The critical care doctor is urging people to ‘stop’
A critical care doctor has said that there may be a reason you have more anxiety and hair loss – and it could be down to what you’re drinking. Dr Neena Chandrasekaran, a specialist in pulmonary and critical care medicine, took to TikTok to share what we need to do.
Under the username @neenziemd, she said that these are “things they don’t tell you” when it comes to your body and drinks which are often consumed of a lunch time to help us stay alert at work. She revealed: “Recent studies suggest sodas and energy drinks can contribute to hair loss and anxiety in men.
“These drinks are often loaded with sugar and a lot of additives that can disrupt the balance of hormones within the body and negatively impact the overall health.”
The doctor then highlighted the effect that “high caffeine content” can have, noting it can increase cortisol levels – the stress hormone. In addition to this, “excess sugar is linked to poor circulation and inflammation which can both weaken hair follicles and increase hair loss.”
She said that as a result: “The combination of high cortisol levels and sugar can exacerbate feelings of anxiety and overstimulating the nervous system. The heightened state of stress also leads to hair loss and this creates more inflammation.”
Concluding her video, she warns that you may need to make some lifestyle changes. “If you notice yourself losing more hair and feeling more anxious cut these products out”, she urged.
In fact, as recently reported by Surrey Live, a team from Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, investigated the connection between the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) and MPHL. Their findings revealed that increased SSB consumption is associated with a greater risk of developing MPHL – male pattern hair loss.
SSBs refer to any drinks that contain added sugars in different forms, such as:
- brown sugar
- corn syrup
- dextrose
- fructose
- glucose
- high-fructose corn syrup
- honey, lactose
- malt syrup
- maltose
- molasses
- raw sugar
- sucrose
Some common examples include regular soda (as opposed to diet versions), fruit-flavoured drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, sweetened water and coffee or tea with added sugar.
Researchers from Tsinghua University found that men with MPHL consumed nearly twice as many sugar-sweetened beverages as those without the condition. They highlighted that their findings suggest a correlation rather than a direct cause and emphasized the need for further studies to confirm this link.
NHS hair loss warning
The NHS says: “Losing your hair is not usually anything to be worried about, but it can be upsetting. Treatment may help with some types of hair loss. It’s normal to lose hair. We can lose between 50 and 100 hairs a day, often without noticing.
“Hair loss is not usually anything to be worried about, but occasionally it can be a sign of a medical condition. Some types of hair loss are permanent, like male and female pattern baldness. This type of hair loss usually runs in the family.”
Other types of hair loss may be temporary. They can be caused by an illness, stress, cancer treatment, weight loss or an iron deficiency. Further information and support is available at Cancer Research UK: hair loss and Macmillan: hair loss.
