How does your diet affect your skin and hair?

Did you know that the food you eat has a role to play in the health of your skin and hair too? Definitely, skincare and haircare products used externally help nourish and maintain healthy skin and hair. But, you can’t entirely rely on external applications alone. Eating nutritious food is important too, as nutritional deficiencies have a negative impact on our skin and hair.

Drinking enough water

Drinking enough water is essential for skin and hair health. Dehydration, which is caused due to drinking less water can lead to hair loss, dry scalp, and dry/dull skin. Water helps flush out toxins from our bodies and reduces the risk of skin/hair damage. Make it a habit to keep yourself hydrated by drinking water, which will keep you healthy and promotes naturally glowing skin and hair too.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants have a remarkable role in protecting our body from cell damage called ‘oxidative stress’ which causes chronic diseases and also damages our skin and hair. Antioxidants prevent inflammation, reduce health risks and promote optimal health of skin and hair. Many antioxidants are found naturally in certain foods such as blueberries, strawberries, spinach, oranges, capsicum, nuts, seeds, tomatoes, whole grains. For detailed information about different antioxidants and their natural sources, visit my post on antioxidants with the link below https://naturalgoodnessalways.wordpress.com/2021/12/06/superhero-antioxidant/

Healthy Fats

Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential fatty acids are the healthy fats that promote healthy skin and hair. Natural sources of these healthy unsaturated fats are, nuts, seeds, fatty fish, avocados, extra virgin olive oil, tofu, shellfish and plant oils.

Proteins

Our hair, nails and skin are made up mostly of proteins namely keratin, collagen and elastin. Intake of adequate protein is essential for healthy hair and skin. Consuming protein rich food is important for the formation of the proteins present in our skin and hair. The natural food sources loaded with proteins are eggs, dairy products, legumes, nuts, poultry, seafood and soy products.

Vitamins and Minerals

Obtaining adequate amounts of certain vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin A, Vitamin B7, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Zinc and Selenium, from our diet is crucial for healthy skin and hair. Natural sources of these nutrients are:

• Vitamin A- carrots, spinach,sweet potato, Pumpkin.
• Vitamin B7 or biotin – almonds, fish, whole grains, leafy greens.
• Vitamin C – Guavas, bell peppers, strawberries, citrus fruits.
• Vitamin E – almonds, sunflower seeds and avocados.
• Zinc – oysters, spinach, lentils.
• Selenium – nuts, grains, fish and poultry.

Eating unhealthy food frequently leads to insufficient amount of nutrients in our body. It is important to reduce or avoid consuming fried food, sugary food, red meat and highly processed food too often. Try to replace them with healthier options like food with healthy fats such as fish and naturally sweet food such as fruits.

References

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6380979/
• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342697508_Foods_For_Healthy_Hair_Skin_and_Nails

Watch this video from my YouTube channel for natural skincare tips:

Here are some easy to use at home natural haircare tips: