There’s been a plethora of diets and programmes aimed at the hair-loss market, but they tend to lean heavily towards red meat and oily fish. But what about the vegetarians amongst us?
Fortunately, there is a ton of veggie stuff that can help fight hair loss in its own way. Here’s a few examples:
Protein
Seeing as protein is mainly what a strand of hair is made of, it’s a no-brainer that it needs more of it to keep growing. Your hair usually undergoes a two to three-year growing phase before entering a resting phase, but if your diet is lacking in protein, they may go into the resting phase long before they have to.
Obviously, the key protein-rich ingredients such as meat and fish are off the table, so make sure you’re eating lots of nuts, seeds, legumes, beans and soy.
Iron
Again, a vital component of a hair-friendly diet, but one that meat-free people find hard to get the right amount of. Try fortified cereals, pumpkin seeds, white beans, lentils and spinach, but also think about falling back on iron supplements.
Vitamin D
The jury’s still out on the effects of Vitamin D on the hair cycle, which you can find in milk, orange juice and cereals. But some experts also recommend adding a vitamin supplement to your routine.
Zinc
A very important supplement, as a deficiency in it can lead to hair loss, lack of sheen, and difficulty with control. Adding beans, seeds and nuts, legumes, milk and wheat germ to your diet can help immensely.
Vitamin B-12
This is the one vitamin you miss the most when going meat-free, as it is mainly found in animal products – and a deficiency in it can cause hair loss. You can redress the balance by stocking up on nutritional yeast products (if you can find them) and fermented soy products, such as tempeh.
