IN FOCUS : Hair-raising finding!

Baldness linked to sugary drinks

Cool drinks are a guilty pleasure for practically all of us. Be it at the cinemas, during a family get-together, on a cute date, or while lounging on a beach on a sunny afternoon, guzzling down a fizzy drink teleports us to a different world altogether. Energy drinks, which contain high levels of a stimulant say caffeine, as well as sugar and often supplements such as vitamins or carnitine, are the in thing. It is believed that they enhance mental alertness and physical performance. They differ from sports drinks in that the latter are used to replace water and electrolytes during or after physical activity. The downside to consuming some of these irresistible,cool liquids is the quantity of sugar and additives it contains. The Pioneer’s AMARTYA SMARAN looks closely at the consequences of indulging in cold drinks at a time when the industry is engaged in cut-throat competition for packing into the potentially addictive drink questionable ingredients to slake our thirst and give us a momentary high.

A 600ml Coca-Cola bottle contains 69g of sugar per serving, which is equivalent to 17.3 teaspoons of sugar! A serving size of 250ml Red Bull contains 6.8 tsp of sugar and then there’s Lipton Iced Tea, which consists of 6.6 tsp of sugar in a 500ml serving. Forget all this, a 240 ml or 8 oz healthy glass of orange juice is equivalent to seven teaspoons of sugar.

Healthcare experts believe that human beings need one type of sugar. Any guesses? Well! Glucose is all you need to survive. Glucose acts as an important fuel for the body. The human body can naturally make glucose by breaking down food molecules like carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Sugar is the number one contributor to the obesity epidemic around the globe. It is safe to say that much of the sugar that we consume is to please our taste buds. We often seepeople asking for extra sugar when they buy a glass of juice from a vendor. Coming to milkshakes, there is always an enthusiastic champ who yells his/her lungs out for “extra whipped cream!!!”. What about the desserts? At an Indian wedding, a serving of ‘Gulab jamun’ is not enough, it must be topped by a lavish scoop of ice cream. The point is weall indulge in sugary items only to regret it at some time later.

There are also those who decide to cut down on all kinds of sugar. Alas! One trip to the supermarket ruins their resolve. Even if they avoid eye contact with the shelves displaying sugar-infused drinks; the ones displaying chocolates, biscuits, candies prove to be their nemesis. Good lord! Sugar is everywhere and there is escape from temptations.

Scientifically speaking, when the sweet taste receptors send signals to the cerebral cortex, our brain’s reward system tells us to do the same task again and again, only because it is enjoyable. It is not different from what goes for drugs and other kinds of addictive substances. Aren’t we all familiar with the tug-of-war between our willpower and cravings? To maintain the initial high, we crave for more and more. And if we fail to maintain the same dopamine rush; we get restless, irritated, and annoyed at everything around us.

The amount of sugar these drinks contain has always been a matter of concern. Experts warn people against consuming large quantities of drinks with heavy sugar content. Excessive intake of high-sugar drinks can lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes, tooth decay, and weight gain. Besides, going by anecdotal evidence, there is the newly identified risk of hair loss in men.

Researchers who surveyed nearly 2,000 young men in China discovered that there is a higher risk of male pattern baldness among those consuming sugar-laden drinks. The American Academy of Dermatology Association has stated that hair loss could occur in someone as young as 20. According to the Cleveland Clinic, signs of hair loss can be seen in 25% of men before they turn 21. The research also pointed out that nearly 50% of men turn bald by 50.

“Individuals whose diet consisted of fried foods, sugary desserts, and fewer vegetables were more likely to have male pattern hair loss. Participants who retained their hair had diets featuring cereals, roots, fruits, fish, and other forms of seafood,” says diabetologist Dr. BrijmohanSubhedar. He points out that the presumption of sugary drinks solely causing hair loss should be further investigated. “The small sample size of the study and the lack of conclusive research on this specific subject does not yet allow scientists to firmly establish a causal link between the regular consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks and the risk of premature baldness.

The diabetologist adds: “Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption is associated with weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney diseases, non-alcoholic liver disease,tooth decay or cavities, gout, and arthritis, the CDC says. Data shows participants with male pattern hair loss consumed significant amounts of sugar-sweetened beverages compared to normal participants. The weekly consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages was 4,293 mL in male pattern hair loss individuals versus 2,513 mL among normal participants.”

Striking a note of caution to avoid diabetes, he shares: “Physical activity at least 150 minutes per week. If overweight, lose weight. Avoid or stop smoking and alcohol. Avoid junk food and aerated/sugared drinks, oily or fried food; eat plenty of veggies, and whole cereals. Avoid mental stress and lean meats.”

As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 63% of people who are aged 18 years and above consume at least one sugar-sweetened beverage a day. Studies have also shown a 21% increase in hair loss in those who consumed one to three sugary beverages per week and the percentage grew by 5% in people who consumed four to seven drinks in a week.

In general, we lose around 50-100 hair strands a day on average. Androgenetic alopecia is a common form of hair loss in both men and women. In this condition, the androgen receptor gene causes balding. Hair loss is also caused due to testosterone deficiency and testosterone derivative DHT(Dihydrotestosterone) issues were linked to around 80 % of male pattern baldness cases in India.

Recent studies suggest that an estimated eighty-five percent of men in India would suffer from male pattern baldness. The age of onset for male pattern baldness has significantly come down over the years and signs of baldness could be spotted as early as 21 years.

Dr.Praveen Kumar Boppani, MD DVL, Dermatologist, chips in on the topic: “Directly and indirectly, these sugary beverages and artificial sweeteners have many harmful effects on the body such as cardiovascular diseases, obesity and it will also cause dental problems. Regarding hair loss, there are two mechanisms: direct and indirect mechanisms. Directly it affects when one consumes sugar content, the glucose concentration in the blood increases and it suddenly triggers the polyol pathway in the blood. When the body has more glucose coming into the blood, the polyol pathway consumes glucose via positive feedback to maintain the normal level in the blood. This positive feedback shoots up with the usage of these sugar sweeteners. They reduce the amount of sugar available to the hair follicles. In the hair follicles, we have the inner and outer root sheaths. The availability of glucose will be limited to the outer root sheaths. Due to this, there is depletion of energy in the hair. This causes hair loss. Besides the direct causes- thyroid and diabetes indirectly cause hair loss.”

“Another thing is that these sugar sweeteners cause psychological problems like anxiety, depression, and stress,” explains Dr. Praveen Kumar. “These psychological problems indirectly cause hair fall. Coming to baldness or hair loss, genetics directly cause baldness or hair loss. Most youngsters are having to go through baldness purely because of job or family related stress. Hormonal imbalances due to thyroid, dietary deficiencies, or exposure to pollution might also lead to hair loss. Tight hairstyles cause traction alopecia. It strains the hair follicles and that is one of the causes.”

Going further, Dr. Praveen Kumar gives tips on how one can avoid hair loss. “One must avoid stress by doing stress relieving exercises such as yoga and meditation. One must maintain a proper diet by taking the right amounts of protein, zinc, iron, and biotin. Don’t go for harmful procedures like hair styling techniques, chemical treatment, or keratin treatment. By doing all these things one can prevent hair loss or baldness.”

The anxiety of losing hair is one of the most daunting experiences. Men experiencing hair loss or balding go through a range of emotions that gradually seep into daily life and hinder their overall well-being.

P.V. Maha Lakshmi, counseling psychologist, lays emphasis on the importance of identifying the cause of the problem and giving time for oneself to tackle the anxiety caused by hair loss. “It is important to identify the reason for hair fall because it might cause psychological problems. People fear missing social life because of hair fall and it causes a kind of despair. Firstly, one should analyze the reasons for hair loss — Are you working more than you should? Are you having a proper diet? One must rule out all these and start the prevention. One must practice identifying why and what is causing certain distress. Feelings are not always facts, so, one should give oneself some time.”

From a psychological standpoint, Dr. Maha Lakshmi shares with us the importance of loving oneself amidst the chaotic happenings of daily life. “You must be socially organised, and people judge based on physical appearance. If one is not able to recognize any of these feelings, it is advisable to go see a professional. And one must learn how to regulate thoughts, emotions, and feelings. If these three things are monitored, everything will fall into place. I think we didnot speak about loving self and acceptance, which are the key points for self-esteem. Once we are firm in our thoughts, nothing can touch us, irrespective of the situation.”

The recent findings correlating sugar-laden beverages and hair loss in men raise several questions with respect to our food choices. One can only begin to wonder and be baffled at why there is any need to push the envelope despite knowing the health risks involved in consuming excessive amounts of sugar. Going further, comprehensive studies will be able to substantiate proven results. People will soon have a clearpicture about the potential link between sugary beverages and hair loss. Until then, amongst other things, watch out for your sugar intake.