and provid us with the necessary vitamins and minerals. Therefore, we must pay attention to the foods we provide our bodies with. An unhealthy diet with a lack of fibre, an increase in fried foods and saturated fats, excessive consumption of coffee, sugar and alcohol negatively affects our immune system. Treatments with antibiotics, corticosteroids and laxatives can also affect its function.
On the other hand, a balanced diet can help our immune cells. For example, the Mediterranean diet has been shown for many years to be very beneficial for the body because it contains many nutrients: vitamins, antioxidants and the health benefits of olive oil.
