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Green Tea
and Hair Growth
Green tea may do a lot of things, but can it help you grow more hair?
Researchers from Seoul National University College of Medicine in Korea
decided to try to find out. For a study published in Phytomedicine
in 2006, they measured the effects of green tea’s EGCg on the growth of
human hair follicles in a test-tube environment.1 They also
looked at what happened when EGCg was applied to dermal papilla cells (DPCs),
cells that live in the hair follicle itself and play a key part in hair
growth.
EGCg not
only stimulated the growth of DPCs in both test tube cultures and the human
scalp, it also promoted the growth of the hair follicles. The researchers
concluded that EGCg stimulates human hair growth by increasing DPC proliferation
and slowing the rate of cell-programmed death.
Exciting
results were also seen when green tea was given to mice that had developed
spontaneous hair loss of the head, neck and dorsal area.2 The mice
were divided into two groups: one received green tea catechins in their drinking
water for six months, while the other received plain drinking water. During the
6 months of treatment, 33 percent of the mice receiving green tea experienced
significant hair regrowth, compared to none of the mice receiving plain water.
So have
another cup of green tea. Your hair may thank you for it!
1Kwon
OS, Han JH, Yoo HG, et al. Human hair growth enhancement in vitro by green tea
epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). Phytomedicine 2007 Aug;
14(7-8):551-55.)
2
Esfandiari A, Kelly AP. The effects of tea polyphenolic compounds on hair
loss among rodents. J Natl Med Assoc 2005;97(8):1165-69.
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Nadine Taylor, M.S., R.D. presents
GreenTeaLibrary.com, the most
comprehensive collection of scientific information describing the
health benefits of green tea.
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