Dietary Soy Oil Content and Soy-Derived Phytoestrogen Genistein Increase Resistance to Alopecia Areata Onset in C3H/HeJ Mice

The study investigated the impact of dietary soy oil and the soy-derived phytoestrogen genistein on the onset of alopecia areata (AA) in C3H/HeJ mice. Mice were grafted with skin from AA-affected mice and fed diets with varying soy oil content (1%, 5%, and 20%). Results showed that 86% of mice on a 1% soy oil diet developed AA, compared to 39% on a 5% diet and 18% on a 20% diet. Additionally, genistein injections in mice on a 1% soy oil diet resulted in 40% developing AA, compared to 90% in the control group. The study suggested that soy oil and its derivatives might influence AA susceptibility through estrogen-dependent mechanisms or by modulating inflammatory activity.