Dealing with unexpected grey hair can be confusing. Yes, it’s a natural part of the ageing process (and there are so many chic ways to let it grow out, it can even be a welcome change), but when you’re nowhere near where you thought you would be for that type of hair transformation, it can be a bit jarring. So what gives?
There are many factors that play into our hair greying prematurely. Family history, free radicals in the body, and oxidative stress are just some of the most common ones, says Morgan Rabach, MD, board-certified dermatologist at LM Medical NYC. One that doesn’t get talked about enough is how food—or lack of certain ones—can impact when those grey strands will appear on your head.
“Vitamin deficiencies can contribute to premature grey hair by interfering with melanin production and causing oxidative stress within the hair follicles,” adds Samantha Dieras, RN, DCN, director of ambulatory nutrition services at Mount Sinai Hospital. “The melanocytes (pigment-producing cells) may become damaged or dysfunctional in the absence of these nutrients, leading to loss of colour.”
Disclaimer: eating or not eating certain foods isn’t the end-all, be-all to losing your natural colour. Dieras goes on to say that while studies have shown that it may be helpful to eat certain foods for repigmentation of their greying hair, it’s still a small part of the grey hair puzzle. With that in mind, the five best types of foods to incorporate into your diet to at least help include:
Copper-rich foods
Foods to try: Liver, oysters, potatoes and mushrooms
The element copper is key to melanin synthesis, says Dr Rabach, and low levels of it may cause reduced pigmentation production in our hair. Some foods you could eat to offset a copper deficiency include potatoes, where one whole potato contains 675 micrograms (mcg) of the nutrient, and mushrooms, which contain 650 mcg for every half cup cooked. If you love shellfish and meat, oysters are packed with nutrients and contain 4,850 mcg of copper for every 3 ounces cooked, while 3 ounces of cooked beef liver contains 12,400 mcg.
Iron-rich foods
Foods to try: Red meat, poultry, legumes and spinach
Dr Rabach explains that iron is needed for melanin production, so low levels of it may lead to reduced pigment in our hair. Some of the most iron-rich foods you can turn to avoid a deficiency
If you’re looking for vegetable options rich in iron, try legumes and spinach. Legumes, which include foods like chickpeas and lentils, are rich in iron; half a cup of chickpeas contains 2.4 mg, and half a cup of lentils contains about 3.3 mg of the nutrient.
Vitamin D-rich foods
Foods to try: Salmon, sardines, milk and orange juice
Vitamin D is extremely important to hair health. Studies show that a vitamin D deficiency can lead to hair loss and premature grey hair. Dr Rabach says that low levels of vitamin D can lead to melanocyte dysfunction, which impairs the way cells produce pigment in the hair and weak strands.
