By 35, two-thirds of men in the United States have experienced hair loss of some type, according to the American Hair Loss Association. This doesn't necessarily mean that there's not a way of preventing it. Nutritional deficiencies can effect hair loss. The wrong diet could mean that your hair shaft may break easily and your hair could grow back abnormally slowly. The right diet, however, can prevent hair loss and help you to recover from already lost hair.

 

Protein

 

Well, it won't be surprising that hair, which is made up almost entirely of protein, depends on protein in the diet. If you're not getting enough protein, you won't be able to make enough protein to grow new hair. Not just any protein will do. It has to be lean rather than fatty. Steak is out. Fish and chicken are in.

 

Water

 

You can't grow hair, if you're dehydrated. It's easy to become dehydrated day to day. Whether you live in a humid or dry climate, you've got to get an ample amount of water every day. A good idea is to fill a gallon water jug with water and put it in the fridge. By the end of the day, you should see an empty container.

 

Vitamin A

 

Vitamin A is crucial to help cells and tissues grow in the body, and that includes the scalp and hair. You may not think about it this way, but if tissues aren't growing, your hair growth is at stake. It can be easier for hair to fall out if your body isn't producing the right growth cells. Foods high vitamin A include carrots, kale, spinach, liver, fish oil, eggs and fortified milk.

 

Vitamin B

 

Vitamin B6, folic acid and vitamin B12 are crucial to building up hemoglobin, which carries oxygen from the lungs to the hair. Healthy hair needs a consistent flow of oxygen. If you don't have enough vitamin B, you could lose your hair and it could slow down re-growth.  Foods high in vitamin B include chicken, fish, eggs, pork and soy. Foods high in folic acid include kale, spinach, orange juice, broccoli, avocado, fortified cereal and beets.

 

Vitamin C

 

Without vitamin C, you can't produce collagen. Hair has collagen and needs collagen to grow. One thing to keep in mind is that Vitamin C cannot be stored up the way a camel stores up water. Every day counts, so make sure to get the C vitamin in. Foods high in Vitamin C include melons, oranges, melons, kale, spinach, and tomatoes.

 

Zinc

 

If you have dandruff, it could be that you have low zinc levels. Zinc helps to maintain the glands that secrete oil into your hair follicles. You can get zinc from fish, poultry, shrimp and mussels.

 

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

 

Fatty acids make your hair shine. Without enough fatty acid, your hair will appear lackluster and it will break easily. Walnuts are one of the only type of nut that have a large amount of omega-3 fatty acids. They also have biotin which can prevent hair loss.

 

The old adage, "you are what you eat" can be applied to your hair. If you don't eat the right vitamins in your body, your hair isn't going to thrive. It could break and fall out, and before you know it, all those twinkles are going to give you a comb over.

 

Michelle Winters writes for www.apexrx.com.  Click here to read the ApexRx.com blog.