Eating well can improve your overall health and help promote healthy hair growth. But if you have the autoimmune condition known as alopecia areata, diet changes alone won’t be enough to regrow your hair. You’ll need to work with a dermatologist to discuss hair regrowth treatment options.

To support your wellness during alopecia treatment, it may be helpful to know which foods promote healthy hair and which don’t.

A balanced, nutrient-rich diet supports the immune system. It also supplies the vitamins, minerals, and protein that your hair needs for maximum growth.

Instead of overly limiting your diet, you can work on making healthy swaps. Severe restriction and rapid weight loss can have a negative impact on your hair.

Sometimes focusing on what you can eat more of — rather than what you should cut out — is a better approach. Try substituting some of these “foods to avoid” for “foods to eat” and see how you feel.

Foods To Eat To Support Healthy Hair Growth

With alopecia, it might help to eat a diet that reduces inflammation. You’ll also want to get the most bang for your buck by choosing nutritionally dense foods. Here are some good choices to include on your grocery shopping list and your plate.

1. Eggs

Eggs have several nutrients essential for hair growth, including protein, biotin, and vitamin A. Eating enough protein helps give the body plenty of the amino acids (which work as building blocks) it needs to produce hair strands.

Biotin is another nutrient commonly associated with hair health. Getting adequate amounts from foods like eggs can help support normal hair structure and growth.

2. Fatty Fish

Fatty fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have anti-inflammatory properties. Since alopecia areata involves immune-driven inflammation around hair follicles, omega-3s may help calm your symptoms.

Some good options for people with alopecia include salmon and sardines. These fish are also high in protein and vitamin D. Getting more vitamin D through foods like fish is good for your hair and the rest of your body.

You may want to be careful with larger fish, like tuna. These fish can be high in mercury, which some studies suggest can worsen alopecia.

3. Fruits and Veggies

Fruits and vegetables add color to your plate. That’s because they contain colorful compounds that are good for your hair. Red or orange berries, carrots, bell peppers, beets, and other colorful produce are rich in vitamin C. Along with being an antioxidant, vitamin C enhances iron absorption from other foods. Iron plays a key role in hair growth, so pairing foods with vitamin C and iron is a smart strategy for alopecia.

Leafy greens are high in the B vitamin, folate, which encourages growth. Fruits and vegetables are anti-inflammatory foods with a range of phytochemicals, which have beneficial health effects.

4. Beans

Beans are excellent plant-based sources of protein, iron, zinc, and fiber. These nutrients support hair growth and help stabilize blood sugar levels. If you have alopecia and diabetes or prediabetes, blood sugar control is crucial. High blood sugar can increase inflammation throughout the body and reduce blood flow to the skin, including your scalp.

The fiber in beans, lentils, and legumes also supports healthy gut bacteria. Gut bacteria play a major role in the immune system, making fiber that much more important for those with autoimmune diseases like alopecia.

5. Whole Grains

Whole grains have fiber, B vitamins, iron, and zinc. Great whole grain foods include:

• Brown rice
• Oatmeal
• Popcorn
• Quinoa
• Whole wheat bread

Whole grains digest more slowly than refined carbohydrates. That means they provide a steadier flow of blood sugar, instead of sudden spikes. Replacing simple carbs with whole grains can help shift your diet toward being less inflammatory.

6. Nuts, Seeds, and Soy

Including some nuts and seeds in your diet will offer extra nutrients, including healthy fats, essential minerals, and vitamins. Nuts and seeds have varying amounts of zinc and selenium, which are involved in hair loss and growth. In addition, soy has isoflavones, which are anti-inflammatory compounds that may be beneficial for alopecia.

Low zinc levels have been linked to hair loss in some people. However, sometimes dietary supplements can do more harm than good. Getting these nutrients from food is your best bet to avoid overdoing it.

Nuts and seeds are easy to sprinkle on salads and yogurt or to grab as a snack. You can do the same with dried soy nuts or fresh soybeans (edamame). Nut butters are a good option, too. A little goes a long way, so be mindful of portion sizes. Just a small handful or a couple of tablespoons can give you an added nutrient boost.

Foods To Avoid for Overall Health and Healthy Hair

Cutting back on certain foods isn’t just good for your hair. It’s good for your whole body. Replacing these foods with the more nutritious options above can go a long way toward helping you look and feel your best.

1. Ultra-Processed Foods

Packaged snack foods, fast foods, and ultra-processed meals are often loaded with sugar, unhealthy fats, sodium, and additives. They can be high in calories but offer little nutritional value. They’re also more likely to contain harmful chemicals that can disrupt the body’s hormones and promote inflammation.

If you’re filling up on processed foods, you may be missing out on key nutrients for your hair. In addition, diets high in ultra-processed foods are known to raise the body’s inflammation levels.

You can usually tell that a food is highly processed by checking the food label. If the ingredient list is long and has a lot of words you don’t recognize, that’s your sign that the food is pretty far removed from its natural state.

2. Added Sugars

Sodas, candy, pastries, and other sugary foods can cause rapid spikes in blood sugar. Over time, frequent spikes in blood sugar promote inflammation.

For people with alopecia and conditions like type 2 diabetes, limiting added sugars is especially important. You can cut back on added sugars by drinking water instead of sweet drinks and choosing fruit for dessert. Make treats a once-in-a-while choice rather than a daily habit.

3. Fried Foods

Greasy deep-fried foods are high in saturated and trans fats. They’re pro-inflammatory and not good for your gut health or any other part of your body.

Since alopecia areata is driven by an overactive immune system, limiting foods that raise inflammation is essential. Instead of fried foods, consider cooking methods like baking, grilling, steaming, or sautéing. Cook in water or use healthy oils, such as olive oil.

4. Meat and Dairy

Meat and dairy can be important sources of protein, iron, calcium, and other nutrients. But if you’re trying to shift toward an anti-inflammatory diet, these animal products should be limited. Replacing some of the meat and dairy in your diet with fish and vegetarian proteins can help you achieve a healthier balance.

5. Your Trigger Foods

Everyone is different, especially when it comes to alopecia. Foods that cause issues for one person may not be as bad for another. It’s important to listen to your body as you figure out how to feed it best. For example, studies show that some people with alopecia benefit from a gluten-free diet. But cutting out gluten can be challenging and may not be worth it if gluten isn’t a trigger for you.

If you suspect that you have bad reactions to certain foods, you can try cutting them out and tracking your symptoms. Meeting with a registered dietitian can help you plan a diet that provides complete nutrition and takes your sensitivities into account. There’s no one-size-fits-all diet for alopecia, but paying closer attention can help you develop a plan that works for you.

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Do you have any diet tips for hair regrowth that have helped you? Let others know in the comments below.