Could eating your greens keep you from going gray?
A study published in the international journal Antioxidants suggests that luteolin, an antioxidant found in broccoli and celery, can help reduce the progression of gray hair.
A team of researchers from Nagoya University in Japan used lab mice to test the efficacy of luteolin treatments administered topically and orally.
While mice do not typically develop gray hair as part of the aging process, the research team created a genetically modified mouse model to mimic the effects of early graying, approximating the graying experienced by humans in middle age.
When hair turns gray, it is due to the gradual decline of pigment cells within the hair follicles.
The natural color of our hair comes from melanin, a pigment produced by specialized cells called melanocytes. These cells infuse melanin into the hair cells, determining its natural hue, whether it is blonde, brown, black or red.
As we grow older, melanocytes begin producing less melanin, causing a gradual decrease in hair pigment. Over time, certain hair follicles cease melanin production entirely, leading to the growth of gray or white hair.
Over a period of 16 weeks, the Nagoya University researchers administered an oral dose of luteolin to the mice or applied it directly to their backs. They compared their results with mice that had not received any treatment.
At the experiment’s onset, all mice had about 20% gray hair. After 16 weeks, the mice treated with luteolin saw little to no change in the amount of gray, while the untreated mice saw the quantity of gray dramatically increase to between 60% and 80%.
“These results suggest that both external and internal treatments with luteolin potentially suppress hair graying through a similar mechanism, while internal treatment with luteolin showed a weaker anti-graying effect on hair than the effect of external treatment with luteolin,” the study maintained.
In examining the hair follicles of the mice, the team found that endothelin, a peptide that constricts blood vessels and decreases as gray hair increases, was maintained in the treated mice.
Research suggests that endothelin supports the cellular production of hair pigment, and luteolin’s antioxidant properties may help prevent the aging of these cells, ultimately slowing or suppressing the development of gray hair.
Professor Masashi Kato, who led the study, said that while the research was conducted on animals, similar mechanisms may apply to humans.
“Although we cannot say for certain that it will have the same effect on human gray hair, previous research suggests that a similar process could occur in people,” he said.
“A balanced diet that includes foods rich in luteolin may help suppress the progression of gray hair,” Kato added.
Research has established that nutritional deficiencies can potentially contribute to premature graying of hair, although the direct causal relationship between specific deficiencies and gray hair is not always straightforward.
Maintaining a balanced diet rich in essential nutrients is crucial for overall health, including hair health.
Certain nutrients are essential to melanin production, and when the body lacks these vital nutrients, they might affect the health and function of the hair follicles, potentially leading to changes in hair color.
However, it is important to note that while nutritional deficiencies can impact hair health, genetics, age, medical conditions and lifestyle factors like stress, smoking and pollutant exposure significantly contribute to the natural graying process.
Nutritional deficiencies might accelerate the process in some cases, but they might not be the sole cause of gray hair.
Kato and his team are hopeful that future testing on human hair will lead to the development of drugs that can prevent or slow the spread of gray hair.
