It can be disturbing to look in the mirror one day and discover that your hair is beginning to thin. Hair loss occurs for numerous reasons, including age, genetics, damage from chemical dyes, and excessive use of styling products. Surprisingly, one of the most common causes of hair loss is a lack of the proper nutrients needed to support healthy hair growth.
Even when eating a healthy diet, the right balance of nutrients to support healthy hair growth can be hard to maintain. A hair supplement formulated with high doses of the nutrients needed for hair can be a great defense against hair loss.
What Vitamins And Minerals Reduce Hair Loss?
Doctors and beauty experts have long realized that hair growth is related to a healthy diet. Unfortunately, it can be hard to get the right vitamins and minerals, in the correct quantities, by diet alone. Hair growth is a complex metabolic process that requires vitamins, enzymes, and minerals. If you struggle to get these things, in sufficient quantities, by diet alone, then high-quality hair supplements might be a good option.
The Ingredients Should You Look For In A Hair Supplement
- Vitamin C—Vitamin C plays a significant role in cell health throughout your body. Vitamin C is crucial for the body to produce adequate amounts of collagen, which is a protein needed for healthy skin and hair. A vitamin C deficiency can cause rough, scaly skin, bleeding gums, and hair loss.
- B-complex vitamins—there are eight different kinds of B vitamins, and all of them play a vital role in health. B-complex deficiency can cause weakness, fatigue, and dizziness. Most hair supplements contain Biotin, which is vitamin B7. B7 plays an especially important role in supporting the growth of new hair.
- Niacin—Niacin is another member of the B vitamins that plays an essential role in circulatory health. Niacin promotes circulation throughout the body, providing many health benefits and reducing the risk of hair loss.
- Vitamin E—free radicals are a natural by-product of different processes, including metabolism. However, free radicals are also caused by pollution, tobacco smoke, chemical processes in food preservation, pesticides, and even medication. Free radicals play a role in numerous diseases of the liver, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps neutralize the damage done by free radicals, as well as supporting the circulation system. Reduced circulation to the scalp plays a role in hair loss.
- Vitamin A—another antioxidant that helps neutralize free radicals and stimulates hair follicles.
- Vitamin D—Vitamin D helps develop strong hair follicles, which improves overall hair and scalp health. Vitamin D deficiencies are linked to depression, muscle weakness, and fatigue.
- Iron—Iron is a common deficiency, and can cause anemia. Anemia makes it difficult for red blood cells to deliver oxygen, resulting in many health issues, including shortness of breath, fatigue, brittle nails, and hair loss. There are dangers associated with taking too much iron, so many hair supplements do not contain excess iron. You can make sure you get enough iron in your diet by eating green, leafy vegetables, salmon, pork, dried fruit, and fortified cereal.
- Magnesium—Magnesium is an essential mineral that is critical to the support of biochemical reactions in the body. Magnesium supports a healthy immune system, heart health, muscle, and nerve function. The role magnesium plays in the metabolic process impacts how you metabolize and absorb other nutrients that support hair growth.
For the best results in using nutrition to help prevent hair loss, eat a well-balanced, healthy diet in conjunction with taking a hair supplement. The hair supplement should not be your primary source of the vitamins and nutrients you need to prevent hair loss. Instead, a healthy diet should provide most of your nutrients, while a supplement formulated for hair growth will fill in any gaps that might be missing in your diet.
