Beta-carotene is a bright red-orange pigment found in plants and fruits. It is the most common carotene found in plants and is one of the primary sources of vitamin A (retinol).
Vitamin A plays a vital role in health as well as in healthy hair growth. It also promotes healthy skin and strong nails.
Beta-carotene is rich in antioxidants and is excellent for vision and overall body health. I’ll be covering why beta-carotene is important for hair growth.
I will also share all the foods that contain beta-carotene apart from the popular carrots.
Foods With Beta-Carotene
The most common plants, fruits, vegetables, and herbs that contain beta-carotene includes:
- Apricots
- Grapefruit
- Plums
- Carrots
- Red palm
- Yams
- Guava
- Watermelon
- Pumpkins
- Papayas
- Oranges
- Mangoes
- Spinach
- Collard greens
- Swiss chard
- Endives
- Tomatoes
- Kale
- Sweet potato leaves
- Cilantro
- Basil
It should be noted that in green leafy vegetables, the presence of beta carotene is masked by the chlorophyll content.
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Reasons Why Beta-carotene is Important for Hair Growth
- Deficiency of vitamin A can cause hair breakage as well as dull and dry hair. Consuming foods rich in beta-carotene can stop these problems and encourage regrowth of thinning hair.
- Beta-carotene can prevent dandruff and other scalp problems related to flakiness.
Apart from fruits, vegetables, and herbs, you can also get the benefits of beta-carotene by including carrot oil in your regimen.
Carrot oil is extracted from the dried seeds of the carrot via steam distillation.
Carrot oil strengthens the hair, prevents split ends, and makes hair shinier. A winning combination.
Beta-carotene is available in supplements but it’s not recommended to take these as a source of vitamin A.
Excessive amounts of vitamin A can actually cause hair loss.
There are a wide variety of fruits and vegetables (listed above), where you can get all the beta carotene you need naturally.
Additionally, you can get it when you include carrot oil in your regimen.
Can Beta-Carotene Change Hair Colour?
Beta-carotene won’t change your hair color. It will only make your hair stronger.
However, consuming inordinate amounts of beta-carotene can turn your skin a weird orange-yellow tint.
It won’t kill you but you will look odd until you stop eating foods containing beta-carotene or reduce consumption.
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Wondering what other types of vitamins you need to include in your diet for hair growth?
Check out A Breakdown of the 6 Vitamins You Need for Better Hair Growth.
If you enjoyed this post, you’ll be interested in The Ultimate Hair Growth Guide.
The guide is a comprehensive tool for recovering from hair loss, regrowing bald spots, and filling in thin areas of your scalp.
There’s a whole chapter in there dedicated to all the vital vitamins required for hair growth and why. It’s updated every year with additional information.
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