Are you someone quite concerned about premature greying of hair? For your information, your hair turns grey when stem cells that produce melanin in your body stop functioning properly. In this article, we introduce you to what is melanin and the various foods that increase melanin in the hair.
What Is Melanin?
Melanin is a complex polymer that originates from tyrosine, an amino acid and is present in human skin. It is the presence of melanin that is responsible for your unique eye, hair, and skin color.
To explain, it plays the role of providing pigmentation to your eyes, skin, and hair. The other function performed by melanin is that it absorbs harmful UV (ultraviolet) rays and protects your cells from the damage caused by the sun.
It is to be noted that a vitamin deficiency can lead to melanin deficiency as well. The vitamins that are important for boosting the production of melanin in your hair include vitamins A, C, B6, and B12.
How Copper Is Related To Melanin?
For the unknown, copper is used by enzymes that produce melanin. Thus, if you have a deficiency of copper, it could hamper the production of melanin. In short, copper supports the production of melanin in human skin.
7 Top Foods That Increase Melanin In Hair
Let’s delve deep into the top foods that help boost melanin in your hair.
1. Dark chocolate
Do you love to eat dark chocolate? You might be delighted to know that dark chocolate is a rich source of copper that aids in melanin production. It also contains high amounts of antioxidants that help flush out toxins from your body. These toxins are one of the major reasons behind premature greying of hair.
2. Mushrooms
As in the case of dark chocolates, mushrooms are also a good source of copper that contributes to melanin production.
3. Citrus fruits
Citrus fruits such as orange, lemon, and grapefruit contain vitamins A, D, E, and B12. These vitamins boost the production of melanin in your hair.
4. Dairy products
Dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt are high in calcium and antioxidants. All of them aid in the production of melanin.
5. Green vegetables
Dark green vegetables such as beans, spinach, soybeans, tofu, and broccoli are some of the foods that are rich in iron. It is to be noted that iron boosts the production of melanin.
According to anecdotal evidence, vitamin C might boost melanin levels. Green vegetables contain high amounts of Vitamin C that help increase melanin.
6. Pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin seeds not only contain copper but also zinc iron and magnesium. Thus, it aids in the production of melanin and the prevention of grey hair.
7. Amla (Indian Gooseberry)
A rich source of Vitamin C and antioxidants, amla can help increase the production of melanin. Try having amla in the form of juice, powder, or capsules. The other option is to apply amla oil to your hair.
3 Natural Ways To Boost Melanin
1. Avoid prolonged exposure to the sun
Prolonged exposure to the sun can lead to a loss of melanin. Thus it comes with the danger of damaging your hair. Hence, to maintain your melanin levels, it is quite important to safeguard your hair from UV radiation. As far as possible, wear a hat so that it offers protection against UV rays.
2. Massage your scalp
When you massage your scalp, it leads to a stimulation of blood flow to the hair follicles. As a result, it delivers essential nutrients and oxygen to the cells that aid in the production of melanin, called melanocytes.
3. Say no to smoking
Are you aware that cigarettes contain harmful toxins causing constriction of the body’s blood vessels? As a result of this constriction, there will be reduced blood flow to the hair follicles and it also interferes with melanin production. When you quit smoking, it leads to improved blood circulation and melanin production.
Conclusion
Hope the article provides valuable information about the foods that increase melanin in hair. Apart from the 7 top foods discussed above, you can also take melanin supplements that help boost the production of melanin.
