To quote Fabio: “Capelli sani sinonimo di bellezza.” Because healthy hair is beautiful hair, we’re heading to the farmer’s market and grocery store to help you pick the best foods for a lustrous mane and healthy scalp. Since what you eat greatly impacts both, we’ve compiled a grocery list designed to help you achieve your ultimate #hairgoals. So, grab your Fabio Scalia tote bag and let’s shop!
Go nuts
Walnuts: Smoother skin, healthy hair and brighter eyes are among walnuts’ many nutritional benefits. They’re also a terrific source of zinc, an ingredient known to strengthen hair follicles.
Almonds: Even in moderation, almonds are proven to have a positive impact on your health – and that includes the condition of your strands. This nut is a great source of vitamin E, which researchers say is particularly good for thick and lustrous locks.
Green machines
Watercress: Who knew that spicy watercress would take center stage this summer as researchers named it the “world’s most nutrient dense food?” According to a research study from William Paterson University in New Jersey, watercress was No. 1 in a study – published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention journal – that reveals a list of “powerhouse fruits and vegetables.” Loaded with vitamins E, C, K and A, this leafy green can help promote oxygen and circulation to the scalp, which is the foundation of healthy hair.
Spinach: Always a fan favorite in terms of healthy superfoods, spinach is packed with ingredients such as sebum, iron, omega-3, potassium, magnesium, and calcium – all of which will help keep your hair shiny and hydrated.
Protein power
Salmon: Salmon is an excellent protein source and is also plentiful in omega-3s, which are anti-inflammatory and enable hair growth to keep it shiny and full.
Eggs: These contain lots of biotin, a B vitamin which can also improve hair growth. And you can also find biotin in the aforementioned almonds, salmon and…
Avocado: The health benefits of avocados are widely known, but many don’t know that this superfruit can also help prevent hair loss. Avocados are high in vitamins B and E, which are essential for hair growth and for repairing damage to the scalp.
Oysters: Just like walnuts, oysters are filled with zinc – and keeping zinc levels up is important for hair since low levels can cause hair loss, slow growth, and dandruff.
Lentils: Beans and lentils are known for being super rich sources of iron and protein, both things your hair needs in order to grow longer. Lentils, in particular, provide key benefits for hair such as growth and overall maintenance.
A sweet finale
Sweet Potatoes: Thanks to an abundance of beta-carotene, the yellow/orange pigment that gives vegetables and fruits their rich colors, sweet potatoes are your tresses’ BFF. When you eat foods high in beta-carotene, your skin and hair reap the benefits since the body transforms them into vitamin A – a very nourishing agent for skin and hair.
*CDC report, https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2014/13_0390.htm