Sugar-Free Food and Drink May Cause Hair Loss

A mantra you’ll often hear from ardent health fanatics is that water is the only drink worth having, and a recent study from Australia adds fuel to that claim especially for anyone concerned about hair loss.

In brief, the new study found that supposedly healthy sugar-free alternatives to fizzy drinks and cordials can be just as bad for the teeth as ‘full-fat’ varieties. When these findings are applied to those of an earlier study which discovered that tooth infections may be linked to Alopecia Areata, it all adds weight to the idea that water or nothing is perhaps the only smart option.

Damage to dental enamel

The new report from the University Of Melbourne found that in tests of 23 different soft drinks and so-called sports drinks, most of them caused measurable damage to dental enamel, regardless of whether or not the drink was sugar-free.

Says Professor Eric Reynolds, who was involved in the study: “Many people are not aware that while reducing your sugar intake does reduce your rate of dental decay, the chemical mix of acids in some foods and drinks can cause the equally damaging condition of dental erosion.”

This, says the website Futurity.org, which reported on the findings, makes teeth more susceptible to tooth decay. In extreme cases, tooth decay can lead to a tooth infection.

We first reported about the link between hair loss and tooth infections some time ago, having been alerted to the connection by a study conducted at the University Of Grenada. There, scientists found a close relationship between infection outbreaks on teeth and the presence of Alopecia Areata.

Often considered the most perplexing of all the conditions associated with hair loss, Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune disorder which differentiates it from the likes of Male Pattern Baldness and Female Pattern Hair Loss, both of which are hereditary. Alopecia Areata has multiple triggers, but at present it is not possible to predict who may be susceptible to it.

The Grenada study highlighted the idea that among the many triggers for Alopecia Areata, tooth infection could be one of them. This theory was backed up by the observation that in some cases patchy hair loss of a type associated with Alopecia Areata is detected close to the area of infection.

Attacks hair follicles

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It is believed that Alopecia Areata occurs when white blood cells mistakenly attack hair follicles, thus weakening them and making hair fall out. It has been noted that when a tooth is infected, white blood cells have to work extra hard to attack and destroy the infection: in turn, it has been suggested, they may migrate to nearby cells such as those found in hair follicles.

In around 50 per cent of cases, hair lost to Alopecia Areata will grow back of its own accord in less than a year, but as most people with the condition know nothing is guaranteed.

For this reason, many prefer to try and seize control of proceedings and seek out help from a hair loss specialist. In many cases, here at Belgravia we find treatment for Alopecia Areata featuring topical applications of high strength minoxidil can help in mild to moderate cases, as can be evidenced by the client results pictured in our Success Stories gallery.