A healthy head of shiny, glossy hair is something that many people strive for. Your diet can play a large part in how healthy and attractive your hair is, because your hair relies on certain vitamins and minerals for strength. According to Riquette Hofstein, author of "Grow Hair Fast: 7 Steps to a New Head of Hair in 90 Days," vitamin E is one of the most important vitamins that your hair relies on for health and appearance.
Increases Strength
A deficiency in vitamin E can lead to brittle hair that easily breaks or falls out, notes Hofstein. Having sufficient levels of vitamin E in your diet ensures that the blood in your scalp circulates normally, so that plenty of vitamin E reaches your hair follicles, which allows your hair grow stronger. If your hair is growing in brittle or if you are experiencing excess hair loss, Hofstein recommends taking between 400 IU and 800 IU of vitamin E every day to increase the health of your scalp. A vitamin-E supplement can help you reach this level. Increasing your intake of vegetable oils may also help.
Improves Shine
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that can increase the shine of your hair as it grows in, reports Lisa Drayer, author of "The Beauty Diet: Looking Great Has Never Been So Delicious." Shiny hair appears to be healthier than dull hair, adds Drayer. Adding vitamin-E supplements to your diet may help you attain the shine you are looking for. Drayer also suggests eating blueberries, walnuts, kiwi, spinach and tomatoes for healthy doses of this important vitamin.
Encourages Hair Growth
Vitamin E can help your hair grow more quickly because it improves scalp circulation, which in addition to helping with strength and shine can also encourage hair growth, note Cherie Calbom and Maureen Keane, authors of "Juicing for Life." If you struggle to grow your hair longer, adding plenty of vitamin E to your diet may help you speed up results. A vitamin-E supplement is one way to increase your intake, or try adding raw nuts and seeds, beans, wheat-germ oil and green leafy vegetables to your daily diet to help you consume enough Vitamin E to encourage hair growth.
References
- "Grow Hair Fast: 7 Steps to a New Head of Hair in 90 Days"; Riquette Hofstein; 2004
- "The Beauty Diet: Looking Great Has Never Been So Delicious"; Lisa Drayer; 2008
- "Juicing for Life"; Cherie Calbom and Maureen Keane; 1992
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