Top 3 Foods to Reduce and Prevent Grey Hair
Grey hair looks gorgeous. Itโs a sign of wisdom. But the trouble is if greying happens early in life.
Research indicates that genetics play a big role in greying of hair. So does stress and poor nutrition. Yes, you canโt change your genes, but you can certainly affect them by living a healthy lifestyle.
So eating healthy will not just improve your overall health, it will also help preserve your hair color for many more year. Besides, certain foods are said to be more beneficial to prevent grey hair. Do you want to know which ones are the best? Here are top 3 foods to stop and prevent grey hair:
1. Fruits and Vegetables
We all know that fruits and vegetables are important for our health. But how do they help prevent greying?
Before that, letโs see what causes gray hairโฆ
What Causes Grey Hair:
New research suggests that it is not the loss of hair pigments that turns hair grey; it is the build-up of hydrogen peroxide in the hair follicles that literally bleaches the hair inside out.
Hydrogen peroxide is naturally produced in our bodies as a by-product of regular metabolism. It is also formed as a result of exposure to X-rays, second-hand smoke, stress, and pollution.
Besides, a high concentration of hydrogen peroxide can cause signs of aging such as: wrinkles, arthritis, brain degeneration, and heart disease.
So how do you fight hydrogen peroxide? By eating more antioxidants.
Fruits and vegetables are packed with antioxidants, which have the power to slow the aging process and keep you and your hair healthy and beautiful.
What to eat: You donโt have to eat exotic, expensive fruit and vegetables. Just eat more local and seasonal produce. This is because the seasonal and local food is fresher and so tends to be tastier and more nutritious. Plus, youย also support your local farmers.
2. Almonds
Almonds are super amazing to prevent grey hair.
We saw above how hydrogen peroxide turns hair grey. Eating antioxidant rich foods is one way to get rid of hydrogen peroxide.
Besides our bodies are also well equipped to convert this nasty hydrogen peroxide intoย harmless oxygen and water. And it does this with the help of anย enzyme called catalase โย whichย is a powerful antioxidant.
But as we get older, our bodies make less catalase. As a result, peroxide builds up, leaving us with ever-increasing amounts of grey hair.ย Even factors such as stress and poor diet can cause catalase levels to go down.
The good news is almonds can help increase catalase levels in our body. So this nutty treat can prevent your hair from greying for a long time.
Rich in vitamin E, almonds are great for your skin too.
How to take almonds in your diet: I soak almonds overnight in water and eat them in the morning with breakfast. You can also eat them dry, as a snack, but soaking process enhances nutrient content and also makes it more alkaline and easy to digest.
Buying tip:ย I prefer buying rawย organic almondsย because they contain maximum nutrients.
3. Amla
In traditional Indian medicine, amla is considered as one of the best rejuvenative herbs. It is excellent for preventing hair greying โ in Ayurvedic terms, a classic sign of excess pitta dosha (excess body heat).
Amla is cooling and helps reduce pitta dosha. Plus it contains tons of vitamin C, antioxidants, and other amazing nutrients โย whichย help to slow hair loss and greying, as well as delay other signs of ageing.
When used as a hair rinse, amla conditions hair, adds shine and increases volume and thickness of your hair. Regular use of this rinse is also said to darken your hair naturally.
You may also enjoyย Amla: the superfood for hair
Things to avoid if you want to preserve your hairโs health and colour
- Smoking โ reduces circulation of the scalp, and generates free radicals
- Too much Caffeine โ makes body acidic, which is not good for our cells, including hair cells
- Packaged foods and drinks โ contains little nutrients
- Excess sugar โ depletes body of vital nutrients
- Use of synthetic dyes โ can permanently damage the hair follicles
And in the end, I just want to say to you that you donโt have to hide your grey hair. If you think itโs a part of growing old, just embrace it gracefully and you will look beautiful. Because You are beautiful!
If you look closely at a tree youโll notice itโs knots and dead branches, just like our bodies. What we learn is that beauty and imperfection go together wonderfully.
~ Matthew Fox
You may also like:ย
15 Home Remedies for Grey Hair
How to Use Henna to Colour Your Hair (Ditch Hair Dyes)ย
Homemade Amla Hair Oil to Prevent Greying
Rosemary Hair Rinse to Darken Grey Hairย
How to Use Sage Tea to Dye Grey Hairย
What Causes Grey Hair and How to Reduce It
References:
Feed Your Face: The 28-day plan for younger, smoother skin and a beautiful body โ by Dr Jessica Wu
500 Of The Most Important Health Tip Youโll Ever Needโ by
The Complete Book of Ayurvedic Home Remedies โ by Dr Vasant Lad
