Safety and Effectiveness of Nutritional Supplements for Treating Hair Loss
JAMA Dermatology: Published November, 2022
Despite the widespread use of
nutritional supplements and dietary interventions for treating hair loss, the
safety and effectiveness of available products remain unclear.
The aim
of the study is to evaluate and compile the findings of all dietary
and nutritional interventions for treatment of hair loss among individuals
without a known baseline nutritional deficiency.
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This
systematic review evaluated 30 articles to analyze the effect of
nutrition-based interventions in patients with hair loss.
High-quality
evidence supports the use of several dietary and nutritional supplements, such
as 5α-reductase inhibitors, vitamins and minerals including Biotin, Vitamin A, C,
D, Iron and Zinc, micronutrients, immunomodulators, amino acids, probiotics,
growth hormone modulators, several multi-ingredient supplements, capsaicin, isoflavone,
omegas 3 and 6 with antioxidants, apple nutraceutical, total glucosides of
paeony, compound glycyrrhizin tablets, tocotrienol, and pumpkin seed oil.
This systematic review supports the use of nutritional supplements as an adjunct treatment for patients with hair loss. All nutritional treatments were found to be safe and effective.
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Importance: Despite the
widespread use of nutritional supplements and dietary interventions for
treating hair loss, the safety and effectiveness of available products remain
unclear.
Objective: To evaluate
and compile the findings of all dietary and nutritional interventions for
treatment of hair loss among individuals without a known baseline nutritional
deficiency.
Evidence review: The
MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL databases were searched from inception through
October 20, 2021, to identify articles written in English with original
findings from investigations of dietary and nutritional interventions in
individuals with alopecia or hair loss without a known baseline nutritional
deficiency. Quality was assessed with Oxford Centre for Evidence Based Medicine
criteria. Outcomes of interest were disease course, both objectively and
subjectively measured. Data were evaluated from January 3 to 11, 2022.
Findings: The database
searches yielded 6347 citations to which 11 articles from reference lists were
added. Of this total, 30 articles were included: 17 randomized clinical trials
(RCTs), 11 clinical studies (non-RCT), and 2 case series studies. No diet-based
interventional studies met inclusion criteria. Studies of nutritional
interventions with the highest-quality evidence showed the potential benefit of
Viviscal, Nourkrin, Nutrafol, Lamdapil, Pantogar, capsaicin and isoflavone,
omegas 3 and 6 with antioxidants, apple nutraceutical, total glucosides of
paeony and compound glycyrrhizin tablets, zinc, tocotrienol, and pumpkin seed
oil. Kimchi and cheonggukjang, vitamin D3, and Forti5 had low-quality evidence
for disease course improvement. Adverse effects were rare and mild for all the
therapies evaluated.
Conclusions and relevance: The
findings of this systematic review should be interpreted in the context of each
study's design; however, this work suggests a potential role for nutritional
supplements in the treatment of hair loss. Physicians should engage in shared
decision-making by covering the potential risks and benefits of these
treatments with patients experiencing hair loss. Future research should focus
on larger RCTs with active comparators.
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