Did you know that biotin, a “B-complex vitamin,” is responsible for beard growth? Biotin actually does a lot for our bodies, such as promoting smoother skin, strong nails, and healthy follicles.
So, for promoting beard growth, biotin-rich foods also boost male hormones. A study found that the healthiest Americans get between 100 and 300 micrograms of biotin every day.
While some beard growth vitamins help with deficiencies, eating the right nutrient-rich food may promote faster beard growth. There are also a few other items to add to your grocery list that can help your beard grow thicker and faster.
This article addresses several issues with beard hair growth:
- Slow-growing patchy beards
- Beards with bald spots
- Thin, wispy beard growth
- Lack of overall beard growth for many months
What Helps Beards Grow Faster?
According to research, beard growth may be affected by stress, hormones, and vitamin deficiencies in your diet. For example, if you don’t intake enough protein, testosterone, biotin, and vitamin D, then your follicles may suffer and produce weaker hair, which tends to fall out or close up completely.
To grow beard hair faster, individuals may need to change their diet to include more B-complex vitamins such as biotin for beard growth, but vitamin D, iron, and zinc are also important, especially if you have a deficiency. Protein like eggs, red meat, and salmon can also help your body regulate follicular growth better.
In addition, better grooming habits can also promote hair growth, such as brushing your beard with a stiff bristle brush to direct hair to grow over patches.
Now, let’s get started on growing your yeard beard.
Beard Growth Foods
You’re probably tired of hearing this, but even when you change your diet, you may have to wait up to 30 days to see a difference in your beard.
If changing your diet doesn’t work, consult with your doctor to see if there are other problems at play, such as low testosterone or thyroid issues. Additionally, you might also try Rogaine (Minoxidil) to help with beard growth.
1. Eggs
One ingredient in any hair growth diet includes eggs. Multiple studies and research have shown that egg yolks work for hair growth because they contain biotin and vitamin D, in addition to several other vitamins and minerals.
Basically, eggs contain everything you need for higher testosterone and biotin production.
2. Almonds
For a snack that delivers a powerful nutrient-rich punch, almonds are the top choice. Whether you salt, roast, or spice them up, almonds have a ton of biotin. Peanuts, green beans, walnuts, and pecans also have concentrated amounts of biotin and vitamin E.
3. Cauliflower
There are so many recipes for cauliflower that it should be easy to slip this one into your diet. Not only that, but raw cauliflower contains over 15 micrograms of biotin per serving. It also helps to absorb other nutrients when eaten alongside other food.
Mashed cauliflower and riced cauliflower offer the best recipes to go with your protein.
4. Specific Cheeses
Dairy products contain a ton of vitamin D and biotin. However, certain cheeses have the optimal levels of biotin according to biotin studies on dairy (PDF). The top cheeses for hair growth include:
- Blue cheese
- Camembert cheese
- Cheddar cheese
- American cheese
5. Alfalfa Sprouts
One study on hair growth focused on alfalfa sprouts and found that 50g of alfalfa sprouts per day increased their testosterone levels considerably. Testosterone stimulates follicular growth, so it’s important for growing thick beard hair.
6. Oranges
A fruit with lots of punch, oranges are the perfect snack with beard healthy vitamins including: vitamin C, vitamin A, biotin, and vitamin B5.
Did you also know that the fructose in oranges make the sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) which binds testosterone and DHT less active? So, by drinking orange juice or eating an orange a day, you can help your follicles grow stronger.
7. Brazil Nuts
Like almonds and other nuts, Brazil nuts are especially great for hair growth. However, they are better for hair growth because of their high selenium content. Though the research on selenium intake and testosterone levels are mixed, there are still numerous health benefits offered by these nuts, like helping regulate your thyroid.
Just one Brazil nut (approx 4 – 5g) has 77-91 mcg (micrograms) of selenium, which exceeds the 55mcg recommended daily allowance (RDA) for the average adult.
8. Raisins
Raisins contain boron, which is another mineral that has been shown to increase levels of free testosterone in the body. Multiple studies have proven that boron ingredients help with stronger, thicker hair.
9. Beef
Animal proteins like beef contain insane amounts of iron, fatty acids, and biotin. Some red meat contains more, such as beef hearts and liver – just be careful consuming any undercooked meet.
However, non-GMO steaks and ground beef are perfect sources for beard growth nutrients.
10. Sweet Potato
Due to their high concentration of biotin, beta carotene, and vitamin D, sweet potatoes are another vegetable side dish to get behind if you want to grow longer, thicker beard hair. It can also improve your skin’s appearance.
11. Sunflower Seeds
The might sunflower seed has lots of vitamin E that’s amazing for your skin and overall hair growth. Even if you’re not a lover of these little seeds, you can still get it into your diet and reap the health benefits by simply cooking with sunflower oil.
Other Foods for Beard Growth
There are a ton of other food items to add to your grocery list if you want to increase your vitamin and nutrient intake even more.
- Spinach
- White button mushrooms
- Sorghum grain
- Olive oil
- Macadamia nuts
- Broccoli
- Bok choy
- Turnip roots
- Brussel sprouts
- Collard greens
- Kale
- Cabbage
