Over the last decade a lot has been said about the positive effects of both green tea and green tea extract for anti-ageing, gastroenterology and androgenetic alopecia. Below we briefly review the available evidence for green tea as a treatment for MPB.
The active ingredients in green tea include the purine alkaloids we all love so much (caffeine), theobromine, theophylline and catechins. Certain catechins are known to relax blood vessels, kill certain kinds of bacteria and act as an anti-oxidant. The anti-oxidant effects are the ones we’re interested in, as it is these compounds that are believed to be responsible for Greet Tea’s anti-ageing and hair loss improving properties.
Green tea’s anti-oxidant and anti-carcinogenic properties are believed to come from one particular catechu, the snappily named epigallocatechin-3-gallate (ECGC). A study published in the Journal of the National Medical Association back in 2005 discovered a 33% reduction in hair loss in mice against a control group.
In 2006, researchers at the University of Seoul performed an investigation into the effects of ECGC on human dermal papilla cells (from whence hair grows) and discovered a positive effect when compared to a control group. Whilst these findings are certainly a step in the right direction, these are the first pieces of research that have been conducted into the efficacy of green tea as a treatment for MPB.
At this point there have been no large-scale clinical studies on the efficacy of green tea on the prevention of either hair loss in general or, more specifically, MPB. The trials above do shed some light question of whether green tea extract can combat MPB in, though they by no means provide a complete answer.
In addition to the problem of there being no large-scale study, there is some evidence that green tea could actually increase the body’s production of DHT. Generally, an increase in DHT is thought to correlate with an increase in hair loss. This evidence come from a study preformed on rats at Harvard Medical School, they actually found that combining green tea with chemicals found in soy would increase DHT.
As encouraging as evidence from test on mice and in test tubes may be, neither of these is a real person with real hair loss issues. At this point anecdotal evidence is mixed, with some users reporting increased vertex growth but limited success in other areas. Most people drinking green tea, as opposed to taking supplements, seem to report that it tends not to work. On the other hand, anecdotal evidence from people using green tea shampoos is non-existent.
So, whilst the scientific evidence seems to lean slightly towards the fact that green tea extract can help in stymieing MPB, there seems to be little evidence ‘on the ground’ of this coming across. Let us know what your experiences with green tea and green tea extract have been – every experience documented helps us and other MPB sufferers. Leave a comment if you have experience with it, know someone who has, or are planning on giving it a try.
For more information, check out the following sources:
Anecdotal evidence, science, science, more science and yet more science.
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