Micronutrients and Androgenetic Alopecia: A Systematic Review.
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
Systematic review of 49 published studies
PubMed 39440586 · doi:10.1002/mnfr.202400652
What was done
Authors conducted a systematic review of literature published between 1993 and 2023 examining associations between androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and micronutrients (vitamins A, B, C, and D, iron, selenium, zinc, manganese, and copper). The search identified 49 relevant articles.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical data, pooled effect sizes, or confidence intervals. Qualitatively, deficiencies in vitamin B, vitamin D, iron, and zinc were associated with an increased risk of AGA, and supplementation showed potential benefits, but findings across the 49 studies were inconsistent, with multiple studies reporting no significant associations.
Why it matters
This review synthesizes 30 years of literature on nutritional factors in AGA, highlighting specific vitamins and minerals that may act as modifiable risk factors for hair loss.
Limits
The abstract does not report quantitative meta-analytic pooling, study design breakdowns (e.g., observational versus randomized trials), participant characteristics, or specific micronutrient cutoff levels. Inconsistency among primary studies precludes definitive clinical conclusions.
Cited by
- supports Hair loss can be caused by vitamin D deficiency, protein deficiency, mineral deficiencies, or elevated DHT.