Vegan nutraceutical increases hair growth in plant-based diets
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Key takeaways:
- Patients who reported hair thinning on a plant-based diet were assigned to take four vegan capsules per day.
- Increases in terminal hair count, total hair count and average hair width were all shown at day 180.
Patients who followed a plant-based diet experienced hair growth with the addition of a daily vegan nutraceutical, according to a study.
“While a plant-based diet may have beneficial influences on health, it may increase the chance of nutritional deficiencies that can affect hair growth and quality which, in turn, can impact quality of life,” Isabelle Raymond, PhD, of the Pacific Skin Institute and one of the study’s authors, told Healio. “The approach in many plant-based diets is to remove animal-based sources without providing vegan alternatives for important nutrients.”
A 6-month single-blind, single-arm trial enrolled 110 women (average age, 34.9 years; age range, 18-50 years; 54% white) who defined themselves as semi vegetarian (52%), vegetarian (11%), or vegan (7%), with the remaining identifying as pollotarian, pescatarian or lacto-vegetarian.
Each patient had reported perceived hair thinning, which was confirmed by a dermatologist. They were instructed to take four vegan nutraceutical capsules (Nutrafol Women’s Vegan Capsules, Nutraceutical Wellness) daily for 6 months.
Clinic visits at baseline, day 90 and day 180 evaluated hair shed counts using a hair pull test in four scalp regions, as well as baseline physical characteristics. There were also compliance calls on days 30, 60 and 135.
Terminal hair count increased approximately 15% from baseline to day 180 (138.6 ± 3.72 to 159.3 ± 43.9 hairs per cm²; P < .0001). Total hair count also increased from 150.1 ± 35.8 per cm² to 161.6 ± 38.8 at day 90 and 169.2 ± 42.8 per cm² at day 180 (P < .01).
The researchers observed an increase in terminal-to-vellus hair ratio and a decrease in vellus hairs.
From baseline to day 180, average hair width increased from 64.3 m to 66.6 m and average number of hairs increased per follicle unit as well (1.2 ± 0.1 to 1.3 ± 0.2; P < .01 for both).
“The results of this study support the efficacy of the supplement and suggest that addressing hair thinning through a multi-modal approach addressing the bio-specific needs of a plant-based diet improves hair growth and quality,” Raymond told Healio.