Your hair needs vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to stay strong and keep growing. Fruits cannot fix all hair problems. But eating a variety of fruits can help prevent nutrient deficiencies that may cause hair thinning or slow growth.

A 2018 study found strong evidence that the Annurca apple from Southern Italy can support hair growth. It contains procyanidin B2, an antioxidant that:

• Boosts keratin (the protein that forms hair strands)
• Keeps your hair strong and thick
• Helps your hair stay in the growth phase longer 

Berries help hair growth because they give you: 

• Antioxidants (anthocyanins, flavonoids, and polyphenols)
• Vitamin C
• Folate (strawberries are a rich source)

Vitamin C helps your body make collagen, a protein that keeps hair strands strong. It also helps your body absorb iron, improving blood and oxygen to your hair roots.

Combined, the nutrients in berries:

• Help your hair stay in the growth phase longer
• Reduce hair breakage and thinning
• Reduce shedding due to low iron

Avocados contain many beneficial compounds that support hair health, such as:

• Amino acids (cysteine and proline): Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Amino acids found in avocados help build up keratin and collagen around hair roots.
• B vitamins (folate and pantothenic acid): B vitamins support hair follicles during the growth phase and help your body make keratin. 
• Healthy fats (oleic acid): Fats from avocados help moisturize your scalp and improve vitamin absorption. 
• Vitamin E: This acts as an antioxidant, protecting against oxidative stress. 

Eat avocados fresh or use them as a scalp mask for direct hair and scalp nourishment.

Guava is a tropical fruit with green or yellow skin and pink or white flesh filled with tiny edible seeds.

Guava contains nearly five times the vitamin C of an orange. Vitamin C helps your body make collagen and absorb iron, lowering the risk of breakage and iron-deficiency hair shedding (telogen effluvium).

Guava also has antioxidants like: 

• Beta-carotene and lycopene (these give pink guava its color)
• Quercetin 
• Rutin

You can eat the skin, flesh, and seeds, or slice it like an apple. Some people also use guava leaves in scalp rinses or masks.

Kiwi provides several compounds that can benefit hair health, including: 

• Antioxidants: Beta-carotene, lutein, and polyphenols help protect your hair from oxidative stress.
• Folate: Gold and green kiwifruit are both rich in folate, which helps your body make new hair cells.
• Vitamin C: Kiwi gives you more vitamin C than oranges. This helps your body make collagen and absorb iron, which strengthens hair strands, improves blood flow, and reduces shedding.

Papaya stands out for hair health because it is rich in:

• Antioxidants (lycopene, quercetin, and rutin)
• Beta carotene (a pigment that gives papaya its orange or yellow color)
• Folate (vitamin B9) 
• Papain enzyme 
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C

Papaya is one of the richest fruit sources of folate. Folate helps your body make new hair cells, promoting hair growth and reducing shedding.

Vitamin A helps your scalp produce natural oils, keeping it moisturized. Your body can also convert beta carotene from papaya into vitamin A when it needs to.

Papain is an enzyme unique to papaya, but it works best for hair health when applied to your scalp. It breaks down dead skin and excess oil, keeping your scalp clean and your follicles clear. This makes it easier for your hair to grow and stay thick.

Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and grapefruits stand out for their folate and vitamin C content. These nutrients help with hair growth because:

• Folate helps support new hair growth
• Vitamin C helps build collagen, keeping your hair strong
• Vitamin C increases iron absorption, reducing the risk of hair shedding 
• Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant, protecting hair follicles from oxidative stress

Pomegranates are red fruits with arils (seeds) that you can eat by themselves or add to salads and yogurt bowls. They are rich in antioxidants like:

• Anthocyanins (give pomegranates their red color)
• Ellagitannins
• Punicalagins

Together, the antioxidants in pomegranates help hair growth by:

• Helping your hair stay in the growth phase longer
• Reducing damage linked to thinning
• Supporting healthy blood flow to your scalp and hair follicles

Bananas provide a small amount of biotin, a vitamin your body uses to make keratin. Low biotin levels can cause thinning or shedding, so even small dietary sources help. Foods like eggs and beef liver offer more biotin, but bananas can contribute to your intake and are an easy addition.

Mangosteen has a deep purple shell with white segments inside. These white parts are rich in xanthone antioxidants, which have anti-inflammatory properties that can soothe the scalp and protect against damage.

Since mangosteen is native to Southeast Asia, it may be easier to find it frozen or in powder form to add to your smoothies.

Fruits do not cure hair loss, but eating two to three servings of a variety of fruits each day gives you nutrients that help your hair stay in the growth cycle longer. 

Experts recommend a food-first approach rather than supplements unless your provider confirms you have a nutrient deficiency. Taking too many supplements, especially vitamin A, may cause hair loss.

Try to choose fresh or frozen fruits whenever possible. Dried and juiced fruits often have more sugar, and fruits that are overly cooked can lose important nutrients.

Hair grows slowly, about half an inch each month. It may take three to six months to notice changes. See a healthcare provider if it persists despite dietary changes or if you have fatigue, scalp irritation, or period changes. They can help you identify any underlying genetic or medical causes.

Who are the safest tea brands without PFAS “forever chemicals?” This is the question that Mamavation has been attempting to answer for you by sending the most popular tea brands to our EPA-certified laboratory to test.  After all that testing, which tea brands and tea products do we recommend? You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you topics like (1) safest cooking oils tested for phthalates, (2) safest coffees tested for pesticides, PFAS “forever chemicals,” and mycotoxins, and (3) safest protein powders tested for pesticides, PFAS “forever chemicals”, phthalates, and heavy metals, now join us for the safest teas without PFAS “forever chemicals.”

Disclosure: This consumer study is released in partnership with Environmental Health News. Donations were provided by Environmental Health News and Mamavation community members. Note that Mamavation has only “spot-checked” the industry and thus we cannot make predictions about brands and products that we have not tested. Products and manufacturing aides can change without notice so buyer beware. This post contains affiliate links, with some to Amazon, which means Mamavation will receive a portion of those sales and we will use that to pay ourselves back for the testing. You can also give a tax-deductible donation to our consumer studies here through Environmental Health Sciences. Thank you!  

Mamavation Found PFAS in Popular Teas

Mamavation has been testing several categories of teas for specific PFAS “forever chemicals,” and we thought it would be useful to bring you a synopsis of what was found thus far all together in one place. Note that some teas tested higher for PFAS compounds than others. The PFAS levels that were high enough to quantify are referred to as “quantifiable PFAS” and you’ll find all those results at the bottom of this post.

Here’s a quick synopsis of how much PFAS was found in each category:

• 91% of Earl Grey tea contained specific PFAS “forever chemicals,” and 25% of those teas had quantifiable PFAS.
• 54% of Chamomile tea contained specific PFAS “forever chemicals,” and 31% of those teas had quantifiable PFAS.
• 50% of green teas contained specific PFAS “forever chemicals,” and 33% of those teas had quantifiable PFAS.

PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Have Problematic Health Effects

PFAS “forever chemicals” are problematic for human health and the environment. They are considered ubiquitous, persistent, and toxic. Therefore, reducing the amount of PFAS you are exposed to from food, water, and other beverages like tea is imperative. Mamavation is dedicated to helping you do that when shopping for tea.

Here are some of the adverse health effects of different PFAS “forever chemicals:”

It’s also very clear, based on biomonitoring evidence from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), that PFAS are in all Americans. Therefore, these exposures can harm most Americans.

Recent Studies on PFAS in Teas Have Demonstrated Widespread Contamination

The past five years have seen a flurry of studies looking at specific PFAS compounds and certain foods and beverages like tea. One study claimed that people who drank more tea were more likely to have higher levels of PFAS in their blood. Here are some recent examples of studies done on teas:

Terrence Collins, Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry & Director of the Institute for Green Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University had this to say about the study: “This study looks at an important question for green tea drinkers. Are ‘forever chemicals’, PFAS compounds that the human body cannot break down and tends to hold on to, in the product contaminant profile? The results speak for themselves. No one wants to be ingesting PFAS when they drink green tea! It’s somewhat comforting that PFAS contamination is not universal, at least in Mamavation’s spot-testing. Green tea drinkers are now armed with the knowledge to send messages of approval or disapproval through their buying habits across the green tea business world.”

Mamavation’s Investigation of Earl Grey Tea, Chamomile Tea, & Green Tea and 40 Analyte PFAS Testing

Earl Grey Teas, Chamomile Teas, and Green Teas were purchased in 2024 and 2025. Each product was recorded in our database and sent directly to the lab within its original packaging.

Testing Loose Leaf Tea: Mamavation’s EPA-certified laboratory used method EPA 1633 to test for 40 PFAS compounds, including the following:

• Perflurobutanoic acid (PFBA)
• Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)
• Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)
• Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA)
• Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
• Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)
• Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)
• Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA)
• Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA)
• Perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA)
• Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTeDA)
• Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)
• Perfluoropentansulfonic acid (PFPeS)
• Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)
• Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS)
• Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)
• Perfluoronanesulfonic acid (PFNS)
• Perfluorodecanesulfonic acid (PFDS)
• Perfluorododecanesulfonic acid (PFDoS)
• 1H,1H, 2H, 2H-Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (4:2FTS)
• 1H,1H, 2H, 2H-Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (6:2FTS)
• 1H,1H, 2H, 2H-Perfluorodecane sulfonic acid (8:2FTS)
• Perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA)
• N-methyl perfluorooctanesulfonamide (NMeFOSA)
• N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamide (NEtFOSA)
• N-methyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NMeFOSE)
• N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoethanol (NEtFOSE)
• Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA)
• 4,8-Dioxa-3H-perfluorononanoic acid (ADONA)
• Perfluoro-3-methoxypropanoic acid (PFMPA)
• Perfluoro-4-methoxybutanoic acid (PFMBA)
• Nonafluoro-3,6-dioxaheptanoic acid (NFDHA)
• 9-Chlorohexadecafluoro-3-oxanonane-1-sulfonic acid (9CI-PF3ONS)
• 11-Chloroeicosafluoro-3-oxaundecane-1-sulfonic acid (11CI-PF3OUdS)
• Perfluoro(2-ethoxyethane)sulfonic acid (PFEESA)
• 3-Perfluoropropyl propanoic acid (3:3FTCA)
• 2H,2H,3H,3H-Perfluorooctanoic acid (5:3FTCA)
• 3-Perfluoroheptyl propanoic acid (7:3FTCA)

Not Our Favorite Teas

Not Our Favorite Earl Grey

Our lab found quantifiable amounts of specific PFAS within these tea leaves. Of the 40 PFAS analytes tested for at least one was found. We also put brands here where we found over 200 ppm of total fluorine in the tea sachets.

Not Our Favorite Chamomile

These products were sent off to an EPA-certified laboratory. The tea leaves were tested for 40 PFAS analytes and each product had positive results. The tea bags were tested for fluorine, a marker of PFAS “forever chemicals.”

Not Our Favorite Green Tea

These products were sent off to an EPA-certified laboratory. The tea leaves were tested for 40 PFAS analytes, and each product had positive results.

Better Teas

Better Earl Grey

Our lab could not find quantifiable amounts of specific PFAS compounds; however, they did find the presence of at least one specific PFAS compound within the tea leaves. This means the lab could detect PFAS, but it wasn’t in high enough amounts to determine how much was in there. If tea bags were available, our lab also tested those bags separately for total fluorine, which is an indicator of PFAS and fluoride combined.

Better Chamomile

These products were sent off to an EPA-certified laboratory. The tea leaves were tested for 40 PFAS analytes and each product had positive results, however, the results were so small they were not quantifiable. The tea bags were tested for fluorine, a marker of PFAS “forever chemicals.” We also included one brand that did not have detectable PFAS, but had detectable fluorine in their tea bags.

Better Green Tea

These products were sent off to an EPA-certified laboratory. The tea leaves were tested for 40 PFAS analytes and each product had positive results, however, the results were so small they were not quantifiable.

Best Teas

Best Earl Grey

Our lab determined no PFAS compounds were found in the Earl Grey tea leaves. However, the tea bags had detectable fluorine.

Best Chamomile

These products were sent off to an EPA-certified laboratory. The tea leaves were tested for 40 PFAS analytes and each product had non-detect results. The tea bags were tested for fluorine, a marker of PFAS “forever chemicals,” and also had non-detect results.

Best Green Tea

These products were sent off to an EPA-certified laboratory. The tea leaves were tested for 40 PFAS analytes and each product had non-detect results.

Laura Mae took to TikTok to share footage from her hospital bed where she was hooked up to a drip suffering from iron deficiency – and she believes her morning drink is to blame

While matcha green tea is often hailed as a trendy superfood with numerous health benefits, it can actually be significantly harmful for some people, as one woman discovered when she found herself in hospital. Laura Mae shared her experience on TikTok from her hospital bed, where she was being treated for iron deficiency.

In a video that has since gone viral, amassing more than 10 million views, she attributed her ill health to her daily consumption of matcha. “When you realise the matcha you have been drinking every morning is likely the reason your hair is falling out,” she captioned the video.

Laura Mae went on to explain: “Matcha can block your body’s natural iron absorption, which can increase hair loss, brittle nails, and fatigue.”

In a subsequent video, she revealed that she used to attribute all her health issues to her Crohn’s Disease. However, once she considered her regular intake of matcha, everything started to make sense, reports the Mirror.

“Once I realised my daily matcha was making iron absorption even harder, it all clicked,” said Laura Mae. “Swapping my morning drink was the best change I’ve made.”

She added: “Gut health really is everything. Once I changed my morning routine, the symptoms finally started to make sense.”

Following her discharge from hospital, Laura Mae shared with her followers: “Not every ‘healthy habit’ is healthy for everybody. For me, matcha was secretly making things worse, especially with absorption already being a struggle.

“Once I swapped it out, I noticed the difference in my energy and mood almost immediately. I didn’t realise how much my daily matcha was holding me back until I swapped it for something my body actually thanked me for.”

Supporting Laura’s worries, Verywell Health cautions that matcha contains tannins and other compounds which can hinder iron absorption.

“Matcha is a type of powdered green tea well known for its high antioxidant content,” the organisation states online.

“It also contains a unique combination of caffeine and L-theanine, a natural amino acid that has been shown to help with energy, stress, and focus, often making it a gentler alternative to coffee.

“[Tannins are] a type of polyphenol that can bind iron in the digestive tract, making it harder for the body to absorb. Because matcha is much more concentrated than regular green tea, it contains more of these polyphenols that will block your body from absorbing iron.”

Meanwhile, Matcha.com also cautions: “According to research, matcha tea does contain compounds that may limit the absorption of iron in the bloodstream. If you are concerned about your iron levels and at risk of iron anemia, try to avoid drinking your matcha or green tea after or within an hour of an iron-rich meal or iron supplements.

“This is because the main healthful compounds found in matcha tea will bind to iron and cause both to lose their ability to be as readily absorbed.”