Maintaining a healthy diet, though obvious, is the most important factor in ensuring the growth of a protein on any part of your body. Many factors have been found to contribute to loss of hair, which notably must be there for the human body to be termed as biologically complete. Since the human body is a system, if any part is dysfunctional, it will affect other parts which will also become dysfunctional; as there will be a series of chain reactions which lead to other parts, though not dysfunctional, being affected and ultimately become like the rest. Optimum health is best maintained via intake of a healthy diet and exercising regularly.

In order to stay optimally healthy, it is important to incorporate good diet and exercise practices as a normal part of life. This is simple enough in principle, however, when looking at preventing hair loss, defining exactly what needs to be done from a diet perspective to minimise hair loss can be a little tricky. The main vitamins and minerals which are known to be ideal for the maintenance of a healthy head of hair include vitamin A, all of the B vitamins (especially vitamin B6 and B12), folate, also known as folic acid, vitamins C and E, biotin, essential fatty acids omega 3 and omega 6 (once known as vitamin F), silica, protein, iron, copper, zinc and iodine. Finally, it is essential to stay well hydrated with water. It is thought that there may be some foods which actually contribute to hair loss by causing certain metabolic disturbances.

The most sensible way to maintain the vitamin and mineral levels required to keep a healthy head of hair is to sustain a well balanced diet. Taking excessive over the counter vitamin supplements in order to substitute for a good diet is not advised. There are a number of pharmacy bought vitamin supplements which are chemically processed in such a way that it makes it difficult for the body to process the vitamins adequately. It is also too easy to overdose with pharmacy bought vitamin supplements, leading to bad reactions and potential toxicity; especially the fat soluble vitamins. It is near impossible to overdose on vitamins obtained from good foods rich in vitamins, therefore it is advisable to get the majority of your vitamin requirements from your diet.

Vitamin A is a key component to developing healthy cells and tissues in the body, including hair. Additionally it works with silica and zinc to prevent drying and clogging of the sebaceous glands, the glands vital to producing sebum, which is an important lubricant for the hair follicle. Vitamin A deficiencies commonly cause thickening of the scalp, dry hair, and dandruff.

Vitamin A is inhibited by a number of things including: drugs that lower cholesterol, aspirin, smoking, laxatives, very bright light, and pollution in air. Foods rich in Vitamin A include: green leafy vegetables, eggs, liver, oil from fish,and fortified milk, as well as vegetables that are red, yellow or orange. A lot of care should be taken while taking Vitamin A supplements ; it is fat-soluble, thus is stored in your body, which makes it very easy to overdose. If overdosed, Vitamin A leads to very dry skin, and inflammation of the hair follicles, which can lead to hair loss. It is advisable to consult your nutritionist before embarking on the journey of taking Vitamin A supplements. The importance of a good whole food diet in providing nutrients vital for preventing loss of hair cannot be overemphasized, by all means.