Sugary Drinks and Hair Loss
Drinking sugary beverages linked to hair loss in men.
There are a number of possible causes of hair loss, such as genetics and certain health conditions. However, research published in the journal Nutrients reveals a possible link between drinking sugar-sweetened beverages—such as sodas and sports drinks—and hair loss, particularly in young men. Researchers looked into self-reported dietary survey results of 1028 Chinese adults from 31 different provinces in China, all between the ages of 18–45 years old.
After crunching the data, the investigators found that those who had higher consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages also had a greater risk of male-patterned hair loss. Men with the condition consumed almost double the sugar-sweetened beverages of those without the condition. High sugar levels might affect biochemical pathways that contribute to androgenic alopecia. Alternatively, high sugar intake may promote mood changes which could indirectly lead to hair loss. Further research is certainly needed to validate the conclusions and suss out mechanisms.
See also: Sugary Drinks and Warning Labels
Matthew Kadey, MS, RD
Matthew Kadey, MS, RD, is a James Beard Award–winning food journalist, dietitian and author of the cookbook Rocket Fuel: Power-Packed Food for Sport + Adventure (VeloPress 2016). He has written for dozens of magazines, including Runner’s World, Men’s Health, Shape, Men’s Fitness and Muscle and Fitness.
