Can a Vegan Diet and Lifestyle Have a Better Impact on Skin, Hair, and Nails?

Many people who consume junk and processed foods are regularly concerned about the nutritional sufficiency of a vegan diet. They fear that they may lack essential vitamins for hair growth, skin, and nail health. On the contrary, a vegan lifestyle provides sufficient protein and other essential nutrients. In fact, a balanced and varied vegan diet can provide more nutrients than a non-vegan diet.  

Some of the key nutrients for hair, skin, and nail health are calcium, protein, vitamin B7 (biotin), and vitamin B12. These nutrients can be obtained from plant-based sources such as soy, nuts, seeds, legumes, grains, fruits, and vegetables. A combination of different plant proteins for women can provide a complete set of amino acids that are comparable to animal proteins. Animal-based diets may have high protein content, but they also have high fat and low fiber content, which can harm your health. Plant-based diets are low in calories, saturated fats, and cholesterol and high in fiber, which can prevent metabolic disorders and improve your overall well-being. Research has shown that plant-based diets have multiple health benefits for women’s hair, skin, and nails. 

Benefits of a vegan diet on skin, hair, and nails 

• Provides protection 

Having a unique phytochemical composition, certain fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts have demonstrated beneficial effects on the skin owing to their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Studies have also shown that a plant-based diet has a positive effect on skin barrier health and function. Rich in bioactive compounds such as vitamin C, vitamin E, carotene, polyphenols, and phenolic acids, plant-based foods provide defense against oxidative stress, decrease the rate of inflammation, and provide support to the skin structure along with enhancing its texture. Thus, a vegan diet can enhance your natural beauty by providing all the essential nutrients for skin and nails, along with vitamins for hair growth. 

• Offers beauty-building ingredients 

Collagen, keratin, and elastin are fibrous proteins that are essential for our hair, skin, and nail health. Ensuring a sufficient intake of vegan foods like greens, citrus fruits, legumes, mushrooms, onions, garlic, carrots, broccoli, and sweet potatoes that boost keratin, elastin, and collagen production helps improve your nails, skin, and hair health. Biotin is yet another essential vitamin that is responsible for healthy hair, skin, and nails. A deficiency of this vitamin B7 may manifest as thinning of the hair, brittle nails, or skin rashes. Some plant-based sources of vitamin B7 or biotin include nuts, seeds, and sweet potatoes. Taking biotin supplements can also ensure your daily dose of a natural beauty enhancer.

  

Important tips to keep in mind when shifting to veganism 

• Avoid a drastic dietary shift 

A sudden transition to veganism, reduction in weight, or nutritional deficiency may lead to hair loss in some people. If your diet comprises heavy animal products, a drastic shift to plant-based diets may cause a drop in your estrogen (hormone) levels, which may initiate the shedding of hair; however, this phase would be temporary. Eventually, your body will adapt to the new normal (low) levels of estrogen that promote hair growth on the scalp. So be sure to make a gradual shift and be patient. Following a vegan diet that includes hair growth vitamins and healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids from nuts, seeds, avocados, and coconut oil can make your hair thick, healthy, shiny, and glossy by improving your scalp's health. 

• Keep away from frequent indulgence in junk food 

If you follow a vegan diet with a recurrent intake of junk and processed foods, it will definitely lead to poor health for your skin, hair, and nails. Since these foods are replaced with calorie-dense and minimal-nutrient ones, the body will lack the necessary elements that provide radiance to your hair, skin, and nails and even worsen its condition. On the other hand, eating a well-balanced plant-based diet that includes healthy fats and sufficient proteins, along with iron, zinc, folate, and iodine-rich foods, will enhance your hair, nail, and skin health. If you are unable to balance these essential vitamins for hair growth on a vegan diet, you may include multivitamins for hair and biotin supplements in your daily routine. 

• Supplement support 

Ensuring adequate intake of all essential nutrients through a natural plant-based diet may be difficult on a regular basis. Investing in supplements like a vitamin for hair growth and plant-based skin supplements along with a balanced vegan diet can ensure radiant and supple skin, improved hair quality, and stronger nails. Plant-based supplements like protein for women can further enhance your beauty, boost your immunity and metabolism, and enhance your overall strength. Certain vegan protein supplements have been designed especially for women, keeping in mind all the essential nutrients to provide a perfect blend of strength, beauty, hormonal balance, and immunity in one single product. 

Wrapping Up 

Many people fear transitioning from non-vegetarian to vegan, assuming that they would lose out on important vitamins for hair growth and that it may also affect their skin and nail health. Their belief stems from ignorance of the potential benefits of a well-balanced plant-based diet. A vegan diet may enhance a woman’s beauty and overall appearance by providing essential nutrients and adequate protein. 

References 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8462449/ 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4917314/ 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6352362/ 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4231431/ 

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Biotin-HealthProfessional/ 

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23204-keratin 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212267221014337 

https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/get-radiant-hair-skin-and-nails-naturally 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342697508_Foods_For_Healthy_Hair_Skin_and_Nails 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34728412/