You may achieve the shiny locks and dazzling nails you desire without the help of a professional. (Also, why pay a lot of money for them when you can have them for free?) Although the strength and thickness of hair and nails are mostly inherited traits, the food you consume (or don’t get enough of) can have just as much of an impact on your hair and fingers as a pricey spa treatment.

These well-groomed bodily parts are composed of keratin, a fibrous protein that, with the correct nutrients, will gradually get stronger and healthier. Basically, the first step toward maintaining tough hair and nails is what you put in your grocery cart.

Tangerines

These little fruits are incredibly potent in vitamin C, which means they’ll support the health and length of your mane. The body cannot naturally create vitamin C, so the best way to get your fix and strengthen your hair is to eat foods high in nutrient, like tangerines. Vitamin C is essential for the growth and development of hair as well as other body parts. What else? When the dietary iron from foods like spinach and tangerines’ vitamin C work together, your body can absorb the iron much more efficiently, which will make your mane even harder. Tangerines also contain vitamin B12, which has been shown to increase hair development, lessen hair loss, and delay greying.

Mushrooms

On your upcoming night out, consume some mushrooms! Fungi are a good source of vitamin D and help strengthen and shine your hair. The vitamin can assist in the development of new hair follicles, which are tiny pores that allow for the growth of new hair, according to a study that was published in the journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine. In turn, this can increase your hair’s thickness or lessen the amount of hair you lose as you age.

Large Fish

Eating fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, and tuna, which also happen to be stuffed with super-star omega-3 fatty acids, is another way to increase your intake of vitamin D, which stimulates follicles. According to a study published in The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, vitamin D may also aid in reawakening latent hair follicles. In other words, there is evidence that the vitamin may prevent bald spots and even hair thinning. Still not persuaded that eating fish is worthwhile? 

Four Wheat Germ Oil

One tablespoon of wheat germ oil includes a remarkable 20.2 milligrammes of vitamin E, which has long been praised for its capacity to enhance the health of both your hair and skin. This amounts to 101 percent of the daily required requirement. Because it includes strong antioxidants called tocotrienols, which support a healthier scalp, vitamin E is said to be able to work its magic on your mane. Want proof? In a 2010 study published in the journal Tropical Life Sciences Research, researchers discovered that utilising tocotrienol supplements enhanced the health of persons with alopecia’s hair and also assisted in preventing hair loss.

Spinach 

Eating the rich green vegetable regularly is a terrific approach to strengthen your hair because it is full of elements that are good for your hair, such iron and vitamin E. According to physicians , low iron levels are a factor in hair loss, so increasing your intake of spinach is a fantastic method to prevent hair loss and maintain thick, lustrous hair, especially as you age.

Oysters

If you notice that your hair is thinning or entirely falling out, it may be because your diet is deficient in zinc. Thankfully, studies have shown that eating more of the vital nutrient will stop hair loss caused by zinc deficiency. In a study published in the journal Dermatologic Therapy, researchers found that after giving zinc supplements to five patients with alopecia due to zinc deficiency, all of the patients’ hair loss was either resolved or significantly improved. Consuming a lot of oysters is one way to increase your zinc intake. You can get double your daily value (DV) of zinc with just six of the shelled seafood, which is 30 milligrammes!

Walnuts

Insufficient amounts of the polyunsaturated essential fatty acids linoleic acid (an omega-6 fatty acid) and alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid) can result in hair changes like loss of scalp hair and eyebrows as well as hair lightening, according to a review article that was published in the journal Dermatology Practical & Conceptual. Eat foods high in linolenic and alpha-linolenic acids, such as walnuts, to stop any of that from happening to you or your hair.

Nuts of Brazil

Selenium, a crucial trace element that aids in oxidative damage prevention and hair follicle development, is another nutrient necessary for strong, healthy strands. According to a study published in the journal Endocrinology, selenium-deficient rats had poor hair growth. Similar findings were made by another study that was published in the journal PLoS One, which discovered that mice lacking particular selenoproteins experienced gradual hair loss after birth. Consume selenium-rich foods, such as Brazil nuts, to keep your own hair strong and abundant. Unbelievably, seven nuts will provide you with more selenium than the DV.