Male pattern hair loss (MPHL) is a non-scarring and progressive type of hair loss. The age of onset of MPHL has been decreasing while its incidence has been increasing. Several studies have established the link between western-style dietary intake and MPHL. A recent Nutrients journal study explored the association between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and MPHL in young men in China.

Study: The Association between Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Male Pattern Hair Loss in Young Men. Image Credit: Landscapemania / Shutterstock

Background

Various elements of MPHL affect an individual’s life, similar to self-confidence, psychological distress, and physical health. Various aspects, including sleep time, anxiety, genetics, age, and body mass index (BMI), could contribute to it. In accordance with research, increasing quantities of added sugar in western diets are linked to MPHL.

Young populations eat higher quantities of SSBs, similar to juice, soft drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks, or sweet tea/coffee. For instance, 49% of adults and 63% of youth within the USA eat an SSB on a given day. The situation is comparable in China, where SSB consumption is highest within the 13-29 age group (22.38%). SSB consumption has been linked to many health problems like tooth decay, obesity, and emotional issues. Nevertheless, epidemiological studies on the association between MPHL and SSB intake are still few, especially regarding the young population. Due to this fact, this association must be confirmed by future research.

Concerning the Study

This cross-sectional study was conducted from January to April 2022 in mainland China. A complete of 1,951 men aged 18–45 were recruited from 31 provinces. A self-reported online survey was used for data collection. Two attention-check questions were deliberately added to the survey to make sure high survey quality. As well as, 4 kinds of participants were excluded: those with scalp infections, cancer, unreasonable physical data, and those that took lower than 5 minutes to finish the survey.

The associations between the quantity/frequency of SSB consumption and MPHL were studied. Researchers used a binary logistic regression model with adjustments for confounders, similar to sociodemographic aspects, hair status, dietary intake, lifestyle, and psychological aspects. 

Key Findings

The scientists observed a major association between high SSB consumption and MPHL. This finding may very well be rationalized by many potential direct and indirect mechanisms. The biochemical symptoms of androgenetic alopecia (AGA) within the scalp hint towards an overactive polyol pathway. The high sugar content in SSBs triggers higher serum glucose concentration, which subsequently prompts the polyol pathway. This reduces the quantity of glucose available to the outer root sheath keratinocytes of hair follicles, resulting in MPHL.

High sugar intake is commonly coupled with high lipid intake, and MPHL has been seen to be attributable to a high-fat food regimen. This phenomenon has been demonstrated in animal studies on mice. Nevertheless, the association between SSBs and MPHL remained significant even after adjusting for the intake frequency of oils, fat, and deep-fried food. This suggested SSB be an independent factor linked with MPHL. In accordance with the study, chronic diseases and emotional aspects also mediate the association between SSB intake and MPHL.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was seen to be significantly related to MPHL. Nevertheless, after controlling for PTSD, the association between SSB intake and MPHL was now not significant. This finding suggested PTSD is a more necessary factor resulting in MPHL than SSB intake. 

Limitations of the Study

A vital limitation of the study is its cross-sectional nature, counting on self-reported data. Recall bias could make it difficult to consistently estimate the causal and temporal relationships between MPHL and SSB intake. The simultaneity issue, i.e., whether SSB influences MPHL or MPHL patients eat more SSBs, was unclear within the study and ought to be investigated in future research.

Moreover, sampling bias can’t be ruled out since less educated individuals, and people without web access have been excluded from the web survey. There was also no distinction made between different degrees of MPHL. This was because only a few individuals had either moderate or severe MPHL.

For the reason that MPHL was not clinically diagnosed, the study’s results have a suggestive effect only. Lastly, the researchers didn’t collect data on consuming other sweetened products besides SSBs. Due to this fact, the precise effects of sugar on MPHL couldn’t be estimated with precision. Nevertheless, the findings on this study ought to be confirmed through further longitudinal and interventional studies to offer accurate information for evidence-based health education in the long run.