Rather than trying to avoid the gray hairs by using color from a bottle, look to your diet. Those who are deficient in some vitamins can find their hair turning gray sooner than they had ever anticipated or wanted. These vitamins are found in foods you should already be eating, so start stocking your refrigerator and pantry.
Vitamin B6
As one of the B-complex of vitamins, vitamin B6, which is found in proteins such as liver, egg yolk, organ meats, vegetables and in whole grain cereals, can help keep your hair from graying. If you don't eat sufficient amounts of the foods that are rich in vitamin B6, your hair will lose its natural color. This vitamin assists a cell inside the hair follicle to produce melanin, which gives your hair its color.
If you choose, you can also increase your intake of vitamin B6 by taking 1.6 mg daily. Make sure to get sufficient quantities of this vitamin from natural sources: Look for cereals that contain high amounts of whole grains, eat five servings daily of vegetables rich in B6 and add brewer's yeast--also high in B6--to your food. The vegetables rich in B6 include spinach, avocado, asparagus, potatoes, peas, cauliflower, red bell pepper, broccoli and carrots.
Biotin
Diets lacking in biotin, which is found in the B-complex vitamins, contribute to premature graying hair. You can help to increase the nutritional benefit to your hair by taking 50 mg of the B-complex vitamins daily.
The foods containing higher amounts of biotin include liver, egg yolks, brewer's yeast, rice, liver, whole grains and milk. Biotin helps to produce keratin, which helps to prevent graying hair and hair loss. Take 150 to 300 mg biotin daily.
Pantothenic Acid--Vitamin B5
Pantothenic acid, vitamin B5, helps to prevent graying hair. It's found in organ meats, egg yolks, brewer's yeast and whole grain cereals; take 4 to 7 mg daily.
Because egg yolks and organ meats are high in cholesterol, you should look for natural sources of your B vitamins from other foods. For this reason, concentrate on whole grain foods, brewer's yeast, milk and rice.