Last week I wrote a post about hair vitamins and how you can eat you way to healthier hair. Vitamins are essential for your health and beauty, but choosing the right ones can feel like a task that requires a degree.
Like I mentioned last week, your hair can tell a lot about your health in general as the two are closely connected and both dependent on vitamins and minerals. Though there are many vitamins and minerals that are crucial for your body, one commonly stands out when it comes to the health of your hair and skin: the vitamin B.
Therefore, I have taken a closer look at what vitamin B can do for you – read along to find out.
VITAMIN B HELPS YOUR HAIR, SKIN AND NAILS GROW EFFORTLESSLY
If you want shiny, bouncy and fast-growing hair (and who doesn’t want that, really?), a good multivitamin with active B complex is ideal. The ‘active’ part is important because the B vitamin should have a methyl group attached that will make sure we absorb it properly.
Naturally, hair growth is not everything (at least not to us). True, natural beauty is doubtlessly connected to your general health and the way you feel and live. For this reason, below I include different vitamins that can all affect the general health of your body – and hereby also your hair. The vitamin B ‘family’ encompasses different types of B’s that have different functions:
Biotin:
Biotin is the #1 vitamin for hair growth and the one that is promoted the most. It is a B complex vitamin that helps produce keratin – a key component for healthy hair. Biotin promotes healthy hair by increasing the hair’s elasticity and protects the hair against dryness. Natural sources for biotin are brown rice, bulgur, green peas, aloe, basil and so on.
B12:
Vitamin B12 is one of the vitamins found in vitamin B complex. Active B12 is good source for energy coming from the core as it is required to convert food into fuel for your body. Generally, vitamin B12 provides nourishment to all the cells in your body, including the hair follicles. Additionally, B12 also stimulates hair growth. You can get B12 from meat, egg, fish, cheese and milk.
B3:
As stated in last week’s blog post, sleep is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle, and thus, of a healthy body. Certain deficiencies in vitamins can interrupt your sleep, and this is the case with vitamin B3. This vitamin is mainly known for its contributions to healthy and nourished skin. However, as it boosts circulation in skin, it may contribute to the health of your scalp, and hereby the health and growth of your hair. Some sources for vitamin B3 are beets, fat fish, sunflower seeds and peanuts.
B1:
Vitamin B1 is also known as thiamine and is commonly found in shampoos and conditioners. Like the other B’s, vitamin B1 is easier for your body to absorb when included in a vitamin B complex. If you aim for beautiful, shiny, bold locks, thiamine is a vitamin you will want to make sure you get plenty of. B1 contributes to the growth, strength and volume of your hair – plus, plus and plus! If you want to include vitamin B1 in your diet, you should eat more beans, peas, oat and barley.
B6:
Vitamin B6 is an essential nutrient that helps your body produce hormones, antibodies, and other important components. Furthermore, it is also essential for breaking down proteins to supply them to your body system. Since hair is largely made of protein, you need a diet rich in protein to secure healthy hair, skin and nails. Ways to get plenty of protein are for example through poultry, fish, potatoes, avocado and banana.
Note: All the B vitamins work better if they are taken complementary. Vitamin B cannot be restored by the body, wherefore they should be consumed through your diet on a regular basis. If you’re in doubt whether you get enough of these vitamins, it can be a good idea to talk to a specialist. Otherwise, just make sure you get enough of the foods mentioned above.
DON’T FORGET THE OTHER VITAMINS!
Although this post is mainly focused on vitamin B, there are other vitamins and minerals that are essential for you and your hair as well, such as:
- Magnesium
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E
- Zinc
- Folic and fatty acids
You can read more about some of them in my post Hair Vitamins – Eat Your Way to Healthy Hair.
Love
Michelle, The Hair Log