Struggling with dull, brittle hair that just won’t improve – no matter how many products you try – can be frustrating. While serums, oils, and masks promise quick fixes, they often fall short if your diet is missing the essential nutrients needed for healthy hair from within. The truth is, strong, shiny hair is built internally, and simple, consistent changes to what you eat and how you care for your body can make a noticeable difference over time.
Rujuta Diwekar, a leading celebrity nutritionist and wellness expert who has worked with stars such as Kareena Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Shahid Kapoor – and who famously curated Kareena Kapoor’s “size zero” look as well as her post-pregnancy weight loss journey – has shared key dietary additions and simple lifestyle habits that can help improve hair health. In an Instagram video posted on March 23, she outlines practical, everyday changes that support stronger, healthier hair.
Maintain physical health
According to Rujuta, the first thing to understand is that your hair health is a direct reflection of your overall physical well-being – what benefits your body also supports your hair. She cautions against drastically cutting calories by eliminating carbohydrates like rice, as such restrictions can negatively impact hair health. Instead, she recommends including rice at least once a day, noting that it can play a supportive role in maintaining healthy hair.
The nutritionist explains, “Keep this first thing in mind that whatever increases your physical health, the same also increases the health of your hair. So, for physical health, if you are going to do a lot of dieting, remove rice, remove calories, or remove carbohydrates, then if weight is reduced, hair will also be reduced along with it. So what should you do? You should use common sense and eat rice at least once a day. No one gets fat by eating rice. But rice is important for good hair. So definitely eat rice once a day.”
Local and seasonal fruits
Rujuta highlights that local, seasonal fruits such as guava, amla, and mangoes are rich in vitamin C, which plays a crucial role in enhancing iron absorption. She explains that when haemoglobin levels are optimised, it directly reflects in better hair health – improving colour, density, and overall strength.
She notes, “The second thing that keeps your hair good is local and seasonal fruits, like guava, and until a few days ago, there was amla. You will still find amla pickle or amla syrup. Then soon mangoes will arrive in season. All these fruits have vitamin C; if you eat vitamin C, it is a cofactor for iron, and when our haemoglobin levels remain good, then our hair’s colour, density, look, and strength remain good.”
Pulses and legumes
The nutritionist highlights that pulses and legumes are rich in essential nutrients, including amino acids, B vitamins, and fibre. These nutrients not only support overall health but also strengthen hair from within, helping reduce breakage and improve resilience.
She explains, “The third thing that we should eat is pulses and legumes. When we eat things like Moong, Arhar, Chawli, if we eat it at least once a day, then the amino acids, vitamin B, and fibre obtained from it not only keep our physical health good but also maintain the power and strength in our hair so that they don’t break just like that for no reason.”
Halim seeds
Rujuta Diwekar recommends incorporating aliv or halim seeds into your diet in their traditional, whole form. She suggests preparing them as laddoos or kheer to maximise their nutritional benefits. Rich in folic acid, these seeds can support both skin and hair health.
The nutritionist explains, “The seeds in our diet like aliv seeds or halim seeds, if we eat them in their original form – original form meaning making a laddoo of aliv or halim, or making its kheer and eating it – then you will get all the folic acid and all the nutrients that keep your hair and skin good. If you take it like a shot in water as soon as you wake up in the morning, you are not going to get anything out of it; you will just get a stomach disturbance.”
Other hair health habits
Apart from focusing on nutrition, Rujuta also recommends adopting a few simple lifestyle habits to protect and strengthen your hair. She advises oiling your hair once a week and leaving the oil on for at least 30 minutes to nourish the scalp. Regularly combing your hair is another key practice, as it helps stimulate blood circulation. Lastly, she encourages embracing your natural hair texture instead of subjecting it to frequent styling treatments like straightening or curling, which can cause long-term damage.
The nutritionist highlights, “Along with that, keep in mind that oiling your hair every week and keeping that oil in your hair for at least half an hour is also very important. Combing the hair regularly is also necessary. And the third thing is to accept our hair just as it is. It’s not that if they are straight, you make them curly, or if they are curly, you make them straight. The more treatments we do on our hair, the more our hair will remain in distress.”
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
