Best Nutrients and Foods for Healthy Hair, Skin, and Nails

Improving the health of your hair, skin, and nails starts from the inside out.

If your hair, skin, and nails aren’t looking their best, your body may be lacking certain nutrients, vitamins, and minerals it requires.

But that doesn’t mean you need an expensive visit to a the salon. You might just need to take a trip to your own kitchen!

Including nutritious foods in your diet is a great way to get a healthy head of hair, glowing skin, and strong nails.

Keratin - the Super Protein

The key structural make up of our hair, skin, and nails is a protein called keratin. In our skin’s outer layer, keratin helps create a protective barrier to protect it from damage. Because hair, skin, and nails are made of similar cells, you can benefit each of them by making sure you include certain foods in your diet.

Because our hair, skin, and nails are made of similar cells, you can benefit each of them by making sure you include certain foods in your diet. 

12 Best Foods for Healthier Hair, Skin, and Nails

Eggs:

Eggs are a good source of protein, zinc, and biotin. Because hair is mostly made of protein, including eggs in your diet means your hair and skin are getting the protein it needs.

Lean meat:

Lean meats such as chicken or turkey are a healthy source of muscle-building protein. Red meat is also rich in iron, which benefits hair and nail health.

Fatty fish:

Fish like tuna, mackerel, salmon, and herring contain vitamins B, D, E, and omega-3 fatty acids. Omega 3’s can reduce inflammation and make your skin less sensitive to UV rays from the sun. They are also a good source of protein.

Leafy greens:

Dark, leafy green vegetables like spinach, broccoli, kale, and collard greens contain vitamin A, C, and iron.

Orange root vegetables:

Sweet potatoes are loaded with beta-carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A. Carrots, pumpkins, and winter squash are also high in vitamin A.

Bell peppers

Sweet bell peppers are high in both vitamin C and vitamin A. Did you know that a red bell pepper contains more vitamin C than an orange?

Fruit

Fruit has a lot of healthy vitamins and nutrients, but fruits like berries, kiwifruit, guava, pineapple, oranges, and papaya contain high amounts of vitamin C.

Avocados

 

Avocados are a great source of vitamin C and E. They’re also high in omega-3 fatty acids, which play an important role in keeping your skin looking healthy.

Nuts and seeds

Nuts and seeds provide vitamin E, zinc, and healthy fats. Almonds are rich in vitamin E and biotin. Walnuts are rich in healthy fats that benefit your hair, skin, and nails.

Sunflower seeds have high levels of vitamin E. Pumpkin seeds have high amounts of iron, biotin, omega-6 fats, and protein.

Shellfish

Shellfish like oysters in zinc. Shrimp is a good source of protein, iron, and vitamin D.

Oatmeal

Oats are full of protein, biotin, and other nutrients like magnesium and potassium.

Water and Teas

Drinking the recommended eight glasses of water per day is important for all cells in your body, especially skin and hair cells. Water helps keep your hair and skin hydrated and flushes out unwanted toxins.

Some teas have flavonoids, which may promote skin health by protecting against UV damage and improving skin hydration and condition.

How GOLO can Help with Hair, Skin, and Nail Health

If you’re looking for ways to improve the health of your hair, skin, and nails, it’s best to start from the inside out. A diet rich and protein, nutrients, and minerals from whole foods is what the GOLO for Life Plan is all about.

When you combine a healthy diet that focuses on whole foods with Release, GOLO’s all-natural, plant-based supplement, you’ll provide your body with the nutrients it needs for better hair, skin, and nail health.

 

Sources:

Information for this article was collected by the health and wellness experts at GOLO using the following sources:

Harvard Health - Biotin / Vitamin B7

Medline Plus.gov

National Library of Medicine - Brittle nails

Harvard Health - Vitamin C

National Library of Medicine - Vitamin D

Oregon State University 

National Library of Medicine - The Role of Vitamins and Minerals in Hair Loss

National Library of Medicine - Link Between Nutrition and Skin Aging