We get most of the nutrients our body needs from the food we eat. So when your diet doesn’t include meat, it’s also missing out on certain nutrients that can be difficult or impossible to obtain from other sources. This can have a huge impact on how you feel on a day-to-day basis, affecting everything from energy levels to immunity. And according to Jessica Cho, MD, an integrative medicine physician and hair restoration specialist, not eating meat can also impact hair growth.
“Hair nutrients such as iron, biotin, vitamin D, vitamin B12, and selenium come primarily from meat, so it will be prudent to consider plant-based hair nutrients when not eating meat,” says Dr. . Cho. This could mean that your hair doesn’t grow as fast as it used to and can also lead to thinning and excessive hair loss.
If you don’t eat meat, Dr. Cho says, “Supplementing more nuts, seeds, beans, and lentils is helpful for incorporating important hair nutrients into your diet.” The idea that vegetarians and vegans cannot meet their daily nutrient requirements (especially for protein) is a common but harmful misconception in our society. It’s perfectly possible to get what you need, but it requires a bit more research and legwork on the backend.
If you want some help with hair health, Dr. Cho recommends leaning into supplements. A great option is the new Nutrafol Women’s Vegan ($79), which is made with vegan ingredients and also has additional nutrients to support those who don’t eat meat.
“Nutrafol didn’t just remove the non-vegan ingredients, but rather leveraged the latest studies and scientific advances to identify scientifically backed nutrient-rich extracts to naturally optimize the body to support its own collagen production and balance the root causes of thinning hair for plant-based diets,” says Briana Diorio, PhD, director of education at Nutrafol. “We removed the marine collagen and keratin and swapped them for Moldovan Dragon’s Head, a botanical shown to naturally support the body in its own collagen production, and Pea Sprouts, a clinically proven ingredient to enhance hair growth.” .
Also, the brand has optimized the formula for absorption.
“Absorption can sometimes be complex. Factors such as microbiome imbalances, damage to the intestinal lining, food allergies, anti-nutrients [Editors note: These are ingredients that decrease nutrient absorption], and low stomach acid can all impact overall digestion and nutrient absorption,” says Dr. Diorio. like our liposomal vitamin C and methyl B12, which are more easily recognized and utilized by the body.”
While Dr. Cho can’t speak to the effectiveness of this specific supplement, she does note that supplements can be a really reliable way to fill nutritional gaps in your diet. “Taking hair nutrients through supplements will serve you more reliable, consistent, more bioavailable and absorbable forms of hair nutrients than eating them through food, as much of the nutrients can be lost in the process of handling, cooking and storage some food,” says Dr. Cho.
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