While investing in great products like volume-boosting shampoos, ultra-hydrating conditioners, and stimulating scalp treatments can certainly help your improve the health of your hair, it’s important to remember that beauty starts from the inside out. In other words, what we eat plays a major role in the appearance of our skin and hair. Providing your body with the right nutrients is one of the most important steps in combatting thinning hair and promoting thickness and shine—and luckily, there are some seriously tasty ways to do that, including eating one delicious fish: salmon.
In order to learn more about the beautifying benefits of salmon and why it can be such a great addition to your diet if you’re trying to boost hair volume and shine over 40, we spoke to experts Lisa Richards, nutritionist and creator of The Candida Diet, and Ghanima Abdullah, hair expert from The Right Hairstyles. Find all of their great insight and advice below!
How Salmon Can Promote Hair Health
Richards says that the health of our hair depends heavily on this nutrients we get from our diet—and this is especially true as we age, since, as she points out, "as we grow older it can be more difficult to keep our hair strong as our nutrient needs and intake change." Luckily, there are tons of foods out there that are packed with tons of nutrients your hair loves, including salmon.
"Salmon is loaded with essential nutrients known to prevent and even reverse hair loss," Richards notes, citing biotin, b12, protein, zinc, and omega-6 as just a few. She says each of these are "vital to the hair growth process," and points out that "biotin, in particular, is connected with reversing as well as slowing hair loss." Perfect!
Abdullah stresses the value of the omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon, adding that their anti-inflammatory properties can do wonders for your hair. "Inflammation in the scalp, in particular, impedes the scalp from growing healthy hair and maintaining it," she explains. Additionally, she says, "Your hair might become dull if you don't have enough of this nutrient." Luckily, when you eat fatty fish like salmon regularly, the omega-3s can lead to shiny hair.
There's another helpful nutrient in this fish, as well: Vitamin D. "A serving of salmon also contains up to 70% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin D," Abdullah says, noting that "vitamin D deficiencies can lead to hair loss."
The Best Way To Prepare Salmon For Healthy Hair
So, what's the best way to prepare some tasty salmon in order to assure you're reaping all of these fantastic beauty benefits? Don't skip the skin! "It's a good idea to cook and consume the fish with the skin, as most of its omega-3 content is in the skin," Abdullah explains.
Additionally, you may want to prioritize wild-caught salmon over the farm raised variety. This is because "farm-raised salmon can be contaminated with a variety of pollutants that lower the nutritional value." Wild-caught salmon, however, "is a nutrient powerhouse," thanks to the fact that it's packed with B-group vitamins, zinc, and phosphorus—all of which will help your hair thrive.
When cooking with wild-caught salmon, Abdullah has some surprising advice: "You can crush the bones to eat them with the flesh, as the vitamin D content of salmon lies within the bones." Who knew?!
If you follow all of Abdullah's advice and eat this delicious fish regularly, you'll be well on your way to your thickest, shiniest hair yet—all while enjoying a number of fantastic meals. It's a win-win!
