How to Prevent Hair Loss In a Low Carb Diet

How can low carb affect your hair?

• Fewer nutrients. By limiting your intake of carbohydrates, including some higher carb fruits and vegetables, you may be reducing the variety of nutrients your body typically needs for healthy hair. This could cause you to lose more hair than normal, or for your hair growth to slow down.
  

  Biotin

  Foods that are good sources of biotin and that fit well into a low carb diet include:

  • egg yolks
  • organ meats, like liver and kidneys
  • nuts, including almonds, walnuts, and peanuts
  • cauliflower
  • mushrooms

  Biotin is also available as a supplement. Experts recommend people get 30 micrograms (mcg) of biotin a day, which is typically the amount in one biotin capsule.

  Vitamin C

  Although citrus fruits and berries are the most widely known sources of vitamin C, the following foods are also excellent sources and easy to include in a low carb diet:

  • yellow peppers
  • kale
  • mustard spinach
  • Brussels sprouts
  • parsley
  • thyme
    

    Vitamin A

     

    • hair loss
    • visual disturbances
    • bone and joint pain
    • nausea and vomiting
    • poor appetite
    • headaches

    The RDA for vitamin A is 900 mcg per day for men and 700 mcg per day for women. You can easily reach this by eating foods that are common on a low carb diet.

    Avoid taking a multivitamin that contains vitamin A if you’re on a low carb diet, as you’re likely getting all you need from the foods you eat.

    Vitamin D

     

    low carb -friendly food sources of vitamin D include:

    • fatty fish, like salmon, herring, and sardines
    • tuna
    • oysters
    • egg yolk
    • mushrooms

     

    Vitamin E

    Vitamin E is another antioxidant, like vitamin C, that promotes the healthy growth of cells and hair.

    To ensure you’re getting healthy amounts of vitamin E each day, try to include the following foods in your low carb diet:

    • sunflower seeds
    • almonds
    • hazelnuts
    • peanuts
    • avocados
    • spinach
    • tomatoes
      

      Protein

      • seitan
      • soybean products like tofu, edamame, and tempeh
      • nuts and nut butters
      • chia seeds
      • vegetables like broccoli, spinach, asparagus, and Brussels sprouts
      • green peas

      Iron

      Low levels of iron are associated with dry, damaged hair as well as many health problems, including:

      • fatigue
      • shortness of breath
      • headaches