How Does a Diet Affect Hair and Nails?

The Unfortunate Truth

Glossy hair and strong nails are always desirable but so is achieving a healthy weight through dieting. Unfortunately, diets generally negatively affect hair and nails due to the severe food restrictions of the program.

Since hair and nails directly represent the overall health condition of the body, a diet with severe food restrictions and nutrient deficiencies consequently results in malnourished hair and nails. While it is possible to diet and maintain healthy hair and nails, most dieters choose a fad or crash diet to achieve quicker results instead of opting for slower weight loss through a balanced, nutrient-rich diet.

Maintaing Luscious Locks and Durable Nails

While supplements are available to promote healthy hair and nails, the most effective way to maintain brilliance and durability is through a well-balanced, nutrient-abundant eating regime. Most quick-fix diets leave your body with severe nutrient deficiencies and cause malnourished symptoms such as brittle nails and dull, limp hair. Some diets are so restrictive that they eventually cause hair loss due to the nutritional deficiencies.

In order to continue having healthy hair and nails throughout your diet, make sure you consume food or supplements with the following nutrients:
-vitamin A,
-vitamin C,
-vitamin E,
-biotin,
-inositol,
-niacin,
-vitamin B6, and
-vitamin B12.

A Healthy Diet for Hair, Nails and Weight

It may not be the quick-fix diet solution you are seeking, but eating a healthy, balanced diet consisting of a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables combined with lean protein will maintain your hair's shine, nails' sturdiness and slowly promote weight loss. Not only are you keeping your hair and nails nourished, you're providing them with optimal growth and health conditions. Plus, you're learning to abide by a healthy eating lifestyle as opposed to attempting another futile temporary diet.

You are What You Don't Eat

The health of your hair and nails directly reflects your overall health. In order to achieve healthy, glowing tresses and strong nails, it is important to consistently eat a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables and lean proteins. Any nutritional weaknesses, such as those caused by diets, in your body will be reflected through your hair and nails.

The nutritional deficiencies in most diets cause hair loss, brittleness, spoon-shaped nails, thinning, breaking and splitting. Experiencing any of the above, especially when on a diet, is a clear indication of malnourishment and nutritional deficiencies in your body. Healthy hair and nails are a natural adjunct to an overall healthy body; these symptoms, likely to occur with dieting, clearly indicate an overall health problem that needs addressed.

Typically, any diet that doesn't include a balanced combination of fruits, vegetables and lean protein is going to negatively affect your hair and nails. If you are interested in keeping those glossy tresses and beautiful nails, avoid diets that restrict nutrients. Remember: You are what you eat or, in this case, don't eat. Healthy eating equates to a healthy body, including hair and nails.