Most effective diet to prevent hair loss

Before you start losing sleep over hair loss and book appointments with trichologists, take a closer look at what you're eating. Chances are that even slight modifications made to what you eat by incorporating ingredients that aid hair growth and health will have a drastic impact. While genes and lifestyle will always have the upper hand, here's what you could eat to help curb that receding hairline.

Carrots

It's not just the eyes, Vitamin A-rich carrots provide excellent nourishment for the scalp. A healthy scalp ensures shiny, well-conditioned hair that is strengthened and moisturised. An overall balanced diet of lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fatty fish like the Indian salmon and low-fat dairy are great boosters for healthy hair.

Prunes

If your hair suffers from dryness, thinning, stiffness, discolouration or hair fall, depleting reserves of iron might be the culprit. Prunes are known to be great sources of iron and greatly help improve the quality of hair. Also ensure you get plenty of green vegetables and beetroots in your diet in addition to prunes.

Green peas

Although green peas are not rich in antioxidants or any specific vitamin or mineral, they contain a well-balanced amount of vitamins and minerals such as iron, zinc and B group vitamins. These are essential for maintaining healthy hair.

Oats

Not only are oats loaded with fiber that helps maintain a healthy heart and bowels, they also contain a high concentration of other essential nutrients such as zinc, iron and omega-6 fatty acids. Together, these are also knows as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Omega-6 fatty acids in particular are essential to maintain normal skin, hair growth and development. Since this essential ingredient is only obtained through the diet, make sure your breakfast includes a bowl of oatmeal every few days in the week.

Shrimp

While red meats are best avoided in excess, finding an appropriate substitute for proteins might be a little difficult for those looking to build muscle etc. Alternatively, of the wide variety of sea food available, shrimps are a great substitute. They not only go excellently well in a number of curries and pastas, their potent concentration of Vitamin B12, iron, zinc contain all the necessary nourishment to prevent hair loss.

Walnuts

Not to be outdone by the oats, walnuts are one of the most hairfriendly nuts in the category. Not only do walnuts have more omega-6 fatty acids than any other food, but they're also full of zinc, iron, B vitamins (B1, B6 and B9), and plenty of protein. However, a word of caution, walnuts also contain a small trace of selenium, a mineral known to cause hair loss in people who are selenium-deficient or have way too much in their system. So a handful of nuts over the week should tide you over without much trouble.

Eggs

For a head full of healthy hair, the egg is probably one of your best friends. It's loaded with essential nutrients such as proteins, Vitamin B12, iron, zinc and Omega 6 fatty acids in large amounts. Being deficient in any of these vitamins and minerals is known to result in poor quality of hair. In addition it's also a good source for biotin (Vitamin B7) which is a great aid to fight hair loss.