We actively use different kinds of hair care products, such as shampoos, conditioners, oils, creams, etc., to ensure that our hair health is the best. While these products do make a difference, what makes them more or less effective are the ingredients. These products contain harsh chemicals that can oftentimes do more damage to your hair than good. It is essential to sometimes consume/use substances that are known to promote good hair health, and valine is one of those ingredients. This article helps you understand more about what this is, its benefits, and how you can use valine for hair health.
What is Valine?
Valine is, in simple terms, an amino acid and is also known as 2-amino-3-methylbutanoic acid. It is an active and essential ingredient that is used in a lot of personal care products. This ingredient is an all-rounder and game changer for your products and is extensively used as an antistatic agent, fragrance enhancer, and moisture-binding agent.
Before going more in-depth about this ingredient, we first need to understand exactly what amino acids are. They are organic compounds and are one of the main reasons for the creation and functioning of proteins. What makes it so essential is that it helps organisms function properly and also helps regulate, build, and repair the cells and tissues.
Valine Amino Acid Benefits for Hair Growth
1. It’s a great way to condition your hair: Keeping your hair healthy requires good conditioning, and valine is one of the best components to do the trick. This amino acid has proven to be great for helping your hair maintain its softness as well as smoothness, making it more manageable. When you consume this ingredient, it helps promote protein synthesis in your hair, which in turn strengthens your hair shaft. This helps reduce frequent hair breakage.
Valine benefits you by helping your hair build up resistance and tolerance against external stressors that might damage your hair. These stressors can include harsh hair products, straightening or curling irons, and even environmental factors like pollution.
2. It has antistatic properties: One of the main problems we might face while styling our hair is the static frizziness that seems to occur frequently. Well, do not worry; the valine amino acid is a great way to reduce this static and electric energy. It helps make your hair more manageable by ensuring that it remains tangle-free.
How Does One Consume Valine Amino?
This amino acid is classified as an ‘essential’, which simply means that our bodies cannot naturally produce this component. To ensure that it helps in maintaining your hair and keeping it healthy and manageable, it is important to consume food items that are rich in valine. By consuming eggs, legumes, dairy, fish, and meat, you can easily increase the content of amino acids in your body. Some specific food items that are high in this amino acid have been listed below for your reference:
- Low-fat yogurt and cottage cheese
- Navy beans, kidney beans, adzuki beans, chickpeas, and lentils
- Podded peas
- Squash, pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flaxseeds, and chia seeds
- Oatmeal
- Lean chicken breasts
- Tofu
- Tuna, salmon, and trout
- Pistachios, cashews, and almonds
- Brown rice and quinoa
Other than consuming valine-rich food items, there are also supplements available on the market. These supplements, called L-valine, can help increase the presence of this amino acid in our body. There are a lot of benefits of L Valine, along with keeping your hair healthy, it can also help prevent muscle loss and increase muscle gain. This supplement is usually taken along with other amino acid supplements such as leucine and isoleucine. This helps maintain a proper balance in our body and also helps in avoiding certain side effects that may come with it.
Lastly, other than this, you can also look out for hair care products that contain valine as one of the essential ingredients. There are a lot of hair care products on the market, such as shampoos, conditioners, creams, and serums, that contain traces of this amino acid. If so, products like these are the optimal choice to maintain good hair health.
Side effects of valine
While the amino acid itself does wonders for our body, like everything else, it also has several side effects that might occur after consumption. It is extremely important to be aware of any issues that may arise once you start consuming this amino acid. Listed below are some of the main side effects that one may experience:
- Skin irritation issues such as inflammation, itching, or redness
- Allergic reactions in severe and rare cases, such as rashes, hives, and swelling
While it is usually rare to see any kind of reaction after consumption of this amino acid, it is still necessary to be careful. If any issues arise at any point in time, it is essential that you completely stop using products that contain this, as well as manage your diet better to create a healthier balance. Doing patch tests before properly using a product can also go a long way in avoiding any future adverse reactions.
Conclusion
Valine is one of those wonderful ingredients that, if used properly, can do wonders for your body. Using valine for hair is a great way to help maintain its softness and smoothness while also keeping it frizz-free, static-free, and manageable. It may not be well known amongst beauty enthusiasts, but this amino acid is helpful not only for your hair but for your skin as well. The only thing to remember before adding this component to your daily regimen, may it be through dietary changes or supplements and products, is that it is always better to incorporate new things slowly and gradually.