Foods that promote healthy hair growth- Most common foods to add to your diet.

Nice healthy hair as we all know can boost your confidence. Hair grows from inside out and like plants, it is great to feed the roots with good stuff from the inside to have healthy hair on the outside. Apart from the healthy hair practices you should do, diet is an important part of the practice and a number of foods in your diet may boost the health of your hair from inside out. Let us break down the important nutrient contents in common foods that can boost your hair. The tables in this article (Source : Encyclopedia of foods ) show the nutrient content of these foods regarding hair health and growth.
Fruits.

Fruits
Fruits are a great source of vitamins in our general health but there are specific fruits that have more nutrients in them compared to others that help promote healthy hair. Fruits with the highest nutrient content good for hair growth include Avocado, Berries, Cantaloupe, Kiwi, Loquat, Mango, Orange, Papaya, Plantain and Tangerine.
NUTRIENT CONTENT
Fruit |
Serving |
Potassium (mg) |
Selenium (µg) |
Niacin (mg) |
Folate (µg) |
Vitamin A (IU) |
Avocado |
1 raw |
1,204 |
1 |
3.8 |
124 |
1,230 |
Blackberry |
½ cup |
141 |
0 |
0 |
24 |
119 |
Cantaloupe |
¼ medium |
426 |
0 |
1 |
23 |
4,449 |
Kiwi |
1 large |
302 |
0 |
0 |
35 |
159 |
Loquat |
½ cup |
198 |
0 |
0 |
10 |
1,138 |
Mango |
½ fruit |
161 |
1 |
1 |
14 |
4,030 |
Orange |
1 fruit |
237 |
1 |
0 |
40 |
269 |
Papaya |
¼ medium |
196 |
1 |
1 |
29 |
216 |
Plantain cooked |
½ cup mashed |
465 |
1 |
1 |
26 |
909 |
Tangerine |
1 medium |
132 |
0 |
0 |
17 |
773 |
Red – Highest ,Orange – Second highest, Green – Third highest
Vegetables.

Amaranth
I know most of us don’t like our vegetables but there is a lot of good in them. Personally, i am not really a fun of vegetables but i like a fancy salad with a few nuts in it now and then. There are some vegetables which are really delicious though especially the Kenyan traditional vegetables like Amaranth leaves and the African Night shade. Now to the vegetables promoting healthy hair, you might want to add Spinach, Amaranth, Artichoke, Chicory, Chinese cabbage, Collards, sweet potatoes, Lettuce and peppers to your diet.
NUTRIENT CONTENT
Vegetable |
Serving |
Potassium (mg) |
Selenium (µg) |
Niacin (mg) |
Folate (µg) |
Vitamin A (IU) |
Artishoke |
1 medium |
425 |
0 |
1 |
61 |
212 |
Asparagus |
4 medium |
175 |
1 |
1 |
82 |
373 |
Brussel sprouts |
½ cup |
247 |
1 |
0 |
47 |
561 |
Chicory greens |
1 cup chopped |
756 |
1 |
1 |
197 |
7,200 |
Chinese cabbage |
1 cup shredded |
176 |
0 |
0 |
46 |
2,100 |
Collards |
½ cup |
247 |
1 |
1 |
88 |
2,973 |
Lettuce |
1 cup |
162 |
0 |
0 |
76 |
1,456 |
Pepper (sweet red) |
½ cup chopped |
132 |
0 |
0 |
16 |
4,247 |
Spinach |
½ cup |
419 |
1 |
0 |
131 |
7,371 |
Sweet potatoes |
¾ cup |
522 |
1 |
1 |
34 |
32,733 |
Red – Highest ,Orange – Second highest, Green – Third highest
Protein.
Hair is made up of protein and a diet rich in protein is a plus for healthy hair. There are many sources of proteins and i will break this down into Seafood, Nuts &Seeds;,Lentils & Legumes and meat.
Seafood.
Sea food in general is a great source of Protein. They are rich in nutrients like Selenium, Niacin, Folate, Vitamin A, Potassium, Omega 3 fatty acids and Sodium among others which are great for your hair. Some sea foods that you might want to incorporate in your diet are Salmon, shrimp, Oyster, Cod, Tuna, Swordfish, Mackerel, Sardine, Mussel and Octopus
NUTRIENT CONTENT
Sea food |
Serving |
Potassium (mg) |
Selenium (µg) |
Niacin (mg) |
Folate (µg) |
Vitamin A (IU) |
Cod |
3 oz |
207 |
32 |
2 |
7 |
39 |
Mackerel |
3 oz |
341 |
44 |
6 |
1 |
153 |
Mussel |
3 oz |
228 |
76 |
3 |
64 |
258 |
Octopus |
3 oz |
536 |
76 |
3 |
20 |
230 |
Oyster |
3 oz |
111 |
56 |
3 |
19 |
222 |
Salmon |
3 oz |
429 |
40 |
9 |
30 |
422 |
Sardine |
3 oz |
338 |
45 |
4 |
10 |
191 |
Shrimp |
3 oz |
155 |
34 |
2 |
3 |
183 |
Sword fish |
3 oz |
314 |
52 |
10 |
2 |
116 |
Tuna (fresh) |
3 oz |
275 |
40 |
9 |
2 |
2,142 |
Red – Highest ,Orange – Second highest, Green – Third highest
Nuts &Seeds.

Almonds, Brazil,Cashew,Peanuts, macadamia, Pecan, Walnut and Hazel nut
These are great snacks that you can have almost anywhere. You can also slip some in to your salad or muesli. Apart from their great taste, they are a great source of Sodium, Folate, Omega 3 fatty acids and Vitamin A. Some of these that you might want to try are, hazel nuts, Sunflower seeds, Chia seeds, Flax seed, Brazil nuts, Almonds, triticale, rye, rice and safflower seed.
NUTRIENT CONTENT
Nuts / Seeds |
Serving |
Potassium (mg) |
Selenium (µg) |
Niacin (mg) |
Folate (µg) |
Vitamin A (IU) |
Almonds |
1/3 cup |
343 |
4 |
2 |
12 |
0.0 |
Brazil nuts |
1/3 cup |
280 |
1,381 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
Chia seeds |
½ cup |
407 |
99.9 |
8.83 |
49 |
54 |
Flax seeds |
½ cup |
528 |
4 |
1 |
215 |
0 |
Hazel nuts |
1/3 cup |
306 |
2 |
1 |
51 |
309 |
Rice |
½ cup |
876 |
9 |
20 |
37 |
0 |
Rye |
½ cup |
223 |
30 |
4 |
51 |
0 |
Safflower seeds |
1 oz |
195 |
(- ) |
1 |
45 |
14 |
Sunflower seeds |
¼ cup |
272 |
25 |
2 |
76 |
0 |
Triticale |
½ cup |
319 |
0 |
1 |
70 |
0 |
(-) Means nutrient value not available.
Red – Highest ,Orange – Second highest, Green – Third highest
Lentils & Legumes.
These are a great source of Folate, protein and potassium which are great for hair growth and health in general. Some have more than others and those with the most of these nutrients include;- chickpeas, black beans, pinto beans, adzuki beans, mung beans, lentils, navy beans, soy beans, green peas, black eyed peas and peanuts just to mention a few.
NUTRIENT CONTENT
Legumes / Lentils |
Serving |
Potassium (mg) |
Selenium (µg) |
Niacin (mg) |
Folate (µg) |
Vitamin A (IU) |
Adzuki bean |
½ cup |
612 |
1 |
1 |
139 |
7 |
Black beans |
½ cup |
305 |
1 |
0 |
128 |
5 |
Black eyed peas |
½ cup |
321 |
2 |
1 |
121 |
9 |
Chick peas |
½ cup |
239 |
3 |
0 |
141 |
22 |
Green peas |
½ cup |
217 |
1 |
2 |
51 |
478 |
Lentils |
½ cup |
365 |
3 |
1 |
179 |
8 |
Mung beans |
½ cup |
269 |
3 |
1 |
160 |
24 |
Navy beans |
½ cup |
335 |
5 |
0 |
127 |
2 |
Pinto beans |
½ cup |
400 |
6 |
0 |
147 |
2 |
Roman beans |
½ cup |
342 |
1 |
0 |
183 |
0 |
Red – Highest ,Orange – Second highest, Green – Third highest
Egg protein is a common ingredient in protein treatments and DIYs. That already says that its nutrient content is important for hair care. Eggs are rich in selenium and vitamin A. You may have thought that eggs are a rich source of protein right?! Well it does have protein but not as much as the meat mentioned in the next paragraph. Surprise!

Chicken cuisine
Meat.
Well, meat lovers you are definitely not left out. Meat is a common source of protein but we are looking at the nutrient contents that are best for hair growth and health. In this case, meat rich in folate, vitamin A, and selenium that you may want to include in your diet are,- beef heart, beef kidney, beef liver, loin, chicken liver(simmered/canned), goose liver canned and duck meat.
NUTRIENT CONTENT
Meat and Egg |
Serving |
Potassium (mg) |
Selenium (µg) |
Niacin (mg) |
Folate (µg) |
Vitamin A (IU) |
Beef heart |
3 oz |
198 |
33 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
Beef kidney |
3 oz |
152 |
239 |
5 |
83 |
1,055 |
Beef liver |
3 oz |
200 |
32.8 |
9 |
184 |
30,327 |
Chicken liver |
3 oz |
119 |
82.5 |
4 |
655 |
13,919 |
Eggs whole |
1 large |
61 |
15 |
0 |
24 |
318 |
Goose liver |
3 oz |
117 |
64 |
2 |
51 |
2,835 |
Red – Highest ,Orange – Second highest, Green – Third highest
Oils.
As well as foods, oils are also good for your hair. These oils are made in 2 categories, those you can ingest and those you can apply on your hair. The most common oils that you can multitask are, Avocado oil, olive oil, grape seed oil, coconut oil, almond oil, argan oil just to mention a few.
Bottom line.
Most of these foods are available in our grocery stores and are not really expensive. You don’t need to go out of your way to get them. Preparation of most is also not really hard and from the mentioned foods there surely is something or two that you can add to your diet to help boost your hair health.
Eating healthy foods and not actively taking care of your hair is like paying for the gym and hope to lose weight by sitting on the couch. You have to practice both for you to achieve the most out of them. Do you know of any other foods that promote hair health and growth that i haven’t mentioned or just any addition or questions regarding this article? Feel free to drop a comment or contact me and i will be glad to write back.
Daniel
For someone like me who is currently experiencing a receding hairline, this post was of immense help to me. I was not surprised to see fruits on your list foods to promote healthy hair growth, but stating what type of meat to eat was a real eye opener. I am a meat eater, so knowing what type of meat my hair growth requires was very helpful.
I am going to try my best to follow your recommendations and observe how things go. Thanks a lot for sharing!
Janet
Hi Daniel, thank you for finding time to read through this article. I am glad that you found some useful inforation here. I will be glad to read a review or update from you after a while of incorporating some of the recommended foods. Thank you too for giving me a topic to write about (Receeding hairline). Watch out for it 😉
Amber
Thank you for such a great article. It’s so well laid out, and the graph is easy to read, without just being numbers!, which makes it easier to understand!
I didn’t know you can eat to get healthier hair. My hair is a cross between fine and wavy, so I’m hoping this will support the growth of the hair and possibly make it thicker?
Thank you
Janet
Hi Amber, thanks for stopping by. Yes you can grow healthy hair by watching what you eat. That isnt enough though. you also need to take care of your hair externally. check out this article and try it out for thicker hair.https://myhealthyafro.com/how-to-use-rice-water-for-hair-growth-step-by-step/ I will be glad to read your review on this. Also check out the Hair textures article to find some tips on your hair type. Thanks again.
Danica
I eat a lot of avocado, salmon, rice, and artichokes. It could be the reason I have to go in to the salon every three weeks to keep up my pixie cut!
I liked your last statement about how eating healthy foods and not actively taking care of your hair is like paying for the gym and hoping to lose weight by sitting on the couch because in order to look our best we have to take care of both the inside and outside of ourselves.
Thank you for this informative article. I will try my hardest to incorporate more foods into my diet to help with the health of my hair. 🙂
Janet
Hi Danica, thanks for stopping by. It seems like you already are on the right path to healthy hair if you need a pixie cut that often 🙂 Most of these foods arent really hard to come by and i know you will get there. Look out for more articles on hair 😉
Anh-Tu
I’m glad that I landed on your page, that‘s such an informative article!
You’re absolutely right about “hair grows from inside out”. I’m going through a diet right now and I can confirm, that if you eat the mentioned food below, your hair will be healthier. Eating the right amount of iron will help to prevent hair loss too.
Thank you for sharing this post, I will put some mentioned food on my diet as well.
Janet
Hi Anh-Tu, thank you for stopping by and for the iron tip as well. It`s great to have a confirmation from a blog visitor like you who is practically doing a diet. I wish you all the best in your diet journey and i am glad that you found something here to incorporate in your diet.
Rhouzie Min Pendo
Thanks so much for this article, must put it in practice.
Janet
Hi Rhouzie, thank you for taking your time to read my article. I am glad you found some useful information.
Jesse Lee
Very interesting post!
I did not know that these foods are so great for healthy hair.
The charts you included here are particularly helpful.
I learned a lot from this post and will try to eat most of these foods consistently.
Thanks for all the new information!
Janet
Hi Jesse, thanks alot for the time you took to go through this article. I am glad that you found useful information. The foods are not only good for healthy hair but for your general health as well. Im glad you stopped by, watch out for more articles.
Joanne Ogunah
Such an informative piece..giving quite a wide range to choose from! For the most of these foods the method of cooking ( where applicable) determines essentially the nutrients that will be available for the hair.
The fruits are so on point except the raw avocado🙆♀️
Janet
Thanks Joanne for finding time and going through this article. Dont worry about the Avocado, you can eat the ripe one and dry the seed,cut it and blend into powder which you can use in smoothies and dips. The also has alot of valuable nutrients for your general health.