A recent study published in the journal, Nutrients has unmasked a strong correlation between high intake of sugary beverages (sodas/soft drinks, juice with added sugar, sports drinks, energy drinks, sweet milk, sweet tea/coffee) and male-pattern hair loss (MPHL) in young men! Participants with MPHL reported a high consumption of deep-fried food, sugar, honey, sweets, and ice cream, and low consumption of vegetables, highlighting the role of balanced nutrition in overall maintenance of hair health.
A cross-sectional study enrolled male participants (n = 1028; mean age = 27.8 years) to determine the association between the frequency and intake of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) and MPHL. Individual data on basic social demography, hair status, dietary intake, including beverage consumption habit in the past one month, lifestyle, and psychological status was collected using e-questionnaire. The results are summarized below:
- Out of the enrolled participants, 592 (57.6%) had MPHL, which was determined using the Basic and Special (BASP) scale for classification of patterns of hair loss in men.
- Higher intake of deep-fried food, sugar and honey, sweets, and ice-cream, along with a lower vegetable intake were noted in subjects with MPHL compared to the normal group.
- The average weekly SSB intake (4.3 L) in the MPHL group was much higher than that in the normal group (2.5 L; p <0.001).
- Participants in the MPHL group had significantly higher SSB intake (amount and frequency) in the past month compared to those in the normal group (p <0.001; see the graph below).
- The link between SSB intake and MPHL remained significant even after adjusting for influencing factors, viz., age, education level, smoking status, alcohol intake, body mass index, medical history, family history, sleep time, physical activity, nutrient intake, and hair dyeing/perming/bleaching/relaxing.
- Presence of chronic diseases and emotional issues may also influence the effect of excessive SSB intake on MPHL.
Clinical implication:
- Evidence abounds for a strong association between high SSB intake and adverse health effects, such as mortality, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and dental caries. This study, for the first time, has shown that higher consumption of SSB increases the risk of MPHL in young men, which can be driven through direct or indirect pathophysiological pathways.
- Awareness of the negative effects of non-nutritive sweeteners (artificial sweeteners) on hair growth is highly important, especially in younger population who have high SSB intake level.
- Higher intake of sugary beverages might influence emotional state of an individual (depression, anxiety), and reducing SSB intake can help in alleviating additional factors influencing hair loss.
(Reference: Shi X, Tuan H, Na X, Yang H, Yang Y, Zhang Y, Xi M, Tan Y, Yang C, Zhang J, Zhao A. The association between sugar-sweetened beverages and male pattern hair loss in young men. Nutrients. 2023;15(1):214. Doi: 10.3390/nu15010214)