Achieving solid beard growth often seems ridiculously easy to uninitiated, beard-less critics.
“After all, it’s just growing hair on your face, right? How hard can that be?”
But if you’re a committed facial hair fanatic, you’ll know that sprouting a luscious set of bristles isn’t always that easy.
(Plus, if you’ve ever turned to the all-knowing Google search engine for beard growth tips, you’ll also know that there are a million different recommendations for growing thicker whiskers.)
But what if we told you that you could promote beard growth and reduce hair loss simply by making a few adjustments to your daily diet?
Well, we have excellent news for all of the budding beard owners out there - you can.
It’s time to examine the importance of your diet in the hair growth process and highlight a few key foods that can help you to nurture your dream beard hair.
How does your diet impact beard growth?
Growing a beard is an all-natural process, meaning your body needs the right fuel to boost facial hair growth. A well-balanced diet containing sufficient protein and vitamins will allow your body to produce testosterone, build collagen levels, and ultimately improve hair and beard growth.
So what are some of these natural building blocks that you can include in your diet to help you stimulate hair growth and achieve enviable facial hair?
Testosterone: Testosterone is one of the keys to healthy beard growth. Testosterone levels have a direct correlation with beard growth fullness, and some evidence also suggests that DHT (a byproduct of testosterone) is also linked to the speed of facial hair growth.
Hydration: Proper hydration is a good way to keep your facial hair strong, healthy, and happy. If your hair follicles are consistently dehydrated, this can lead to issues such as dryness, itchiness, and slowed hair growth.
Collagen: Collagen is a natural protein that stimulates hair and beard growth in several different ways, from preventing hair follicle damage to strengthening your roots to reduce hair thinning.
Keratin: Keratin is a type of protein that’s found in your hair, skin, and nails. Some studies have found that keratin supplements have helped users to decrease hair loss, treat damaged hair, and improve hair fullness.
The 14 best foods for beard growth
Now that we’ve covered the key ingredients that your body needs to boost beard growth, let’s take a look at some of the foods that can provide them.
1. Eggs
Whether you like them fried, scrambled, or hard-boiled, eggs are a superb ally in your mission for healthy beard growth.
Eggs are packed with protein and healthy cholesterol, which are both vital for increasing your testosterone levels. Eggs are also an abundant source of biotin, a vitamin that plays a key role in protein synthesis and keratin production. This can help to promote hair growth, particularly for those with a vitamin deficiency.
Eggs are also full of essential micronutrients, which are important for both long-term beard growth and your general well-being.
2. Potatoes
Potatoes aren’t just a hugely versatile and delicious food - turns out, they can also boost facial hair growth.
(Is there anything they can’t do?)
While many assume that a high-protein diet is the secret to growing a beard, carbohydrates are also necessary for healthier hair growth. Potatoes are packed with clean and high-quality carbohydrates, which help to boost DHT and testosterone production in your body.
Balancing proteins and carbohydrates in your diet is fundamental for achieving healthy testosterone levels and managing male hormones to improve beard growth.
3. Brazil Nuts
If you’re looking for a natural snack that can also help you to grow a fuller beard, Brazil nuts are the perfect solution.
Brazil nuts are loaded with selenium, a mineral that has often been associated with healthy testosterone production and beard growth. In fact, just one 28g serving of Brazil nuts provides a mind-blowing 988% of the daily recommended value of selenium, so a small serving can deliver a lot of minerals.
Although research is inconclusive, several studies have found a direct connection between a higher selenium intake and increased testosterone levels, which is crucial for beard growth.
4. Beef
Meat is good at increasing your testosterone levels.
Increased testosterone levels improve beard growth.
Easy enough, right?
And when it comes to effectively boosting testosterone production, red meat is a fantastic addition to your daily diet. Beef, for example, is packed with saturated fat, which is the primary fatty acid that’s used by your body for testosterone synthesis.
Beef is also a great source of natural protein, which is another fundamental building block for testosterone production and hair growth.
5. Kale
Kale is a rich source of vitamin A, which is important for the repair and maintenance of healthy skin tissues.
But what does this have to do with growing a beard?
Well, skin health and hair growth are directly related, so it’s important to focus on both if you’re hoping to develop a majestic beard. Think of your skin cells and hair follicles like the foundations of your beard - if you want to boost facial hair growth, you need to look after them properly.
(Just bear in mind that too much or too little vitamin A can actually be detrimental to hair growth, so make sure that you’re consuming in moderation!)
6. Raisins
Most avid beard growers will be familiar with the likes of beef and eggs when it comes to beard super-foods.
But what about raisins?
These dried fruits might be small, but they’re also mighty. Raisins contain plenty of essential nutrients that are super important for hair health and optimal growth.
For example, raisins are full of boron, a trace mineral that is ideal for increasing testosterone and DHT levels in the body. Although raisins may not be widely recognised as a testosterone booster, they could become your secret weapon in your quest for a fuller beard.
7. Oranges
You probably already know a lot about the health benefits of oranges - for instance, the fact that they contain high amounts of vitamin C.
But oranges can also be hugely beneficial for beard hormones and facial hair growth.
The naturally occurring fruit sugar fructose in oranges has been proven to lower the amount of SHBG in your body. SHBG is a hormone that binds testosterone and DHT, which makes them less active in your body and therefore impacts your capacity for beard growth.
By regularly drinking orange juice you can lower SHBG release in your body, which allows more free-testosterone and free-DHT to enter your hair follicles and produce thicker hair.
8. Gelatin
Can gelatin really help you to increase your beard growth?
Surprisingly, the answer is yes.
Gelatin is a great source of amino acids, particularly glycine and proline, which are utilised by your body to produce skin, nails, and hair. Since many of us struggle to include these amino acids in our daily diet, we can unknowingly damage our ability to grow healthy beard hairs.
9. Sorghum
You may not have come across sorghum before, but it can be a game-changer for anyone looking to achieve healthier, thicker, and generally more badass beards.
Sorghum is a gluten-free grain that’s been proven to increase levels of the 5-a reductase enzyme in the body.
While the 5-a reductase enzyme doesn’t have a particularly catchy name, it does play an important role in the conversion of testosterone to DHT. And since DHT can be crucial for speeding up beard growth rates, it’s worth finding a place for sorghum in your diet.
10. Alfalfa Sprouts
Alfalfa sprouts may not be the most obvious dietary choice for supporting beard growth, but these nutrient-dense plants are surprisingly potent when it comes to facial hair.
Alfalfa sprouts are packed with vitamins and minerals, but their real power is in their ability to increase DHT and testosterone levels in your body. One clinical study showed that by adding 50g of alfalfa sprouts to their daily diets, 34 men increased their DHT levels by 21% and testosterone levels by 14% in just 4 weeks.
Both testosterone and DHT are key to faster and fuller beard growth, which makes alfalfa sprouts a must-have for anyone looking to produce superior bristles.
11. Fish
Fish is a highly nutritious food that can quickly become a staple part of your hair growth diet.
While different types of fish offer various health benefits, most fish are loaded with basic micronutrients that are great for your general health and well-being. However, fish are also a strong source of protein, B vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids that can help your body to produce hair and maintain healthier skin.
12. Coffee
Coffee isn’t just ideal for giving your brain a much-needed kick-start in the morning - it can also help you to grow a set of magnificent whiskers.
(Buckle up, because it’s time for a quick bit of beard growth science.)
Coffee and caffeine supplements act as PDE-4 enzyme inhibitors in your body, which means they prevent the breakdown of a hormonal messenger known as cAMP. As your cAMP levels increase, your testosterone levels often follow suit - and as we know, testosterone is one of the keys to growing a beard.
Turns out that your coffee habit could also be enhancing your facial hair. Handy, eh?
13. Olive Oil
You can incorporate olive oil into your diet to naturally improve testosterone production.
Olive oil contains a healthy balance of saturated and monosaturated fats, which are used by your body to synthesize testosterone and generate DHT. A small-scale clinical study also discovered that olive oil consistently boosted serum testosterone levels in healthy adult men, as well as stimulating specific cells to produce additional testosterone.
Some of our bearded brethren even use olive oil on their skin. It's not going to compare to a high-quality natural beard oil, but it’s still a solid all-rounder in the world of facial hair.
14. Mushrooms
White button mushrooms effectively reduce your aromatase enzyme levels and lower your estrogen output.
(Don’t panic - let’s walk through this in plain English.)
The aromatase enzyme plays a critical role in converting testosterone molecules into estrogen. That means the more aromatase your body creates, the less testosterone you produce, which is bad news for your beard growth plans.
White button mushrooms suppress the aromatase enzyme and slow estrogen synthesis, meaning your body can maintain more precious testosterone to direct towards your budding bristles.
What foods harm facial hair growth?
We’ve just covered a few different foods that promote healthy and consistent beard hair growth.
But it’s also important to remember that some foods can actually be detrimental to your facial hair plans. Let’s take a look at some of the anti-beard-growth culprits that should be limited in your diet plans.
Refined sugar
Too much refined or processed sugar can lead to patchy beard growth and even hair loss.
When your body metabolizes sugar, the rapid glucose spike can cause havoc among your hormones. These hormone fluctuations (including glucose and insulin) are bad news for natural hair growth, and increased blood sugar can lead to long-term hair thinning.
Alcohol
Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with decreased testosterone levels, which means that your body is deprived of a crucial ingredient in the hair-growing process.
Too much alcohol can also disrupt your ability to absorb nutrients properly, which means that your hairs won’t receive the nourishment they need to flourish on your face.
Excess salt
While a moderate salt intake won’t cause any harm to your beard, excess consumption can be trouble for your whiskers.
Not only can salt dehydrate your body (causing dull and brittle hairs) but excess amounts will be excreted through your pores, which can damage your hair follicles in the long run.
Are beard growth supplements worth trying?
If you’re hoping to improve the quality or quantity of your beard hair, then you’ve probably also considered purchasing beard supplements.
But are these supplements worth the investment?
The answer is yes - as long as you’re buying from trusted manufacturers that use high-quality ingredients. Biotin, for example, is a popular vitamin that contributes to keratin production and has been shown to stimulate hair growth in certain cases.
The key is to double-check the ingredients of any beard supplements to ensure that you fully understand what you’re taking. And always remember - while certain supplements can make a difference to your facial hair, beard growth mainly comes down to genetics.
(If you’re keen to learn more about the safety and effectiveness of beard growth supplements, check out this guide to discover more info!)
Struggling with slow or patchy beard growth can be frustrating at times, but don’t lose hope.
Making a few simple changes to your diet can have a massive impact on the speed of your beard growth and the health of your facial hair. Try to incorporate as many of these foods as possible into your daily menu, and you’ll be enjoying the benefits in no time.