High sugar content increases male hair loss

[wherehasmyhairgone]

Sugar consumption

To my astonishment, the 2023 paper by Shi, et al. linked sugar consumption with an increased rate of male pattern baldness in younger men! Specifically, they define sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) as any drink to which a form of sugar has been added. This includes “sodas/soft drinks, juice with added sugar, sport drinks, energy drinks, sweet milk, and sweet tea/coffee. In the USA, 63% of youths and 49% of adults drink an SSB on a given day.” The authors found that the more SSBs consumed, the greater the risk of hair loss.


Before I go further, I want to point out that the article is not saying that there is necessarily a causal relationship. What the authors found was a correlation, but it was strong enough to suggest a need for more research to determine if sugar consumption does, in fact, lead to hair loss. Their goal was to explore this relationship in order “… to provide scientific evidence to improve the dietary habits and promote the health of young people.”

 

[Understanding Hair]

cdc.gov page Fast Facts: Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption, may shed more light, as the negative health effects of drinks with SSB's, that indirectly may then have an impact on hair growth. To quote a couple of paragraphs from the page -

"Frequently drinking sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is associated with negative health consequences. Data on SSB consumption suggests intake varies by several sociodemographic factors. Limiting sugary drinks can help individuals maintain a healthy weight and healthy diet."

"Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) or sugary drinks are leading sources of added sugars in the American diet. Frequently drinking SSBs is associated with weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, non-alcoholic liver disease, tooth decay and cavities, and gout, a type of arthritis."

The risks that are brought about by SSB´s certainly can be seen to have links to hair loss, such as diabetes type 2, it would be interesting to explore if this may trigger, or influences the speed or patterning of MPB, or a factor in general hair loss.

 

[mania]

Excessive sugar consumption is linked to multiplied male hair loss, particularly via the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, which can accelerate male sample baldness (androgenic alopecia).