The natural sugar alternative stevia could have an unexpected second use: helping to curb baldness and hair loss.
Scientists based in Australia and China have found that stevioside, the sweetener found in the stevia plant, helps improve the skin’s absorption of minoxidil, a hair loss treatment for men and women.
While human trials have not yet taken place, animal tests showed that using the two together “effectively promoted hair follicles to enter the growth phase, leading to new hair development”.
“Using stevioside to enhance minoxidil delivery represents a promising step toward more effective and natural treatments for hair loss, potentially benefiting millions worldwide,” said University of Sydney School of Pharmacy associate professor Dr Kang Lifeng, who carried out the research with colleagues from the China Pharmaceutical University in Nanjing.
Alopecia treatments such as minoxidil are hindered by their water insolubility and poor skin permeability, according to the team, whose research was published in the journal Advanced Healthcare Materials.
“Animal studies demonstrated that the patch significantly promoted hair growth,” the team wrote, after observing “a significant increase in hair follicle transition to the growth phase”. – dpa
