Benefits of Nutritious Diet & Exercise on Hair Health

December 5, 2014

I have had this post in the archive for a while, but i have decided to publish it, as I am getting a lot of questions on products that grow hair or permanently eliminate dry hair. Note that:

  1. Products DO NOT and WILL NOT grow hair; growth rate is predetermined by your genes. Products only help to provide the right environment for growth
  2. No product will permanently eliminate dry hair, as hair is constantly exchanging moisture with its environment. You can prevent moisture loss by sealing with oil.

Ultimately, hair health is largely determined by the nutrition content in the body, which is augmented by exercise.

The Science


Nutrients available in the body are distributed to vital organs based on their importance to bodily function. As the brain is the control centre, it gets top priority (and majority) of the nutrients. The other 4 vital organs are heart, lungs, kidney, and liver.

Hair and nails are of low priority to receive nutrients. Think of nutrient prioritization this way; if the body can thrive/survive without it, then it is low priority. Can you survive without hair/nails? – Yes! Also hair is considered a dead cell, the moment it grows out of the scalp; another reason for low priority of nutrients.

The Insight

Exercise – Efficiency
The heart circulates blood, which distributes nutrients throughout the body. Exercise increases the heart rate, resulting in increase of blood flow rate. The nutrients-filled blood is circulated through the body faster, resulting in higher nutrient distribution to hair follicle. The ultimate result is healthy hair at a faster rate – efficiency

Nutritious Diet – Effectiveness
Nutritious diet is crucial to hair health. In fact, it is much more important than exercise, since it is the source of nutrients distributed by blood circulation. If you don’t eat healthy, nutritious food and just exercise, there are insufficient nutrients available to maintain healthy hair. Remember that the vital organs have first dibs on nutrients.

The pictures show a pretty healthy hair, though I was not taking proper care of it. This is largely due to my nutritious diet.




Staying hydrated is the ultimate defense against chronically dry hair.  I recommend at least 2L per day, but this may vary based on your BMI.  Do not drink it all in one sitting, as your body will just flush it right out, aim for at least 1-2 cups every hour, for better absorption and retention.

Nutritious Diet

I recommend foods that are high in calcium, protein, and antioxidants. Add lots of whole grains, fruits and veggies, and limit the in-take of (simulated) sugar, salty, greasy, starchy, and processed foods

I am a healthy eater, but I don’t like exercise. However, I incorporate exercise into my lifestyle (walking, jogging, etc.). Overall, I have noted reduction in dryness since I became active. I am not suggesting signing up for a gym membership or lifting weights, but you can always start one step at a time.


Final note

To treat any ailment (including hair), you must first determine the root cause; understand it and eliminate it. The physical signs (dry hair, breakage) are merely symptoms. Tackling the symptoms without addressing the cause is a waste of time, energy and resources.  So, quit looking for a miracle product!  Eat healthy, exercise, drink lots of water and follow guide 1 and 2 🙂


 Are you a healthy eater? Do you exercise? How often do you drink water? What is your favourite fruit/veggies?

Sources: | |Harvard School of Public Health | Google images