The 5 Best Foods to Prevent Hair Breakage

Who wouldn’t want to prevent hair breakage and get strong, healthy hair? The problem is that many of us are inadvertently damaging our hair and causing hair breakage by over-brushing, using styling products that are no good for us, regularly using hair dryers, straighteners and curling tongs, spending too much time in the sun, and failing to ensure that our hair is getting the nutrients it needs from the food we eat.

If you want to stop hair breakage you’ll need to address your diet first. If your hair isn’t getting the right foods, healthy hair is a non-starter. Taking hair supplements is also a must if you want to repair damaged hair. Hair nutrition is paramount to promoting healthy hair. If you suffer from dry, dull, or weak hair, you could be deficient in certain nutrients.

It is essential that people get a balanced diet that contains healthy hair-promoting nutrients: omega-3 fatty acids, biotin, high-quality protein, vitamin D3, iron and zinc are all essential building blocks for long, luscious locks.

Here’s our guide to what foods are good for healthy hair:

(and we’ll let you in on the best hair supplements too)

Eggs are packed with high-quality protein and biotin, two of the most important building blocks for healthy hair.

Your hair follicles are made mostly of protein, so a deficiency here can cause hair to feel brittle and lacking in structure, which will ultimately cause it to break easily.

Biotin is a B vitamin that is responsible for maintaining a healthy scalp - only when your scalp is primed and in perfect condition, can you achieve strong hair growth. Being deficient in biotin can lead to dandruff and weak, dehydrated hair. If your hair is looking lacklustre, this might be what you are lacking.

Brazil nuts are one of the best dietary sources of selenium - a mineral that gives rise to hair growth. In fact, just one brazil nut contains your entire recommended daily intake of the trace mineral.

Selenium is not only essential for the regulation of the thyroid hormones that promote healthy hair, having an adequate intake of selenium has also been shown to reduce dandruff and cure an itchy scalp.

Scientists caution against overdoing it on the selenium front, however. Excessive selenium in the blood has been linked to brittle hair and even hair loss. They recommend that you limit yourself to no more than four brazil nuts per day if you want to reap the benefits and see improvements in the condition of your hair.

Fatty fish like salmon, anchovies, herring and mackerel are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids, protein, selenium and vitamin D3, all of which have been linked with healthy hair growth.

Omega-3 fatty acids nourish hair at the follicles, boosting strength and acting as a shield against inflammation, which can lead to damaged and weakened hair over time.

Vitamin D3 stimulates hair follicles and plays a fundamental role in hair growth. Vitamin D3 deficiency - the most common nutritional deficiency in the northern hemisphere - can lead to hair loss and brittle hair. LYMA’s formula contains Vita-Algae D3™, a highly bioavailable form of vitamin D3 that has been formulated at 2,000 i.u. In LYMA for optimal results. The standard dose in other supplements, for reference, is 600 i.u.. Vitamin D3 is also implicated in various other areas of health including immunity, the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, and improved bone and muscle health.

Beans are a versatile and delicious source of good-quality plant protein. Adequate protein consumption is fundamental to healthy hair growth and reduced breakage. They also contain significant amounts of other hair-healthy nutrients including biotin, iron and folate.

Beans contain particularly high levels of zinc, a mineral that is fundamental to supporting hair’s growth and repair cycle. A lack of zinc in the diet has been linked to hair loss. Just half a cup of black beans contains 10% of your recommended daily allowance, making them an easy food to incorporate into your diet.

Spinach is a hair health powerhouse, containing a multitude of beneficial vitamins and minerals for hair growth. This includes iron, folate, vitamin A and vitamin C.

Iron is an essential component of healthy hair growth, and iron deficiency is closely linked to hair breakage, thinning and loss. When you don't have enough iron in your body, you are unable to produce haemoglobin (red blood cells). Haemoglobin is responsible for the transportation of oxygen needed for a healthy metabolism, and for the growth and repair of cells in your body, including the cells that stimulate hair growth.

Vitamin A is a key nutrient for keeping your scalp moisturised and your hair hydrated and shining. A single cup of cooked spinach provides over 50% of your daily vitamin A requirements.