In our previous posts, we’ve told you how hair loss is caused, what male pattern baldness is, what the different types of hair loss are. We now bring you a comprehensive list of nutrients and their functions in hair growth and what their absence does to your hair. We also list various vegetarian and non-vegetarian sources which contain these nutrients and are must-haves if you want radiant, luscious hair.

Nutrient	Required for	Effect of deficiency on hair	Vegetarian sources	Non-vegetarian sources
Protein	These are building blocks of every tissue of the body including hair and scalp. It helps in new hair generation to replace the ones that are lost.	Dry and brittle hair; thinning of scalp due to non-replacement of the shedding hair.	Proteins from beans, nuts, grains etc are good but not optimal since they contain protein in the incomplete form.	Proteins from animal sources are the best eg: meat, chicken, fish, eggs, milk, cheese.
Vitamin C (If you are a smoker, your requirement for Vitamin C doubles)	This vitamin is required for producing collagen which is essential for holding tissues in the hair together.	Weak and brittle hair leading to split ends and hair loss.	Oranges, lemon, sweet lime, berries, watermelon, palak, methi, tomatoes and potatoes.	Not available from animal sources
Iron (If you are a woman, your requirement for iron is even more since you lose blood and iron during menstruation. Pregnant and lactating women also need more iron)	Required for formation of hemoglobin in turn providing enough oxygen and blood to the hair	Weakening of the hair and hair loss.	Non-heme iron from palak, rajma, dal, chana, soyabeans	Meat, chicken, eggs, fish are the better sources since heme iron from animal sources is more easily absorbed.
Copper	Same as above	Weakening of the hair and hair loss.	Sesame seeds (til), soya, cashews	Meat (especially liver), seafood
Zinc	Helps the oil glands in the hair follicle to function normally.	The oil glands do not produce enough oil leading to dry scalp, dandruff and hair loss.	Nuts, whole grains, dals	Meat, seafood
Vitamin B complex	Helps hemoglobin which helps supply oxygen to the scalp and hair and hair follicles.	Weak, undernourished and damaged hair	Not available from vegetarian sources	Tuna fish (bangda) and salmon fish (rohu), chicken