Many factors affect beard growth in men, such as male hormones (testosterone and DHT) and proteins like biotin. Thus maintaining a healthy diet that helps regulate hormonal balance and provides essential nutrients would be an answer to how to increase beard growth naturally.
Here are some beard growth foods that you can include in your meal for thicker facial hair:
Egg
As per research, egg yolk for beard is good as it has biotin, vitamin D, cholesterol, and other minerals and vitamins. These compounds induce testosterone production and thus promote beard growth. One required Vitamin D for the maturation of hair follicles. Protein in eggs helps in building thick hair.
You can eat a boiled egg, omelette, egg curry, or egg bhurji once a day for effective results.
Brazil Nuts
Research says that Selenium is a mineral that boosts testosterone levels in the body and increases thyroid activity. One finds ample amounts in Brazil nuts, and that's why it is one of the foods that promote hair growth.
Two brazil nuts for beard growth per day are enough. However, you must always consume them with their skin intact as most of the Selenium is present in the skin or outer covering of the Brazil nuts.
Alfalfa Sprouts
A study conducted in 2018 showed that daily consumption of alfalfa sprouts boosts DHT and testosterone production. Both of these hormones are responsible for thicker beard growth.
Soak a handful of sprouts overnight in fresh water and eat in the morning with breakfast. You can also add a pinch of salt and raw onion for taste.
Also read: Best strategies to grow a beard
Oranges
Globulin binds with DHT and testosterone to reduce their efficiency. Oranges have fructose that decreases globulin quantity in the body and thus makes male sex hormones more active. They also have vitamin C and thyroid activity promoting compounds that help in beard growth.
You can eat raw oranges or drink their juice. Some people also add them to their fruit salad.
Raisins
Raisins have boron that increases testosterone and DHT production. A study on "Comparative effects of daily and weekly boron supplementation on plasma steroid hormones and proinflammatory cytokines" supports this fact. It showed that testosterone and DHT levels in the body increased by 28% and 10%, respectively, when boron supplements were taken daily.
Raisins for beard growth can be consumed either dry or after soaking in water. You can mix them in Indian desserts like kheer and halwa.
Olive Oil
Studies say that Olive oil comprises 73% monounsaturated, 14% saturated, and 13% polyunsaturated fatty acid. It has oleuropein as well. Like carbohydrates, both these compounds boost the DHT and testosterone level in the body and positively affect beard growth.
You can replace your regular cooking oil with olive oil and incorporate its consumption with your meal as beard food.
Potato
Potatoes are a rich source of gluten-free carbohydrates. It is one of the foods that increase DHT and testosterone production. Men with patchy beards will also benefit from regular consumption of potatoes.
Potatoes can be eaten in many ways, such as boiled, fried, in combination with other vegetables, etc. Eat them at least once a day with your meal.
Gelatin
Your body uses collagen proteins for hair, nails, and skin rejuvenation. Two of the most important ones amongst them are glycine and proline. In addition, gelatin, made from animal bones, has collagen proteins in abundance.
You can mix gelatin powder in a beverage like a hot cup of tea or coffee and drink in the morning. Gelatin capsules are also available in medical shops.
Coffee
As per research, coffee is considered to be a PDE-4 enzyme inhibitor that, in turn, increases the cAMP (a secondary hormonal messenger) level in the body. Thus, it directly impacts testosterone production. In addition, coffee also has anti-oxidants and traces of magnesium. Both are equally important for beard hair growth.
You should drink light and medium roast coffee once a day to get optimum results.
Macadamia Nuts
Macadamia nuts have a high content of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. As a result, they help in increasing testosterone levels that further increase beard growth in men.
One can consume Macadamia nuts as evening snacks like chips with a hot cup of tea or coffee.
There are also numerous ways to fix a patchy beard. These tips and tricks will ensure you never have a bad beard day again!
Also read: Beard styles for a round face
FAQs
How to grow a beard faster at 16?
How to grow a thicker beard? Other than including the foods mentioned above that cause facial hair growth, you can follow the skincare routine given below for faster beard growth at the age of 16:
- Exfoliate your face with a scrub or good-quality exfoliant once a week to avoid ingrown hairs.
- Wash your face daily with a mild face wash to keep skin pores open.
- Moisturize facial skin with eucalyptus-based cream or oil as it is known to boost facial hair growth.
- Take proper rest and exercise daily to maintain adequate blood flow in the body and regular skin rejuvenation.
Which vitamin is good for beard growth?
Vitamin B7 or Biotin is most important for beard growth as it promotes keratin (also known as hair protein) synthesis.
What foods stop facial hair growth?
Chemically synthesized food items with inorganic preservatives, added flavour, or colour can cause hormonal imbalance in the body. This could reduce facial hair growth in men.
References
Tobias W. Fischer, Uta-Christina Hipler (2007) Effect of caffeine and testosterone on the proliferation of human hair follicles in vitro (International Journal of Dermatology) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/6586202_Effect_of_caffeine_and_testosterone_on_the_proliferation_of_human_hair_follicles_invitro
Mohammad Reza Naghii, Mahmoud Mofid (2010) Comparative effects of daily and weekly boron supplementation on plasma steroid hormones and proinflammatory cytokines (PubMed) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21129941/
Sasaki M, Shinozaki S (2018) Daily intake of alfalfa sprouts, but not broccoli sprouts, influence plasma levels of androgen in middle-aged males (Open Access Text) https://www.oatext.com/daily-intake-of-alfalfa-sprouts-but-not-broccoli-sprouts-influence-plasma-levels-of-androgen-in-middle-aged-males.php#Article_Info
Barbara Cardoso, Graziela Biude Silva Duarte (2017) Brazil nuts: Nutritional composition, health benefits and safety aspects (Food Research International) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319126478_Brazil_nuts_Nutritional_composition_health_benefits_and_safety_aspects
Toshio Nakamura, Haruo Yamamura (2018) Naturally Occurring Hair Growth Peptide: Water-Soluble Chicken Egg Yolk Peptides Stimulate Hair Growth Through Induction of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Production (Journal of Medicinal Food) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324049365_Naturally_Occurring_Hair_Growth_Peptide_Water-Soluble_Chicken_Egg_Yolk_Peptides_Stimulate_Hair_Growth_Through_Induction_of_Vascular_Endothelial_Growth_Factor_Production
