Foods to Put Hair on Your Head

For some men, the cure for baldness is like the search for the fountain of youth. There's no perfect solution to the gradual hair loss that many men experience, yet that doesn't stop us from searching for it.

Yet hair loss might be related to one thing we do every day: eat. There's no diet that can cure baldness, tweaking your diet could play a positive role in slowing hair loss. Although conclusive studies on this issue are hard to come by, one research review published in the journal Bariatric Times found that deficiencies of essential fatty acids, iron, and zinc, among other nutrients, may contribute to hair loss in patients who receive their nutrition through a feeding tube. Plus, eating a diet rich in these nutrients can improve your health in other ways:

Red Meat and Liver

When it comes to preventing hair loss through diet, David Perlmutter, MD, a board-certified neurologist and fellow of the American College of Nutrition, says that two of the most critical nutritional components are iron and protein. "Iron-rich foods are critical for maintaining healthy hair," he says. And you're not going to find a better source of both nutrients to halt baldness than red meat and organ meat, specifically liver. Along these lines, many patients begin to experience hair loss after undergoing bariatric surgery for weight loss, a Brazilian study published in 2010 noted. The researchers concluded that this was related to nutritional deficiencies, including deficiencies of protein and iron.

Almonds and Other Nuts

Almonds and other nuts are rich in healthy essential fatty acids and protein, as well as two other components that help them act as a food remedy for baldness when part of your daily diet, says Koya Webb, a certified personal trainer and holistic nutritionist. "Nuts have vitamin B6, which can help promote healthy hair growth," she says. "Almonds also have vitamin E, which increases blood flow and can help stimulate the scalp and promote hair growth." Add this to the heart-health benefits of nuts, and they should become key to your anti-hair-loss diet arsenal.

Richly Colored Berries

Webb includes richly pigmented berries, such as blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries, in her suggested diet for fighting off hair loss. These nutritional powerhouses are known for their ample supply of vitamin C, and their rich stores of other antioxidants and phytonutrients. "Eating antioxidant-rich foods reduce the symptoms of baldness," she says.

Dark Leafy Greens

With all the spinach in his diet, it's a surprise that Popeye didn't have a full head of hair. As a food remedy for challenging baldness, Dr. Perlmutter says spinach is one of the best plant sources of iron that you can add to your diet. Spinach also has some vitamin C, vitamin E, and zinc, which further help its cause as a hair loss fighter.

Citrus Fruits and Bell Peppers

"Another nutrient to maintain healthy hair is vitamin C, found in citrus fruits and green bell peppers," says Perlmutter, who recommends putting these food remedies on your daily hair-loss-preventing diet. Remember that strawberries are a good source of vitamin C as well, and that surprisingly, a serving of red bell pepper packs more vitamin C than an orange.

Green Tea

Hydration is critical to any diet to prevent a number of health ailments. But Perlmutter says there is something unique about green tea's makeup that gives it an extra edge in fighting hair loss. "Male pattern balding is thought to represent a consequence of testosterone," he says. "But it seems that the best idea is not to try to lower testosterone but to try to reduce the activity of the enzyme that activates testosterone into its more potent form, dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. It is actually DHT that most relates to baldness in men. So foods that reduce the enzyme that converts testosterone to DHT, like green tea, may have a role in reducing baldness." Although not conclusive, a recent study published in the journal Experimental Dermatologydid find that giving mice one of the active components of green tea (epigallocatechin-3-gallate, or EGCG) not only prevented hair loss in those mice, but also actually promoted the growth of new hair.