Health

 by: Jane Preeter

Revitalizing shampoos, hair-care products aside, great nutrition is by far the most effective way of getting great-looking hair! Like your body, your hair too needs a balanced, nutritious diet to stay healthy.

Water

One of the most important fluids you could ever have, water makes up one-fourth of the weight of a strand of hair. Moisture makes the hair supple; so ensure you get plenty of fluids. A key point is not to wait until you're thirsty. If you're thirsty, it means your body has already lost more water than it should have, and it's urging you to refill the tank! Water not only hydrates your body, but also helps keep your hair silky and shiny. Ideally, you should drink between eight and ten glasses of water a day.

Protein

Protein is the building block of hair, so a diet for healthy hair contains an awful lot of protein! Protein will give the shaft of your hair more strength, and will reduce the possibility of damage through snapping and splitting. You can get protein from foods like fish, meat, milk, cheese and cereals.

Minerals

In addition to water and proteins, minerals are equally important. Remember, your hair, like the rest of your body thrives on the natural resources.

• Iron helps to carry oxygen to the hair. Without enough iron, hair and its follicles get starved of oxygen. This means that the 'goodness' in the root of your hair is much less effective along the length of the strand. You can increase your iron intake by eating red meat and dark green vegetables, or by iron supplements.

• Zinc builds hair protein, which helps to prevent hair loss. Meat and seafood are the foods highest in zinc.

• Copper is involved in the pigmentation of hair. You can optimize your natural color with a diet with plenty of copper. Shellfish, liver, fresh vegetables, nuts, seeds and meat are all high in copper.

Vitamins

• Vitamin A will give you a healthy scalp, because it's great for the skin! You can get vitamin A from foods like vegetables-in particular, carrots.

• Vitamin B and C is important for good circulation, hair growth and hair color. If you ensure that you have enough vitamin B and C, you'll have strong, supple strands of hair that do not split. You can get these vitamins from eating foods like fruit, vegetables, cereals, eggs, milk and bread.

Just follow this good food guide to healthy and great looking hair. You could do without all the artificial chemicals.