Nutritionists Agree, Vitamin EE May Be Secret to Healthy Hair

As an antioxidant, vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) has long been shown to reduce free radicals that damage our cells. It also reduces oxidative stress and may reduce the risk of chronic disease. This vitamin is also important for keeping the skin soft and moist and helps provide natural UV protection.

Because of its benefits, vitamin E is often found in beauty products such as moisturizers, serums, sunscreen, lip balm, body oil and hair care products. It’s also found naturally in nuts (especially almonds), seeds, vegetable oils (including sunflower and wheat germ), egg yolks, and some green vegetables like broccoli and spinach. Vitamin E supplements come in soft gel, oil, liquid, or capsule form and are usually sold as a combination of eight tocotrienols and tocopherol.

With its powerful antioxidant activity and ability to fight free radical damage, vitamin E can promote the health of the scalp and hair. However, vitamin E deficiency is not the only factor to consider. Lifestyle factors such as stress, chemical reactions, and hormonal changes can also affect the health of your hair. Here’s what you need to know about vitamin E for hair health.

Potential Hair Health Benefits of Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an important nutrient that can help your body in many ways. It can even affect the life of your hair. Here’s how your locks can benefit from vitamin E.

Reduces Oxidative Stress

Because of its ability to fight oxidative stress, vitamin E has been studied for its potential role in maintaining healthy hair and scalp. We hear a lot about oxidative stress and how bad it is for us, especially for our appearance. But what exactly is it?

Oxidative stress occurs when our body is unable to fight free radicals on its own, either because we do not have enough antioxidants in our body, or because the attack from free radicals it is heavy. Think of being surrounded by toxic air, whether it’s pollution or secondhand smoke. You cannot eat enough fresh produce to prevent the negative effects of these free radicals (ie, smoke or toxins).

“Supplementing with vitamin E can help improve hair growth and thickness by increasing blood flow to the scalp, which strengthens the hair follicles,” says Samantha Cassetty, MS, RD, nutrition and health expert. “. “Vitamin E can also help reduce oxidative damage, which is associated with hair loss.”

In addition to air pollution and cigarette smoke, other factors that can cause hair and scalp damage include the sun’s UV rays, chemical hair treatments and excessive heat from styling tools, which can damage the protective coating or the outer layer.

Increases Blood Circulation

Blood carries nutrients and oxygen throughout the body, so it makes sense that improving overall blood flow can benefit our scalp and hair. Cassetty points to vitamin E supplementation for healthy skin and hair. This study found that applying vitamin E oil to the skin increased blood flow and moisturized the hair.

The same review showed that although the evidence is limited, supplementing with vitamin E may increase hair growth and thickness in people with alopecia by increasing blood flow to the scalp. This increased blood flow nourishes the hair follicles and promotes growth.

Possible risks of taking vitamin E

More is not always better when it comes to supplements. This is certainly the case with vitamin E. Although there is no problem in eating foods containing vitamin E, using supplements can be dangerous because of the vitamin’s mild blood-thinning effect.

If you take blood-thinning medications like Coumadin, vitamin E supplements may increase the risk of bleeding. And if you take a cholesterol-lowering drug like a statin, vitamin E supplements (especially when combined with other antioxidants) can lower your “good” or HDL cholesterol.

Finally, if you are receiving chemotherapy or radiation for cancer treatment, you should avoid supplementing with antioxidants because they can protect the cancer cells that these drugs target.

Patricia Bannon, MS, RDN, author of From Reporting to Equalitysays that although vitamin E appears to help keep the scalp and hair healthy, it should not be considered a “magic bullet.” You should also consider genetics, hormonal changes (such as perimenopause), and nutritional deficiencies. Many people have these weaknesses, especially when trying to lose weight.

When Should You Take a Vitamin?

Vitamin E is fat-soluble, so it’s best to take supplements with food (and don’t skimp on salad dressings). Healthy fats such as avocado, olive oil, nuts and seeds will also enhance the absorption of vitamin E and other fat-soluble vitamins.

How Much Vitamin EE Should You Take?

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamin E is 15 mg daily for people 14 years of age and older. For people who are breastfeeding, the amount increases to 19 mg per day. The upper limit of the vitamin is 1,000 mg daily for people 19 years of age and older.

Other Types of Vitamin E Supplements

Like most nutrients, it’s best to get them from food, advises Bannon. He recommends consulting with a registered dietitian or other health care professional before taking any supplement. Instead, consider foods rich in vitamin E, such as almonds, sunflower seeds, peanuts, peanut butter, spinach, broccoli, soybean oil, kiwi, mango and eggs.

If you’re not a fan of supplements, there are topical solutions, such as hair growth serums, that can promote hair growth.