Minerals for Hair Care and Hair Growth

Your body needs minerals for a variety of reasons, including supporting your immune system, helping with cell development, building bones and maintaining healthy, strong hair. The average person loses about 50 to 100 hairs a day, but with a lack of minerals such as zinc and iron, you may end up losing a lot more than that.

Sulfur
Sulfur is an important mineral for human health. It may also help to regrow hair. You need sulfur for hair growth because your hair is naturally rich in this mineral. Often called the “beauty mineral,” sulfur can stimulate circulation and provide nutrients for not only your hair, but your nails and skin as well. According to HealWithFood.org, sulfur also works to help you metabolize B vitamins, including B-1, B-5 and B-7, all of which are important for healthy hair. Dry or weak hair or hair loss may be a result of a lack of sulfur. Be sure to eat foods such as nuts and vegetables, as well as meat and fish, to include sulfur in your diet.

Zinc
Getting just enough zinc is significant for healthy hair, as too little can result in hair loss and too much may prevent the absorption of other minerals. The 2009 US Food and Drug Administration’s DV, or daily value, is 15mg of zinc for a 2,000-calorie diet daily for children over the age of 4 and for adults. Zinc aids in hair growth by helping to secrete oil in the scalp, which in turn decreases dandruff or dry skin that could otherwise cause hair loss. Baldness-Cure.org explains that zinc is also needed for hair growth because it’s a crucial nutrient that allows signals to pass from one cell to another, including the signal that orders hair follicles to begin and to continue growing. Beans, beef and nuts like almonds and cashews contain zinc.

Iodine
Iodine is another crucial mineral for hair health. By supporting healthy thyroid glands, it supports healthy hair. One main job of your thyroid glands is to control the way your body’s cells metabolize nutrients. This ties in with your hair, because if you don’t get enough iodine, your thyroid glands will not properly operate. Then, metabolism in your cells will be hindered, which in turn slows down cell growth in tissues, including in your epithelial tissues, or hair follicles, which produce hair. The FDA’s recommendation for daily iodine is 150 µg or micrograms. You can find this mineral in foods such as seafood and eggs.

Iron
BBC Health lists iron deficiency anemia as one primary reason for baldness. KidsHealth.org explains that iron produces hemoglobin, a protein within red blood cells that carries and transports oxygen to cells around the body. A reduced amount of iron means a reduced amount of hemoglobin and red blood cells, which in turn decreases oxygen for the body and cells. This negatively affects proper functioning of tissues and cells, including your epithelial tissues. Meat and leafy greens such as spinach and kale contain iron. The FDA advises an intake of 18 mg daily.