Can Soft Drinks Cause Hair Loss?

Some people drink soft drink as if it is water, some even instead of water. But they aren't the healthiest choice and we’re all aware, or at least we should be, how they affect our pearly whites  but what about our hair? Some may recall the Japanese man, Masaharu Takasu, who filed a lawsuit against the Indonesian subsidiary of the US-based Coca-Cola Co. for causing his baldness. Studies have linked soft drinks to osteoporosis, obesity, tooth decay and heart disease but there’s nothing concrete to suggest hair loss. So let’s take a look at the ingredients ourselves…

Sugar
Most soft drinks contain a whopping 12 teaspoons of sugar in one can. That’s a heck of a lot of sweetness in 375ml of liquid. Sugar plays host to a range of negative side effects like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, weight gain, and premature aging. It also affects your cortisone levels which inhibits your ability to handle stress. And what is one of the major contributors of hair loss? Stress!

Phosphoric acid
On the flip side, phosphoric acid is thought to help remedy hair loss. However there’s no evidence to support this theory and considering phosphoric acid neutralises the hydrochloric acid in your stomach, which can interfere with digestion making it difficult to utilise nutrients, and interferes with the body's ability to use calcium, which can lead to osteoporosis, this ingredient really doesn’t have that much going for it.

Aspartame
Going sugar-free doesn’t mean you get off scot-free. This chemical is used as a sugar substitute in Diet Coke and other diet food and drink products. The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in America lists a whole range of side effects associated with aspartame consumption including brain tumors, birth defects, arthritis, bloating, depression, epilepsy, sexual problems, and hair loss.

Caffeine
Lots of hair care product manufacturers jumped on the bandwagon when the hype about coffee as a hair loss treatment began. Luckily cola companies weren’t stupid enough to plug this line. Apart from the fact that caffeine can cause jitters, insomnia, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, elevated blood cholesterol levels, vitamin and mineral depletion, breast lumps, birth defects, and perhaps some forms of cancer, it won’t solve your hair loss problem. Scientist estimate up to 60 cups a day would be needed for significant amounts to reach the hair follicles which is probably enough to kill you before you see the results.

While Coke and other soft drinks won’t directly send you bald, they’re not doing you any favours either. Stick to water as much as possible and if you’re still paranoid about what’s causing your hair loss, contact the Belgravia Centre. We’ve been dealing with and treating hair loss for almost 20 years so call us on 020 7730 6666 if you’d like to book an appointment, or send us an email if you’d like more information. If you can’t make it to the centre but would still like to know what to do about your condition, fill in the online diagnostic form and one of our professionals will contact you shortly with the results and expert advice.

More Information
Hair Loss in Men
Hair Loss in Women
Hair Loss Success Stories

Interesting Articles:
Why Stress is Bad for Hair Health
How Do Caffeine-Based Hair Loss Treatments Work?
Lifestyle Choices That Can Lead to Hair Loss