There’s no shortage of food supplements for healthy skin and hair for sale in the market, and there is a reason why the market is packed full with such food supplements. Common supplements include minerals, vitamins, and herbal products (botanicals). People consume these supplements to ensure that they are getting enough essential nutrients to maintain or improve their health.
The primary source of vitamins is food, but it would interest you to know that foods alone cannot provide the human body with all of its required daily dose of vitamins, hence the need to supplement these vitamins.
In this article, we explore 5 vitamins that are great for maintaining healthy hair and skin.
OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS
This vitamin helps to regulate oil production and helps keep your skin moist. What's more, it delays the skin’s ageing process and prevents the early onset of wrinkles. A 2005 research found that EPA, a type of omega-3, stops the release of ultraviolet-induced enzymes that break down the skin’s collagen, thus reducing lines and sagging skin.
Want to know one more thing omega-3 fatty acid is good for? Your hair! It helps your hair retain its shine and keeps it from drying out, while keeping your scalp from flaking.
The recommended dose of omega-3 fatty acid is 600 mg per day. If you are not a huge fish lover but still want to get all the hair and skin benefits of omega 3, it won’t be a bad idea to turn to food supplements.
VITAMIN C
Did you know that vitamin C is considered a hair growth vitamin in medical circles? Well, now you do! It improves hair growth, stops hair loss, encourages thicker hair growth, and helps fight dandruff.
A 2013 study reported that participants recorded less dryness and brighter, tighter skin four months after taking a combination of vitamin C and E supplements daily.
The great news is that vitamin C can be found in many beloved fruits, including oranges, apples, guavas, pineapple, strawberries, and mangoes, and in vegetables such as broccoli and kale. You can also use vitamin C supplements to support your food intake. Women should aim for 75 mg of vitamin C daily, while men should aim for 90 mg.
VITAMIN E
Like vitamin C, vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that helps the skin fight free-radical damage that leads to fine lines. The best way to add vitamin E to your diet is to eat vitamin E-rich foods like avocado, olive oil, and wheat germ. Where it is not possible to consume as much Vitamin E as your daily recommended intake, you can make do with supplements.
BIOTIN
The prescribed daily intake of biotin is 35 mg a day, and taking biotin supplements is a great way to ensure that you are indeed incorporating this much-needed vitamin into your daily diet.
IRON
If you want glowing, healthy skin and healthy, lustrous hair, iron is the answer. Naturally found in foods such as cashews, spinach, and oysters, iron (considered a mineral) makes the skin glow. Without iron, nails become brittle and break very easily, and hair becomes dry, thin, and dull.
It is, however, important to note that doctors typically recommend iron supplements only to those with iron deficiency, as too much iron in the body can cause free-radical damage to skin structures.
WHAT SUPPLEMENTS DO
Whether your supplement comes in liquid, powder, or pill form, the goal of dietary supplements is the same: to supplement your diet so that you are getting enough nutrients.
While each vitamin supplement can be purchased as a standalone supplement, the most popular ones come in a multivitamin form, which is helpful as it allows you to avoid taking a dozen pills each day.
If your goal is healthy hair and skin, we recommend purchasing a food supplement that contains all or most of the vitamins we have highlighted above (Vitamin C, Vitamin B, iron, biotin, and omega-3 fatty acid) and then some more.
However, it is also important to note that supplements can pose risks if you have certain medical conditions, such as liver disease, and can interact with other medications you’re taking. As such, it is best to discuss your intention to take food supplements with your primary physician before doing so.
At the end of the day, our hope is that you are as healthy as can be, with glowing skin and healthy hair to match. See you on the other side of beautiful.
SUPPLEMENTS FOR STRONG HAIR AND NAILS
Formulated with 100% of natural origin ingredients, these food supplements boost hair and nail growth while maintaining moisture and strength to the hair. Their complex rich in vitamins and minerals rebalance the scalp and protect the lengths.