We’ve talked about healthy beards and how to maintain a healthy beard. Today we’re going to discuss foods that you can eat to help you grow a nice healthy beard. Many men think all there is to growing a beard is to simply stop shaving. In it’s most basic form, that is all you do, but there is a difference in beards. Some are healthy and some are not.
For example, if you start to grow your beard and after a month or two you notice dry flaky skin on your face under your beard, it’s because your face isn’t keeping up with the sebum oil production it needs to supply your beard and skin both with the moisture it needs. Your beard will begin to be dry and brittle feeling, unless you use beard oils to supplement that lack of oil.
One thing we can do to promote a healthy beard and promote beard growth is by watching what we eat. Healthy eating helps us in so many ways. Not just with our physical health. When you’re healthy, your beard will be as well. Let’s see what we can eat to help our beard health and growth.
Vitamin C: It’s not just to fight against colds and sickness. This one may come as a surprise, but vitamin C helps in the production of sebum oil. Adding some orange juice every morning or some fruit that is full of vitamin C will help stimulate the natural oils of your skin. Add beard oil to that morning routine and you’re already off and running to a great start.
Vitamin A: This vitamin is great for bone growth, reproduction and immune system health. Vitamin A is also needed to repair skin. Since skin is the place our beards grow from, this makes sense. Some foods that are high in vitamin A are fish oils and liver. If that doesn’t sound palatable to you, then you can also get it from milk, eggs, cheese and butter. If you’re wanting to keep your eating healthy, remember moderation. Anything can be bad for you if you eat too much of it.
Selenium: This may be one you’ve not heard of. Selenium is an essential trace mineral. It helps to promote hair growth and its important for cognitive function. Two great reasons to eat the foods that are great selenium sources. It’s also known to help fertility in men and women and help you to have a healthy immune system. I hope you’re seeing that these things are good not only for your beard, but for your overall health.
Foods that are a source for selenium are brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, halibut, turkey and oats. How’s that for variety?
Vitamin B: This one is probably the most recognizable. Vitamin B is essential for healthy hair and nails. You can walk into any drug store and find bottles of vitamin B with the benefits for hair, skin and nails plastered all over it. If you don’t want to take vitamins, you can get it from your food. Some of the best sources for vitamin B are Fish, poultry, meat, eggs and dairy. Some of the healthiest populations in the world have a diet high in fish.
Boron: This is another one we might not know about or think of when it comes to beard health and growth. Boron is also a vital trace mineral. It helps in brain function, bone health and immune system health. On top of that, it is required for normal hair growth and health. You can get boron from foods like chickpeas, almonds, beans, vegetables, bananas, avocados, walnuts and legumes. The sources of boron seem to be endless!
Protein: This one is a little complex. Let’s start with this. We should make sure we are getting our daily allowance of protein. Many people aren’t getting enough. Protein is essential for many things our body needs. However, you can also over do the protein. As with everything you need to find your healthy balance. In the protein category, there are different types of proteins. You want to focus on the collagen proteins.
Amino acids glycine and proline are important, your body uses these collagen protein to build healthy skin, hair and nails. A lot of us know foods that are high in protein. They include, lean meat, fish, poultry and eggs.
Testosterone and DHT: This is probably one of the most important. Our facial hair is affected by our testosterone. It starts growing after we hit puberty when the testosterone really gets to pumping. You want foods that help convert testosterone to DHT which promotes hair growth. DHT increases body hair growth including beards/facial hair.
Carbs are one thing you can increase to up your DHT production. Think potatoes! Also protein affects this as well. If you aren’t getting the protein your need, then you are likely going to have less testosterone and DHT. So make sure to get those proteins. The last thing that can help raise your DHT levels are fats. Thirty to forty percent of your calories per day should come from fat. You can get these from eggs, butter, animals organs and red meat.
Our last trick for getting that healthy beard is water. Yeah, imagine that. Our bodies are made up of mostly water. Water helps your organs and your circulatory system. Your circulatory system feeds everything in your body, including your skin. The importance of water can not be talked about enough. Drink up!
There you have it. A list of all the foods you can eat to promote your healthy beard. You’ll notice that some of these overlap. They are good for more than your beard. Healthy food won’t only help your beard, but it will make you feel better and increase your productivity. Take care of yourself and your beard will follow.
