Dietary Habits in Japanese Patients with Alopecia Areata

    October 2021 in “ DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) ”
    Hagino T, Okazaki S, Serizawa N, Suzuki, K., Kaga M, Otsuka Y, Mikami E, Hoashi T, Saeki H, Matsuda H, Mitsui H, Kanda, N.
    TLDR High retinol intake may worsen hair loss in alopecia areata.
    The study investigated the dietary habits of 70 Japanese patients with alopecia areata (AA) compared to healthy controls. It found that patients with AA had a higher body mass index (BMI) and consumed more vitamin C and fruit. A significant finding was that retinol intake was positively correlated with the severity of hair loss, as measured by the SALT score, indicating that higher retinol intake predicted more severe AA. Additionally, patients with moderate to severe AA had higher retinol intake than those with mild AA. The study suggested that AA was associated with a high BMI and that retinol intake could be a predictor of AA severity. It recommended further research to explore if dietary interventions to reduce BMI or limit retinol intake could impact the development or severity of AA.
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