Folate (Vitamin B9) is known to help your body make new cells for everything from blood to hair, and much like selenium and B12, may help prevent premature graying. This is why you may see it included in hair care products, but it may be called folic acid instead.
Chances are you’re already getting enough in your diet, but if you’re pregnant or are just curious, a simple blood test at your doctor’s office will let you know for sure.
Here’s what the NIH recommends for a daily intake:
Teens 14–18 years - 400 mcg
Adults 19+ years - 400 mcg
Pregnant teens and women - 600 mcg
Breastfeeding teens and women - 500 mcg
If you want to increase your folate intake, it’s easy by adding leafy greens, citrus fruits, avocados, eggs, and legumes to your diet. Many are rich in folate and easy to add to your daily routines. Here are seven of our top choices, how much folate they have, and a couple ideas to get the food mixed into your diet.
Spinach
Spinach is rich in folate and contains vitamin C, iron, potassium, and is a hair healthy food. The iron helps to carry oxygen to your scalp and follicles, and vitamin C works as an antioxidant. Vitamin E helps to protect your scalp from pollution and the damage from UV rays.
Try adding spinach to an omelet at breakfast, or have a spinach and strawberry salad at lunch. It blends perfectly into smoothies, and can be sauteed with garlic for a side during dinner. 1 cup is all it takes.
Avocado
Also rich in B9, avocados help your hair with a mix of omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, and vitamin E. The omega-3 fatty acids help with parts of hair growth, along with magnesium which helps your body form the proteins that make up your hair. Vitamin E can be consumed or you can use vitamin E oil to get healthy and shiny hair.
Have a side of guacamole if you go out for tacos at lunch, and blend up an avocado with some bananas or fruits into a breakfast smoothie. There’s some amazing recipes for avocado brownies that are easy to make for dessert, or slice them and use them for a topping on a burger.
Eggs
It’s no secret that eggs are good for your hair. They help it get its luster and shine, and eggs have selenium, vitamin A for regulating the hair growth cycle and vitamin D for hair growth, as well as iron which are all healthy for hair in the right amounts.
Fry a couple of eggs for breakfast, or add a hard boiled one to your spinach salad at lunch. You can top a burger with a sunny side up one, or have an egg salad for a snack. And who doesn’t love an appetizer of deviled eggs at dinner?
Brussel Sprouts
Also rich in folate, brussel sprouts contain multiple hair healthy nutrients from zinc to iron, protein, and vitamin B6. You already learned about these above, so let's find some ways to enjoy these veggies.
You cannot go wrong with crispy brussel sprouts and a honey dip for a side at lunch, brunch, or dinner. Love salads? Try shredding brussel sprouts as part of the greens mix or the entire mix. And roasted ones pair perfectly with poultry and steaks.
Turkey
In addition to folate, you’ll find selenium, vitamins B3, B6, and B12, as well as iron and protein which is why turkey is a hair healthy food. Something interesting about turkey is the temperature at which you cook it impacts how much B12 remains, but it does not impact the folic acid.
Substitute pork bacon for turkey bacon or sausages in the morning. If you’re looking for an alternative to regular hamburgers, give a turkey one a try. You don’t have to wait for Thanksgiving to roast one, and there are a ton of amazing options at your grocery store deli counter for flavored turkey breast slices to put on a sandwich.
Strawberries
250 grams of strawberries contains 50% of your needed daily folate intake, that’s one of the rectangular containers at the grocery store. So split it into two or three to make sure you’re getting enough. In addition to folate you’ll be getting vitamin C, potassium, antioxidants, manganese, and iron.
Slice 8 strawberries and add them as a topper to a spinach salad to get a folate boost. Mix a few into a smoothie or yogurt for breakfast or a healthy snack. And strawberries are a perfect alternative to chips or fried foods as a side at lunch and dinner as they’re naturally sweet and can help fix midday and evening sugar cravings.
Oranges
With roughly 9% of your daily folate according to Healthline, these citrus fruits are a perfect way to ensure you’re getting enough of your daily intake. In addition to B9, you’ll also be getting vitamin C, fiber, a bit of protein, and potassium which are all hair healthy.
Add an orange to your morning smoothie, or peel and enjoy one for a snack while you’re working or at school. Squeeze a fresh orange for some fresh juice with breakfast or lunch. Or peel and section it to eat while watching TV in the evening as an alternative to junk food.
It’s easy to get enough folate in your diet when you prepare ahead of time. Many of the foods you love have plenty of it, so sub out a couple of ingredients or add a few folate rich foods to your recipes and you should be able to get enough.
