These foods will make or break your dandruff

Dandruff is a tricky beast to slay. Despite it being a rather common condition, people often struggle with treating dandruff. There are dandruff shampoos that say they're specifically formulated to combat the white flakes, but do they actually work? There exists a wealthy number of natural remedies that people claim can cure dandruff, but the same question lingers.

To fight dandruff, you first have to understand the difference between it and dry scalp. According to Healthline, dandruff and dry scalp share the same symptoms — small white flakes clumping in your hair and falling from your head — which is why people often confuse them. The difference, though, is why your skin is flaking. If you suffer from dry scalp, your skin is flaking because your scalp is too dry. It needs to be rehydrated. Dandruff, on the other hand, flakes when your scalp is too oily.

Once you're sure you have dandruff, it's time to treat it. But just what ways are proven effective? As it turns out, your diet may be able to help curb some of the oil in your hair, therefore treating your dandruff in a natural — and delicious — manner.

These foods will make or break your dandruff

It sounds wild, right? The idea that food could affect something like dandruff sounds like it's something out of a science fiction novel, but it may be true. And it makes sense when you think about it. Everything in the body is connected, so if you eat certain foods that give your body specific minerals, oils, fats, antioxidants, etc., you may be able to cause or fix dandruff.

In fact, one medical doctor, Alicia Zalka, explained, "While there's no compelling data from medical studies that I have found suggesting diet changes can cure dandruff, in my 18 years of clinical practice, more of a connection seems to be emerging," (via WebMD).

To combat dandruff, you should start with limiting your sugar intake. "Sugars and simple carbs might promote more inflammation in our bodies, so it makes sense that eating a low-sugar, antioxidant-rich diet could help control dandruff flares," another doctor, Jessica Krant, told WebMD. Sugars, oils, and fats can also flare your hormones in a way that could make your scalp inflame, make it oily, and then make it flake. "Overall restriction of fatty foods, fried foods, refined sugar, processed food, and gluten may lead to a reduction in flaking," Krant continued.

Other foods to consider are fruits and yeast. You should eat more fruit but cut back on yeast, meaning you should consume less bread and beer. The nutrients in fruit can help ease your dandruff, while yeast can "encourage fungal growth" and make your scalp oily. Moreover, while adding fruits to your diet, add a zinc supplement and a biotin supplement. These aid skin health and will keep your scalp pristine.