Characterizing the Types and Impact of Dietary and Nutritional Modifications in the Management of Alopecia Areata

September 2024 in “ Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology ”

Allison Yan, Lara Drake, Sophia Reyes-Hadsall, Ahana Gaurav, Eric Xia, Arash Mostaghimi

alopecia areata dietary modifications nutritional modifications Vitamin B7 Vitamin D Nutrafol Viviscal probiotics AA biotin fruits vegetables

TLDR Dietary changes and supplements mostly did not improve alopecia areata.

A study involving 854 adults with alopecia areata (AA) in the United States found that 19.1% received diet/nutritional advice and 49.5% searched for such advice, primarily online. Common changes included using vitamins/supplements (30.6%), following specific diets (23.2%), and adding certain foods (21.4%). Popular vitamins were B7 (17.2%) and D (16.2%), while common supplements were Nutrafol (40.0%) and Viviscal (30.8%). Most participants reported no change in their condition or feelings about it after dietary changes. Non-White participants were more likely to report improvement than White participants. The study concludes that while many AA patients seek and implement dietary changes, the benefits remain unclear, necessitating further research.

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April 2019 in “International journal of research in dermatology”

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