Secret of luxurious hair of Inuit women

What is the secret of luxurious hair of Inuit women leaving without fruit and vegetables (supposed to be the main attributes of a “healthy” lifestyle)?

The secret is Omega-3 fatty acids. Thanks to Omega-3s that nourish hair follicles, many Inuit and Eskimo women have strong, long, shiny, and silky hair

Secret of luxurious hair of Inuit women

Photo of Inuit woman by Lomen Brothers Photography, 1910

This picture was taken by Lomen Brothers Photography, showing the Yupik people and life in Nome, Alaska at the start of the 20th century.

It’s a photograph of Nowadluk/Nowadlook (Nora) Ootenna – an Inupiat woman who was a popular subject for Alaskan photographers around the time. She was mentioned as the daughter of James Keok (though their recorded birth dates makes this unlikely) and she was married to George Ootenna who were natives of Cape Prince of Wales and worked as reindeer herders (a business in which Lomen Bros was the main investor in Alaska). The Glenbow Museum places most of the photos of her at www.glenbow.org. Nora was born in 1885 and as of the 1910 Census she lived in Port Clarence (essentially Cape Prince of Wales).

When I first saw this picture I couldn’t believe my eyes. How it can be that a woman leaving without fruit and vegetables had such lavish hair? Also, she didn’t have too many opportunities even to wash her hair (especially back to the time when the photo was taken). But let’s think again.

Traditional Inuit foods

Traditionally, the Inuit diet consists of animal-source foods that were fished and hunted and often consumed raw, frozen or dried, and plant-source foods collected locally and seasonally:

• marine life, such as shellfish, whales, seals and arctic char
• birds and land animals, such as ducks, ptarmigan, bird eggs, bears, muskox and caribou
• plant life, including roots, herbaceous plants, seaweed and berries

The typical Inuit foods are packed with the vitamins and nutrients people need to stay nourished in the harsh climate. Proteins, fats, Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins A, D, B12 and C (mainly in the form of glycogen from the raw meat) are all there to make the skin, hair and nails healthy.

But the main reason why Inuit and Eskimo women have strong, long, shiny, and silky hair is Omega-3 fatty acids. They nourish hair follicles, improve the health of the cell membranes and provide the oils that keep the scalp and hair hydrated.

Omega-3 fatty acids for healthy hair

Omega-3 fatty acids are important fats our body cannot make itself, and therefore must be obtained through our diet. Omega-3 fatty acids are among the must-have foods for healthy hair because they are responsible for the health of the cell membrane, which is not only a barrier to harmful things, but also the passageway for nutrients to cross in and waste products to get out. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in the cells that line the scalp and also provide the oils that keep your scalp and hair hydrated.

The foods highest in omega-3 fatty acids include fatty fish (salmon, herring, sardines, trout and mackerel), seafood, canola oil, flax seed, avocado, pumpkin seeds, and walnuts. Increasing dietary omega-3 fats is an important step towards healing the skin.

Thanks to Omega-3 fatty acids that nourish hair follicles, many Inuit and Eskimo women have strong, long, shiny, and silky hair. Interesting fact: northern native people, who tend to have a high fat diet, but eat significant amounts of fatty fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, have lower risk of cardiovascular system problems and even reduced rates of colorectal cancer. And not only that: even elderly people almost don’t have wrinkles.

So, don’t forget to include fatty fish (salmon, herring, sardines, trout and mackerel), seafood, olive oil, flax seed, avocado, pumpkin seeds, and walnuts into your daily menu.