Hair loss affects the majority of adults at some point in their lives. If it’s affecting you, reach for real foods along with supplements. Real foods offer full nutrition for whole-body health and they may help your hair grow.

But not all foods are hair-growers.

Here are our top 7 real foods and drinks for hair growth and health, and how you can add them alongside supplements for hair.

Top 7 Real Foods to Help Your Hair Grow

1. Beef, Bison, Elk, and Venison

As discussed in Thinning Hair Part 1, iron, protein and amino acids play a big part in hair health and growth. These “red” meats contain all three, in highly absorbable forms.

In fact, red meats specifically help hair grown. Their iron and other minerals promote oxygenation of cells and tissues, including, hair follicles (1).

In addition, deficiencies in protein and iron have been linked to hair loss (2, 3).

When buying red meat, do your best to get top-quality sources. If possible, buy local meats from a rancher or butcher. Wild elk and venison are great meat choices!

2. Bone Broth and Collagen

While modern diets can contain many great nutrients, they are lacking some traditional ones. For example, the amino acids found in bone broths, which our ancestors received by using entire animals and boiling bones for soups, are largely missing.

Fortunately, you can get these amino acids just like they did, by consuming bone broth, or in powdered form, from gelatin or collagen.

How does this help your hair?

Collagen Type I specifically improves skin, nail, and hair quality.

In fact, animal studies show improved color and luster of the skin and fur with collagen supplementation (4).

What’s more, collagen and bone broth provides great amino acids and antioxidants to fight hair and tissue aging and thinning. And thankfully, Keto Zone’s Hydrolyzed Collagen contains Type I Collagen + Probiotics for great absorption.

3. Salmon and Sunshine

If ever you need food to support health in the human body, salmon is a good bet. In the case of hair, salmon offers 3 distinct nutrients that help:

1. Vitamin D: Animal studies support the supplementation of vitamin D for hair growth and health, and human studies link hair loss with low vitamin D status (5, 6, 7). Vitamin D is also created in the human body with exposure to sunshine.
2. Omega-3 Fats: While studies are a bit sparse, two studies have shown reduced hair loss, and increased density and growth in women with thinning hair while supplementing with omega-3s and antioxidants (8, 9).
3. Proteins and Amino Acids: Proteins are vital for tissue growth and repair. At about 7 grams of protein per ounce, salmon is a great source of protein and essential amino acids.

4. Egg Yolks

Eggs are a nutrition powerhouse, conveniently wrapped up together in a handy shell. Whether you like your eggs hard-boiled,  fried, poached, mixed, or otherwise, they support hair growth and health.

How?

Eggs are a great source of protein, folate, biotin, zinc, and selenium. While folate and biotin are often marketed for hair growth, the research has been inconclusive. Zinc and selenium, on the other hand, support hair growth and health. What’s more, if you buy omega-3 eggs, you’ll also get healthy fats to improve hair health, making the egg a great whole food for hair.

There’s more.

New research has found a water-soluble peptide (part of an amino acid) in egg yolks stimulates human hair follicles and cell growth. It’s been dubbed “hair growth peptide (HGP)” (10).

5. Spinach, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots & Vitamin A Foods

Those dark and vibrantly colored veggies are for more than a pretty salad. In fact, any food that has a high vitamin A content can help your hair.

It’s the vitamin A that typically gives orange vegetables their color.

Spinach also has a lot of vitamin A, along with folate, and iron to improve hair health.

If you’re worried about getting enough Vitamin A foods on Keto Zone, never fear! Two great sources of vitamin A, sweet potatoes, fruits, and vegetables are the Keto Zone Shake and Fermented Green Supremefood.

6. Oysters

Oysters are specifically good for cells, tissues, and hair due to their high zinc content (11). Zinc is a known mineral that supports hair health and repair (12).

What’s more, zinc deficiency is linked with telogen effluvium, a type of hair loss that is specifically caused by nutrition deficits. On the flip side, when those low in zinc supplement with the mineral, hair loss can be reversed (13, 14).

But use caution, as too much zinc, like many minerals, can affect the thyroid and cause hair loss. (15).

7. Water

While drinking more water won’t cause your lovely locks to begin growing, it is a vital fluid for cell, tissue, and hair health.

In fact, fluid intake has a direct effect on dermal cell pH and hydration status. Since hair follicles and dermal health are interwoven, we can trust that hydration status plays a role in hair health and condition (16).

Thinning Hair Series

In case you’ve missed it, this post is Part 3 in our Thinning Hair Series. You can find more on Thinning Hair and Hormone Balance below:

Thinning Hair? Nutrient Deficiencies (Part 1)

Thinning Hair? Nutrient Excesses (Part 2)

Hormone Zone for Hormone Balance

Thyroid Zone for Thyroid Balance

Bottom Line

Starting today, you can eat foods that help your hair grow. It’s easier than you might have thought. These simple, Keto Zone friendly foods are widely available and likely already in your home. Eat well to help your hair grow and maintain health!