The Best Vitamins For Your Hair

The best vitamins for hair growth are the B vitamins. These are usually found in whole grains, fresh fruit, brewer's yeast, eggs, fish, turkey, meat, and milk. These vitamins are water-soluble, which means they do not build up in your body.

•Para-aminobenzoic acid may prevent your hair from graying, and can be found in the following foods:
Brewer's yeast
Liver
Molasses
Mushrooms
Spinach
Whole grains

•Inositol is vital for hair growth. There are many foods that contain inositol including, dried beans, calves' liver, cantaloupe, citrus fruits (except lemons), garbanzo beans (chickpeas), lecithin granules, lentils, nuts, oats, pork, rice, veal, and whole grain products beef brains, heart, peanuts, whole wheat, cabbage, cantaloupe, rasins.

•Niacin (vitamin B-3) promotes blood circulation to your scalp. Niacin is more abundantly found in animal sources, although a few plant sources are rich in niacin as well. Niacin foods include all lean red meat, fish, organ meats (kidney, liver), prawns, pork, as well as milk and other dairy products. Other niacin rich foods include almonds and seeds, wheat products, beans, rice bran, green leafy vegetables, carrots, turnips and celery.

•Panthenol (vitamin B-5) may stop hair loss and help to regrow hair. Panthenol is a liquid at room temperature--a thick, transparent liquid. It is an alcohol analog of pantothenic acid, which can be found in many foods, such as whole-grain cereals, vegetables, meats and eggs.

•Biotin can also prevent your hair from graying prematurely. It's also an essential vitamin for preventing hair loss. There are a variety of foods rich in biotin. The richest source is nuts (peanuts, filberts, almonds, peanut butter). A half cup of peanuts yields more than double the daily requirement of biotin for adults. Smaller amounts of biotin (anywhere from 3 to 8.5 micrograms per serving) are found in tuna, pork, banana, papaya, carrots, avocado, tomato sauce, nonfat milk, salmon, swiss chard, sweet potato, haddock, lowfat yogurt, cashews, cooked egg and soy protein isolate.

•Vitamins B-6 and B-12 have also been shown to play a role in healthy hair growth.
Good sources of vitamin B6 include fortified cereals, beans, poultry, fish, and some vegetables and fruits, especially dark leafy greens, papayas, oranges, and cantaloupe.

Vitamin B12 is found naturally in animal products (such as fish, poultry, meat, eggs, or dairy); it is also found in fortified breakfast cereals and enriched soy or rice milk. Most people have plenty of vitamin B12 in their diets. The main concern is whether vitamin B12 is adequately absorbed.