Foods To Avoid If You Want Beautiful, Shiny Hair

Is your hair looking all messy? There are few things more discouraging than watching your once beautiful head of hair turn thin and dead. Did you know your diet has a lot to do with it? Let’s talk about 13 Foods To Avoid If You Want Beautiful, Shiny Hair. Do you have a lot of diet soda? What does your burger intake look like? Have you been drinking too much alcohol? Wait, swordfish?

Swordfish

This one’s easy to avoid. I mean how often do you eat swordfish? I don’t think I’ve ever seen one up close? Well, there was that one time I dove into the city aquarium… Hey, a bet is a bet! Anyways swordfish is bad for your hair. Why? One word: mercury. High levels of mercury lead to hair loss. This is something you need to think about if your scalp is looking a little light these days. Swordfish has one of the highest concentrations of mercury in any fish, at .995 ppm (that’s part per million). If you’re trying to take care of your hair and just can’t stay away from fish, stick to the canned kind. Take salmon for example. Canned salmon tends to be low on the mercury scale. Even shrimp. Speaking of seafood, let’s make things interesting. What’s your favorite sea creature? Have you ever seen it up close? Sound off in the comment section and start a conversation with our Bestie community!

Diet Soda

Yes, if you’re cutting sugar, a diet coke might work. But if your hair has been thinning, you have to watch how many drinks you’re having. This could be the direct cause. The aspartame in diet soda leads to hair loss. That’s the artificial sweetener used to replace the sugar. It’s said to be around 200 times sweeter than the actual sugar. On top of hair loss, aspartame is associated with other health problems like bloating, depression, and even arthritis. So it might be a good idea to avoid diet drinks at all costs.

Hamburgers

There’s sometimes nothing better than a juicy burger on a Friday afternoon. But again, if you’re trying to take care of your scalp, perhaps you should reduce your visits to the McDonald’s drive-thru. I know, burgers are delicious. They are also filled with grease. While the grease does contribute to the taste, it also clogs the pores in your skin. This includes the skin on your head. A clogged scalp directly affects hair follicles, cutting off blood flow and triggering hormones like DHT. This eventually causes your hair to thin and fallout. If you want your head looking beautiful, keep away from the Big Macs and Whoppers, people!

French Fries

I’m just ruining all the fun stuff for you, aren’t I? The average American eats 30 pounds of French Fries a year. That’s pretty much a potato farm growing in their stomach. Along with your Baconator, the grease from the fries is also contributing to your hair loss. This stimulates the oil glands in your body. Over time, the excess oil will begin overflowing, clogging your pores and preventing hair follicles from growing. It could be a lot worse. Rumor has it if you have a diet soda, hamburger, and fries altogether, your whole head falls off! Just kidding, but ease off on the greasy fast food.

Alcohol

That’s right. If you’re noticing your hair thinning, you may want to check your booze intake. The amount of partying you’re doing makes a difference on your scalp. Alcohol prevents the absorption of essential vitamins and nutrients. This includes zinc, which is especially important for growing your hair. Besides stopping the growth of new follicles, alcohol also messes with the hair already present on your head. The dehydration you experience after a night of drinking will cause the hair to become brittle and weak. After a while, you notice it starting to fall out. So if you’ve been going hard on the weekend benders, give it a rest. Your hair will look a lot better.

Pasta

Sometimes, a nice bowl of spaghetti makes you feel on top of the world. The top of your head however says otherwise. Starchy foods like pasta keep your hair from developing keratin. This is a type of protein that smooths down your cells and allows hair follicles to grow. Studies show that people with more keratin in their system have stronger, healthier hair. Keratin is what gives your hair that beautiful bounce and shine you need in order for it to glow. Before we continue, do you have pets? Are you struggling to prevent them from hurting themselves? Check out our new video discussing 11 Foods That Will Kill Your Cat. Now back to our list of 13 Foods To Avoid If You Want Beautiful, Shiny Hair.

Pizza

Hey, I see you reaching for that final slice! Don’t do it. Pizza is another one of those starchy foods that only add to hair damage. The starch has similar effects to sugar, spiking insulin levels and causing your follicles to shrink. Now pizza is one of the harder foods to avoid. Just thinking about it makes me want to stop this video and go grab a slice myself. But just think about all of the greases that you’re consuming with just a single bite. Not to mention the sugar. A regular slice of cheese pizza on its own equals almost 10% of your daily recommended intake.

Juice

Going on an all-liquid juice cleanse is not always making you healthier. In many cases, it’s the exact opposite. Juice diets consist of consuming juiced fruits and veggies. While people do this to lose weight, they may also be losing their hair in the process. An all juice diet can deprive you of the basic proteins you need for your hair to thrive. The excess sugar you’re drinking will also inflame the follicles. If you’re on a juice diet, be sure you’re getting the proper amount of keratin in your system.

Mackerel

This is a fish many of you have had plenty of. Certain types of mackerel are not making your hair look any better. Remember when I mentioned high mercury? Well on the list of commercial fish with high mercury levels, King Mackerel is just a couple below swordfish, at .730 ppm (parts per million). Just a small amount of mercury in your system can lead to thinning hair. Holy Mackerel!

Candy

You might want to control that sweet tooth. Not only can candy hurt your waistline, but your hairline is also in trouble. Sugary candy sure does a number on your scalp. Let’s talk about sebum for a second. This is the oily, waxy substance that is produced by your body’s sebaceous glands. Foods that are high on the glycemic index will increase sebum production, making both your skin and hair oily. The oil clogs pores and stops hair from growing properly. The next time you’re at a gas station, skip out on buying those candy bars and Sour Patch Kids.

Carrots

Who would have thought a vegetable would appear on this list? When you snack on carrots, you are getting more than enough Vitamin A. Just a cup of chopped carrots is equal to 120% of your recommended daily intake. While Vitamin A improves your vision, immune system, and reproductive organs, you’ll want to make sure you’re not overconsuming. Studies show that too much Vitamin A produces excess sebum, clogging your scalp and blocking new hair follicles.

White Bread

Even basic food ingredients aren’t safe. How am I going to make my sandwiches? Well out of all the bread you can choose from, white bread is certainly one of the most unhealthy. Two slices of white bread contain around 20 grams of starch. This will cause your follicles to shrink, ultimately leading to hair loss. On top of that, white bread is also low on essential vitamins. So if you’re looking for that shiny, full head of hair, you need to look at other breeds. No, not bagels. No, not tortillas. They’re also loaded with starch. Why don’t you try whole-grain instead?

Cake

So you’re saying I can never eat anything fun again? At least if I want my hair to grow? Of course not! You just need to eat these things in moderation. Remember, when taking care of your hair, too many starchy foods are a no-no! Not only does the cake have a ton of starch, but it can also fall under a type of candy. Think about it, all that sugar and chocolate icing… Just one slice of chocolate cake contains almost 20% of your recommended carb intake. And the sad part is, the cake is irresistible. I know I’m not eating just one. If you have two pieces of cake in a sitting, your insulin levels might rise through the roof. This will prevent your hair follicles from taking form. So the next time you’re at a birthday party, settle for a tiny sliver of cake. Your head of hair will thank you. Have you been taking care of your hair? Has avoiding any of these foods worked for you? Let us know in the comments below. We would love to hear from you!