A certain amount of hair loss is standard – we shed around 50 to 100 hairs naturally throughout the day. However, excessive hair loss can be upsetting and even embarrassing to those who experience it.
Two-thirds of men will be affected by male pattern baldness in their lifetime, while 40 percent of women over 70 experience hair loss.
Although some people may be more genetically predisposed to lose hair, there are certain factors that can both prevent and cause shedding.
Diet is one such factor. An expert took to social media platform TikTok to reveal certain foods you can eat to help reduce and even possibly prevent hair loss.
Speaking to her followers, health and wellness coach Sarah Gibson, shared six foods to eat more of if you are concerned about hair loss.
“Here are six foods to help you out if you’re struggling with hair loss,” she said.
These foods are:
- Avocados
- Tomatoes
- Carrots
- Peanuts
- Almonds
- Molasses.
Avocados
A popular toast or salad topping, avocados are not just delicious.
Sarah said: “The first food is avocados because it contains L-lysine, which helps prevent hair loss in the first place.”
Tomatoes
Also known to be beneficial for the skin, Sarah recommended adding tomatoes to your meals.
“The second food is tomatoes because tomatoes contain iron, which is a key element in helping prevent hair loss,” she said.
“And it also contains vitamin A which is an essential vitamin for building healthy hair in the first place.”
Carrots
Actually, this applies to any orange-coloured vegetable.
Sarah explained: “Be sure to include orange vegetables, specifically carrots because they contain beta carotene.
“Within the body beta carotene is converted to vitamin A. And as we just said, vitamin A is essential for building healthy hair.
“It also helps with glowing skin and health of your nails.”
Peanuts
Sarah continued: “Be sure to add some peanuts into your diet because peanuts contain niacin, which is vitamin B3, and a deficiency of vitamin B3 has actually been shown to lead to hair loss.”
Almonds
As well as peanuts, Sarah advised snacking on almonds regularly.
“Don’t forget to add almonds into your diet because almonds contain the antioxidant vitamin E,” she said.
“Now, vitamin E has been shown to promote excellent hair growth and it also prevents thinning, even if you have the diagnosis of alopecia.”
Molasses
She added: “Lastly, try adding some molasses because molasses are high in calcium, zinc, selenium and iron, all which are essential in minerals and building blocks for good hair health.”