The Association Between Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Male Pattern Hair Loss in Young Men

January 2023 in “ Nutrients ”

Xiaojin Shi, Hsiaohan Tuan, Xiaona Na, Haibing Yang, Yucheng Yang, Yulin Zhang, Menglu Xi, Yuefeng Tan, Celi Yang, Junhan Zhang, Ai Zhao

male pattern hair loss sugar-sweetened beverages MPHL anxiety disorder post-traumatic stress disorder SSBs PTSD

Studysummary This study found that high consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with an increased risk of male pattern hair loss among young men in mainland China. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

A cross-sectional study conducted in mainland China with 1028 participants aged 18-45 years found a significant association between high consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and male pattern hair loss (MPHL). Participants who consumed SSBs more than 7 times a week were more likely to have MPHL, with an odds ratio of 3.36. However, this association was no longer statistically significant after adjusting for post-traumatic stress disorder. The study also found that disease history and anxiety disorder status mediated the association between SSB intake and MPHL. The study suggests that reducing SSB consumption could potentially reduce the risk of MPHL, but further research is needed to establish a causal relationship.

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