Dietary Habits in Japanese Patients with Alopecia Areata

The research examined the dietary habits of 70 Japanese adults with Alopecia Areata (AA) and compared them to healthy controls. It was found that AA patients had a higher body mass index (BMI) and consumed more vitamin C and fruit. The study also discovered a positive correlation between retinol intake and the severity of AA, measured by the Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score. Specifically, those with moderate to severe AA (SALT score >25) had higher retinol intake than those with mild AA (SALT score ≤25). The study concluded that a high BMI and high retinol intake are associated with AA, suggesting that dietary interventions to reduce BMI or limit retinol intake could potentially alter the development or severity of AA.