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How
can green tea be used to treat baldness
Green tea, also known as "Camellia sinensis", is very
popular and consumed daily in Japan and other Asian countries. Asia
is naturally the largest producer of green tea and plantations are
commonplace. Green tea is simply dried leaves of the tea plant.
Black tea is made from dried tea plant leaves that have been through
a fermentation process. Green tea is a popular form of treatment
for androgenetic alopecia although there have been no published
studies to directly demonstrate its effectiveness. As with saw palmetto,
the potential for treating pattern baldness is indicated by research
into the properties of green tea in treating other ailments.
The key ingredients of green tea are molecules called catechins.
Catechins have several properties. Animal model research studies
indicate that green tea catechins have a variety of actions. Rats
that were given green tea derived epicatechins showed vasorelaxation.
Arteries that were induced to contract were found to relax again
after administration of catechins, so green tea may aid cardiovascular
activity. Catechins of green tea are selectively bactericidal. They
do not affect lactic acid bacteria but will reduce the proliferation
of other bacteria types particularly those that use alpha-amylase
activity in their growth and cell division. Green tea also contains
antioxidants and may even help lower cholesterol. Of greatest interest
to the research community green tea apparently has a protective
effect against a range of cancers. Green tea has been statistically
shown to reduce the frequency of smoke-induced mutations. It has
also been particularly useful in protection from stomach and colon
cancer.
Of greatest interest to those with androgenetic alopecia is evidence
that green tea can influence serum concentrations of hormones. Research
in this area is primarily with reference to hormonal effects on
the development of cancer and how green tea and other caffeine containing
products might mediate changes in hormone levels. For example, high
intake of green tea has been associated with higher levels of sex
hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and lowered levels of serum estradiol
(estrogen) concentration in women. Increased SHBG may be of help
in reducing the effects of androgenetic alopecia. SHBG is a molecule
that binds with high affinity to testosterone. Testosterone bound
to SHBG is not bioactive and cannot bind to androgen receptors or
be converted into dihydrotestosterone. An increase in SHBG concentration
effectively reduces free testosterone.
Green tea may affect testosterone levels and may also have an affect
on the type I 5 alpha reductase enzyme that converts testosterone
to dihydrotestosterone. These distinct, but complementary, effects
of green tea may influence androgenetic alopecia.
How
can green tea be used to treat baldness references
- Mukhtar
H, Ahmad N. Related Articles Green tea in chemoprevention of cancer.
Toxicol Sci. 1999 Dec;52(2 Suppl):111-7.
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MD. Green tea (Camellia sinensis) extract and its possible role
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S, Ahmad N, Mukhtar H. Prostate cancer chemoprevention by green
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C, Kabuto M, Shimizu H. Association of coffee, green tea, and
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- Kao
YH, Hiipakka RA, Liao S. Modulation of endocrine systems and food
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S, Ahmad N, Mohan RR, Husain MM, Mukhtar H. Prostate cancer chemoprevention
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induction of ornithine decarboxylase. Cancer Res. 1999 May 1;59(9):2115-20.
- Liao
S, Hiipakka RA. Selective inhibition of steroid 5 alpha-reductase
isozymes by tea epicatechin-3-gallate and epigallocatechin-3-gallate.
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