Finding the right hair growth vitamins and minerals can be challenging. Even after you’ve figured out which vitamins work best for hair, there’s still the question of how best to take them.
Did you know you can just drink them? In fact, it’s one of the most effective ways to get nutrients into your body. Liquids are easier to digest and more bioavailable than pills, and they often carry a slew of additional nutritional benefits.
Here’s a handy list of 9 effective, natural drinks for hair growth to get you started.
Maximum Living MineralRich
This tasty liquid multivitamin is packed with vitamin B12, containing a whopping 1,000 mcg. It also contains a 200-mcg dose of vitamin B7 (biotin), along with some calcium, zinc, and other essential nutrients.
The B vitamins are especially crucial in maintaining thick, healthy hair. Hair follicles depend on them to synthesize protein into keratin, the stuff that makes up hair. The best natural food sources of vitamin B are meat, fish, and dairy, so this is an excellent option for people looking to limit their meat intake.
MineralRich is also fortified with aloe vera. Many multivitamins can be difficult to digest, and cause problems for people with sensitive stomachs. The aloe vera naturally settles the stomach, and should be safe for anyone to take without discomfort.
Bone Broth
Nutrition experts still can’t agree whether bone broth is a fad or a genuine innovation in health. It’s basically chicken or beef stock made from leftover bones, and a few vegetables and spices for flavor.
However, it can’t be denied that the stuff is packed with vitamins and amino acids. Specific to hair, bone broth is high in cystine, histidine, and glycine, all of which reduce inflammation across the body. Skin irritation and inflammation on the scalp is one of the primary causes of thinning hair, and a regular dose of bone broth can help with that.
Bone broth’s stress-relieving and sleep-enhancing properties are also beneficial. One of the other major causes of hair loss is stress. In the modern world, anything you can do to reduce stress will help keep you looking good.
Emergen-C
This over-the-counter cold remedy is a great trick to keep up your hair growth sleeve. The little packet makes a delicious fizzy beverage when mixed with water or juice, and it’s packed with vitamins that help your hair and your whole body.
The Original Formula, which today comes in a dozen flavors, has a nutritional profile that includes a 1,000 mg megadose of Vitamin C, as well as standard doses of niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, folic acid, and more.
These are the same vitamins you should be taking to combat or reverse hair loss. In particular, niacin is often overlooked, but is one of the most important nutrients for healthy hair.
Milk
Drink your milk! Dairy is one of the best sources of those all-important B vitamins, and a cold frothy glass of milk is an efficient way to get in your daily dose.
In the United States, most milk is also fortified with vitamin D. It’s nearly as crucial as B for healthy hair, but many people don’t get enough sun to produce it in sufficient quantities. Drinking a glass of milk every so often will make sure you have enough.
Lactose-free varieties work just as well, for those who suffer from lactose intolerance. For vegans, certain plant-based milks are fortified with many of the same vitamins as the dairy stuff. Almond milk is especially good, as the almonds themselves offer important amino acids that your hair follicles can use.
Green Juice
It’s well-known that green, leafy vegetables are nutritional powerhouses. From spinach to kale to broccoli, greens are full of everything your body and hair need to grow.
They can be inconvenient to lug around, though, so many people prefer to drink their vitamins. If you own a juicer, toss in a variety of veggies, and go heavy on the greens. There are thousands of green juice recipes available online, and it won’t be hard to find one that appeals to you.
If you’re looking for even more convenience, most supermarkets now carry pre-made green juice in their produce sections. Look for refrigerated bottles, not shelf-stable ones that are full of preservatives.
Vitamin Code Liquid Multivitamin
Garden of Life’s Vitamin Code takes the novel step of combining cultivated vitamins with fruit and vegetable extracts. One dose contains vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, niacin, biotin, and several B vitamins. In other words, everything recommended for hair growth. Vitamin Code even offers a little bit of protein to help the body metabolize everything.
The liquid has an intense flavor and might unsettle the stomach, so it’s recommended to take it with food. It can also be mixed into a smoothie or juice, creating a real powerhouse of a hair growth drink.
Fruit Smoothie
Like green juice, fruit smoothies are an excellent way to take in your hair growth vitamins via natural food sources. Many fruits are beneficial for hair, including citrus, apples, strawberries, bananas, pineapples, and more. One surprisingly effective fruit for hair growth is kiwi, which contains high levels of vitamins C and E, as well as zinc, magnesium, and phosphorous.
Unlike green juice, a well-made smoothie is a meal by itself. Replacing one or more meals per day with a frozen concoction is a great way to lose weight and improve your energy, as well as keep your hair healthy and full.
Bulletproof Coffee
Bulletproof coffee was a health fad a few years ago, but there is some merit to the idea.
Basically, it’s made by mixing butter into black coffee. Be sure to choose a good organic, grass-fed butter without artificial preservatives or flavors. If it comes in a tub, it’s likely not the right stuff.
It sounds strange, but devotees of the drink report increased energy levels, a clearer head, and major improvements to their hair, skin, and nails. That last part isn’t so surprising; butter is an excellent source of B vitamins, including the all-important biotin.
Green Tea
If butter in your coffee is too much, try some plain old green tea. Not only is it a good source of vitamin B in the form of panthenol, it’s also packed with the antioxidant EGCG. Antioxidants protect your entire body from the effects of age by bonding with harmful free radicals before they can do any damage.
Most importantly, green tea is a good source of 5-alpha-reductase. This substance is known as a DHT-blocker, meaning it prevents the body from producing too much dihydrotestosterone. An excess of this compound is known as one of the primary causes of baldness, and green tea is an excellent way to keep it under control.
Green tea is also the only item on this list that could be applied topically. Rubbing green tea directly into the scalp (mixed with a plain shampoo or conditioner) will take all those beneficial compounds straight to where they’re needed, along with a boost of caffeine.
Drink up!
Drinks and liquids are an easy and effective way to boost your hair growth. We hope this list gets the gears turning in which liquid vitamin sources might work best for you.
Before starting any vitamin or hair growth regimen, you should always consult with a doctor of medical professional. What works for most people might not work for you, and dietary changes always carry some risk.
