You have often wondered what foods promote hair growth. You may have noted eggs, salmon, oilseeds, or even olive oil.
But have you ever wondered if there are bad foods? We have the answer!
Fatty, sugary, polluted foods, dairy products, alcohol, and other drinks rich in tannins: are harmful to your hair!
We decipher for you each of these foods to avoid having healthy hair and prevent hair loss.
1. Fatty and ultra-processed foods
Are you a fan of coffee/croissants for breakfast, or of the charcuterie board on the terrace as an aperitif with your friends?
You will probably have to change your habits because your hair could well end up suffering from it!
In fact, foods rich in saturated fatty acids, such as cold meats, pastries, or even fried foods, and generally all ultra-processed dishes, consumed in too large quantities, can be the cause of hair loss.
How is it possible? It all comes down to sebum.
By consuming these foods that are too fatty, you stimulate seborrhoea in the hair by causing overconsumption of B vitamins.
In other words, you cause an excessive secretion of sebum weakening the hair and leading to a greater risk of loss.
On the other hand, be aware that there are foods with “good” fat for the hair, such as olive oil or salmon, which provide unsaturated fatty acids, essential for healthy hair and cells to regenerate…
2. Refined sugars
Like fat, foods high in refined sugars should be avoided if you want healthy hair.
How to spot refined sugar?
It is said to be refined when it undergoes purification and decolorization operations (white sugar). And the more it is, the fewer minerals it has to fuel the body.
These sugars therefore not only have no interesting nutritional contribution but can also be the cause of hair loss.
In the case of refined sugar, it is an increase in the secretion of insulin which will stimulate the adrenal glands at the origin of the production of sebum.
Excess sebum and impurities will then settle on the scalp, hindering good blood circulation to the root, which will prevent the hair from growing normally.
One last tip in terms of sugars: also limit your consumption of foods with a high glycemic index such as bread, white flour, or white pasta.
These will also lead to an increase in your insulin production and have the same effect on your hair. Instead, opt for wholegrain starches.
3. Alcohol and tannin-rich drinks
Beyond the harmful effects of alcohol on the liver, it can also be the cause of vitamin B deficiency, which plays an essential role in hair renewal.
Did you say vitamin B? It plays an essential role in healthy hair. It stimulates the scalp, promotes hair growth, and regulates sebum production.
Just that! So watch out for your hair loss with all those extra glasses…
As for drinks rich in tannins, such as wine but also coffee and tea, they can disrupt the absorption of iron by the intestines, and thus cause iron deficiency.
However, this can cause hair loss. Because iron is an essential nutrient for hair growth by contributing to the oxygenation of its reproductive cells.
4. Foods polluted by plant protection agents or heavy metals
Nowadays, it is known that living in a metropolis with ambient air pollution has a negative impact on the health and appearance of our hair or skin.
The same is true when we consume food polluted by phytosanitary products (insecticides, herbicides, etc.) or heavy metals such as mercury.
In fact, these foods tend to concentrate on the body and eventually disrupt the functioning of our organs, including our scalp. A disturbance of the thyroid can typically lead to hair loss.
Heavy metal pollution, also causes hair loss. To avoid them, keep mercury-rich fish out of your diet. This especially concerns large fish such as tuna or swordfish.
Because mercury accumulates in the muscular tissues of the fish following its consumption of prey (here other fish) containing mercury.
It is therefore not surprising that the concentration of mercury in fish increases according to their rank in the food chain…
5. Dairy products
No, dairy products are not our friends for life!
It is very difficult to get out of the collective representation according to which dairy products are synonymous with growth. And yet…
In any case, for your hair, dairy products do not rhyme with growth!
Already, because they are often fatty (cheese, fresh cream, butter) and/or sweet (yogurts).
But also, because they can be the cause of an overproduction of calcium which will accumulate in the hair follicles and become unbalanced with magnesium, which is precisely supposed to fight against an excessive accumulation of calcium to prevent hair loss. hair.
We understand better why a high consumption of dairy products has a negative impact on hair regrowth!
Image Credit: Image by stockking on Freepik
