Autumn eating for hair

In autumn, many people notice more hair on the brush and look for a food or a supplement that will "stop the hair loss". There is none. Seasonal shedding is a normal phenomenon of the hair cycle and is not solved by any particular food (see Why more hair falls out in autumn: what is known).

What diet can do is make sure the follicle lacks nothing, since it is one of the fastest-dividing tissues in the body, and prevent a deficiency from adding to seasonal shedding and prolonging it. Autumn is, in fact, a good time for this: it has pulses, oily fish, pumpkin, kale, nuts and citrus fruit, all inexpensive and in season. And it has a challenge of its own: with less sun, vitamin D starts to fall.

What changes in autumn

Less sun, less vitamin D

Most of the body's vitamin D does not come from food but from skin exposed to the sun (UVB radiation). In autumn and winter, the sun is lower, the days are shorter and we spend more time indoors, so production in the skin falls sharply.

In Portugal, the national study by Duarte and colleagues (2020), with adults from the EpiReumaPt study, found vitamin D below 20 ng/mL in 66.6% of the population, and very low values (10 ng/mL or less) in about one in five. Sampling in winter or spring was strongly associated with very low values, as were advanced age, obesity, smoking and female sex. Physical activity was associated with lower risk.

And what about hair? A 2024 meta-analysis of 79 studies and more than 15,000 patients (Yongpisarn et al.) showed that vitamin D is lower in people with alopecia areata and with female pattern hair loss than in people without hair loss. This does not prove that a lack of vitamin D causes hair loss, and there are as yet no trials showing that supplementing makes hair grow. But it is one more reason not to let vitamin D drop sharply during the winter.

Routines that change

With the cold, the tendency is to eat more "comfort food" (pasta, bread, sweets) and fewer vegetables and fruit, and to exercise less. The return to work in September also brings faster, less planned meals. None of this is serious, but over weeks it can reduce the protein, iron and micronutrients that hair needs.

Seasonal foods and what they give your hair

The follicle needs energy, protein (hair is mostly keratin), iron, zinc, B-complex vitamins, vitamin D and essential fatty acids. These are some autumn foods that help meet those needs.

Chestnuts are a good seasonal food, but they have little protein: they count as an accompaniment, not as a substitute for fish, meat, eggs or pulses.

For the role of each nutrient and the signs of deficiency, see Protein, iron and zinc: what your hair needs and Diet and hair loss: what each strand needs.

Combinations that help

Plant iron with vitamin C

Iron comes in two forms. Haem iron, from meat, fish and shellfish, is well absorbed. Non-haem iron, from pulses, green vegetables and cereals, is absorbed in smaller amounts and depends greatly on what is eaten at the same meal. Vitamin C markedly increases the absorption of non-haem iron (Hallberg et al., 1989), and a small amount of meat or fish in the meal also helps.

In practice:

• Beans or chickpeas with pepper, tomato or broccoli, and an orange or tangerine for dessert.
• Lentil salad with lemon juice.
• Spinach or turnip tops with a little fish or egg.

What reduces absorption

Tea and coffee (because of their polyphenols) and calcium in large amounts reduce iron absorption when taken with a meal. There is no need to cut them out; just keep them about an hour away from main meals, especially if you have low ferritin.

Protein spread throughout the day

Many people eat little protein at breakfast and snack time and concentrate it at dinner. Spreading it across meals (eggs or yoghurt in the morning, pulses or fish at lunch, a snack with cheese or nuts) helps to reach the daily amount. For most healthy adults, the European reference is about 0.83 g per kilo of body weight per day.

Good fat with orange vegetables

The beta-carotene in pumpkin, carrots and sweet potato is fat-soluble: it is better absorbed with a little fat, such as a drizzle of olive oil.

A week of autumn: meal ideas

It is not a meal plan, but an example of how to combine seasonal foods. Quantities depend on each person. Those with chronic conditions, allergies or restrictions should adapt it with their doctor or dietitian.

Breakfasts: porridge with fruit and walnuts; plain yoghurt with kiwi; wholemeal bread with egg or cheese.

Snacks: a handful of nuts, seasonal fruit, yoghurt, hummus with carrot.

For those who do not eat meat or fish, pulses (daily), tofu, eggs, dairy and nuts cover protein; vitamin B12 needs a supplement in those who eat no animal products, and iron and zinc deserve attention.

Autumn myths and supplements

If hair loss is heavy or prolonged, it is more useful to have targeted tests than to buy supplements blindly.

When you should ask for an assessment

A good diet does not solve every kind of hair loss.

At Luxmed, the hair medicine consultation includes a clinical history with questions about diet, examination of the scalp and trichoscopy. When indicated, we request blood tests to assess iron, vitamin D, thyroid and other parameters, and guide the correction of any deficiencies.

This article is for information only and does not replace a medical consultation or an individual nutrition plan. The results of any treatment vary from person to person.

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