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Exploring the Association Between Multidimensional Dietary Patterns and Non-Scarring Hair Loss Using Mendelian
Lingfeng Pan1, Philipp Moog1, Caihong Li2
1Clinic for Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany.
Nutrients
|August 14, 2025
Summary
Dietary habits impact hair loss. Antioxidant-rich foods like tea may protect against alopecia areata (AA) and androgenetic alopecia (AGA), while alcohol increases risk. Tailoring diet can help manage hair loss.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional science
- Genetics
- Dermatology
Background:
- Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and alopecia areata (AA) cause significant psychosocial distress.
- Dietary factors' role in hair loss is understudied due to observational study limitations.
- Mendelian randomization (MR) can address confounding biases in dietary exposure research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the causal relationship between 187 dietary exposures and non-scarring hair loss (AA and AGA).
- To leverage genetic variants for robust inference, overcoming limitations of traditional observational studies.
Main Methods:
- Utilized genome-wide association study (GWAS) data from 161,625 UK Biobank participants.
- Selected genetic instruments for 187 dietary exposures at genome-wide significance (p < 5 × 10⁻⁸).
- Performed rigorous sensitivity analyses (MR-Egger, MR-PRESSO) and analyzed AA/AGA datasets from FinnGen.
Main Results:
- Identified 18 dietary exposures significantly associated with hair loss (FDR < 0.05).
- Antioxidant-rich foods (melon, onions, tea) showed protective effects.
- Increased risk associated with croissants, goat cheese, whole milk; alcohol was a strong risk factor for both AA and AGA.
Conclusions:
- Dietary patterns are modifiable factors in hair loss.
- A strategy of prioritizing polyphenol-rich plant foods and minimizing pro-inflammatory triggers (processed carbs, alcohol) is suggested.
- Dietary adjustments, including reduced ultra-processed food and alcohol intake, may complement existing hair loss therapies.
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