Even if you already have lovely, healthy tresses, eating more dairy can help make your hair look shiny and strong. Dairy, particularly yogurt, has a high amount of protein, which is one of the best foods for hair growth.
The Protein Connection
Hair is primarily made up of protein. When your diet does not contain enough protein, your body goes into survival mode and diverts protein to maintaining organs. When you increase your protein intake, your body responds by sending protein back to building healthy hair and nails.
The Centers for Disease control recommends that toddlers eat a minimum of 13 grams of protein daily. As a child grows older, their need for protein increases significantly, with teenagers needing at least 52 grams daily. Adults should eat at least 56 grams of protein every day. If you are not eating your recommended daily amounts of protein, your hair may be suffering. You can remedy this by eating foods like yogurt and cottage cheese, which are very high in protein.
Get on the Greek Bandwagon
When you are buying yogurt, it is important to read labels. Not all yogurt is created equal and if you are looking for high protein content, Greek yogurt is your best bet. Greek yogurt commonly has 20 grams of protein in each serving. Compare this to other types of yogurt, which may only have eight to nine grams of protein, have more calories and be full of artificial sugars and lactose substitutes.
If you already eat a diet high in protein, you may not see any dramatic improvements in your hair, but you’ll still be getting the digestive benefits of eating yogurt. Along with eating a healthy diet of whole foods and grains, you can improve the health of your hair with regular invigorating scalp massages and regular trims to avoid split ends.
– The Alternative Daily