We normally think of chocolate as an indulgence, but did you know it packs in powerful nutritional benefits for your hair? It's true! Enjoying dark chocolate (chocolate containing 70% cacao or higher) not only supports hair growth, it also combats some of the leading causes of hair loss.
Help Hair Grow
Dark chocolate contains important nutrients like copper, iron and zinc, which happen to be responsible for growing more cells—including hair. You can combine a bar of melted dark chocolate with 2 tsp. olive oil and 2 tsp. water for a moisturizing hair mask to use during your daily shower.
Applying chocolate to the hair also increases blood circulation to the scalp, which can encourage your follicles to grow stronger and longer hair while similarly combating hair loss. Those incredible anti-inflammatory properties also help to soothe the scalp and protect it against infection.
A lack of the right nutrients, including vitamins A, C, D, and E, zinc, B vitamins, iron, biotin, protein, and essential fatty acids, may slow down hair growth or even cause hair loss.
Hair Health: Foods That Prevent Hair Fall
Add fruits like oranges, papaya, blueberries, lime and kiwi to your diet. Vitamin C also helps in the production of an essential protein called collagen which strengthens blood vessels that supports the hair shafts.
Rich in vitamin E, kiwi juice will stimulate hair growth. With regular consumption of kiwi juice, your mane will grow faster and minimize hair fall. It will also improve your immune system. You can also apply kiwi juice on your scalp.
Essential fatty acids, especially omega-3s, play a key role in the health of your skin, hair, and nails. You should eat some of these foods, which are rich in omega-3, every day: Salmon, tuna, mackerel, and other fatty fish. Flaxseed oil, Flaxseeds, chia seeds, canola oil.
"There are specific juices that can be beneficial for the health of your hair and scalp, including aloe vera juice, kiwi juice and cucumber juice." According to Synder, spinach is highly concentrated with vitamin B, which restores shine and promotes hair growth.
Eating large amounts might cause caffeine-related side effects such as nervousness, increased urination, sleeplessness, and a fast heartbeat. Cocoa can cause allergic skin reactions and might also trigger migraine headaches. It can also cause nausea, stomach discomfort, constipation, and gas.
However, not everyone has naturally thick hair. So, to increase your hair volume and make them look thicker, you must get for yourself a chocolate-rich shampoo. This is because chocolate contains minerals that promote cell division that, together with an efficient blood supply, improves hair volume.
Here's the hard truth: Little can be done to permanently change the diameter of individual hair strands. Thickening products can do wonders to temporarily plump hair strands, but when it comes down to it, fine hair is genetic and can't be changed.
Hair thinning causes can include aging, your genes, shifting hormones, and your diet. Learn what else might be playing a role. Whether you're a woman or a man, it's normal for your hair to thin as you get older, according to Cleveland Clinic.
Baldness can be caused by emotional stress, sleep deprivation, etc. Emotional stress has been shown to accelerate baldness in genetically susceptible individuals.
“Vitamins are essential for healthy hair growth and may help in preventing hair shedding and thinning,” says Michele Green, M.D., a cosmetic dermatologist in New York. “The best vitamins for hair growth include B vitamins, vitamin D, vitamin E, zinc, biotin and iron.
Water is a key ingredient that supports vitamins, which contribute to your hair growth. Believe it or not, but water makes up almost 25% of the weight of a single strand of hair. Drinking at least two liters of water a day will help the strength of your hair, increasing growth.
Sources of Biotin
Foods that contain the most biotin include organ meats, eggs, fish, meat, seeds, nuts, and certain vegetables (such as sweet potatoes) [2,12].
While having that cup of coffee a day can help to encourage healthy hair growth, also note that drinking too much can cause hair loss to occur as well. Consuming too much caffeine can stunt the growth of hair during the hair growth cycle. It can work to slow down this process, meaning your hair may not regrow quickly.
Drinking water helps hair health by preventing many hair problems. Drinking enough water keeps your hair hydrated. As such, one can truly avoid hair loss, hair fall, dry hair, brittle hair and itchiness. Your scalp remains hydrated and healthy by having the correct amount of water in the diet.