Want to Reduce Acne and Hair Loss?
Acne on the faces of teenagers, hair loss of middle-aged people, and enlarged prostate in older men may not seem to share anything in common, but scientists had observed that there was an increased activity of an enzyme called 5α-reductase in cases of balding scalps and acne-prone skin (1-3). The function of 5α-reductase enzyme is to convert testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a more active male hormone than testosterone in many tissues, including the skin and prostate. The higher levels of DHT in the skin and prostate can result in problems such as acne, hair loss, or prostate enlargement.
An androgen surge can miniaturize hair follicles, resulting in hair loss and in the scalp of genetically predisposed individuals. In women, androgen excess also plays a role in hair loss even though this process is not quite the same as that in hair loss for men. In acne, the pubertal androgen surge increases the stimulation of sebaceous glands resulting in increased sebum production and acne formation in susceptible individuals (1). Hair follicles are part of the skin structure, thus any factors that affect skin may also have an effect on hair. 5α-reductase enzyme inhibitors may lower the androgen-induced effects, which can help with skin and hair problems caused by excess androgen (4).
A few nutritional factors and foods had been reported to have an inhibitory effect on 5α-reductase enzyme: polyunsaturated fatty acids (especially linolenic acid), zinc, and green tea (4-5). Riboflavin (vitamin B2) was also identified as a 5α-reductase inhibitor (6), and was found to be more potent than two other inhibitors, isoflavonoids (7) and Heshouwu (a Chinese medical herb) (8). Heshouwu was commonly prescribed to treat premature graying of hair and hair loss (8).
Top food sources of the nutritional factors mentioned above are:
Riboflavin – Beef liver, fortified breakfast cereals, and dairy foods such as milk and yogurt
Linolenic acid- Flaxseed, walnuts, and canola oil
Zinc – Shellfish, meat and legumes
Isoflavonoids – Soy bean and soy products such as tofu and soymilk
Everybody has a different lifestyle, body weight, and food preference. Each person has different amounts of specific foods that he or she should eat in order to see the best results for his or her health. That is where we come in to help. We can help you to figure out the optimum intake of the various foods listed above for your best health. If you would like to have a personalized calculation, email us at calnutritiongroup.com.
Riboflavin was shown to be a potent inhibitor for 5α-reductase enzyme (6-8), and it can be found in dairy foods. If you would like to reduce the chance of acne and hair loss, you may want to include more dairy products into your diet. Next time when you see red dots forming on your forehead, try drinking milk.
References:
1. Essah PA, Wickham EP, Nunley JR, Nestler JE. Dermatology of androgen-related disorders. Clinics in Dermatology. 2006;24(4):289–298.
2. Rathnayake D, Sinclair R. Male androgenetic alopecia. Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy. 2010;11(8):1295–1304.
3. Thiboutot D. Acne: hormonal concepts and therapy. Clinics in Dermatology. 2004;22(5):419–428.
4. Azzouni F, Godoy A, Li Y, Mohler J (2012). "The 5 alpha-reductase isozyme family: a review of basic biology and their role in human diseases". Adv Urol. 2012.
5. Aggarwal S, Thareja S, Verma A, Bhardwaj TR, Kumar M. An overview on 5α-reductase inhibitors. Steroids. 2010;75(2):109–153.
6. Nakayama O, Yagi M, Kiyoto S, Okuhara M, Kohsaka M (December 1990). "Riboflavin, a testosterone 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor". J. Antibiot. 43 (12): 1615–6.
7. Bae M, Woo M, Kusuma IW, Arung ET, Yang CH, Kim YU. Inhibitory effects of isoflavonoids on rat prostate testosterone 5α-reductase. J Acupunct Meridian Stud. 2012 Dec;5(6):319-22.
8. Cho CH, Bae JS, Kim YU. 5alpha-reductase inhibitory components as antiandrogens from herbal medicine. J Acupunct Meridian Stud. 2010 Jun;3(2):116-8.