Hormones, Green Tea and Hair Loss

Hormones affect the quality of our hair. Usually we talk about stress hormones affecting our hair, but testosterone also plays an important role because it gets converted to dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

Scientists believe that DHT causes the hair follicles to shrink. An enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase (5-AR) converts testosterone to DHT. When 5-AR levels are reduced, hair loss can be stopped and regrowth begins. A common way doctors do this is by use finasteride, the active ingredient in Propecia. Unfortunately, finasteride often comes with negative sexual side effects, like problems with erections, loss of sex drive and premature ejaculation. I’ve seen a number of guys in the clinic for men’s health concerns after they took finasteride.

Scientists discovered that the major catechin in green tea, Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), is a 5-AR blocker. The research study that identified the ability of EGCG to block 5-AR is more powerful when EGCG is taken alone, but a cup of green tea still contains plenty of EGCG (around 300 to 400 mg of polyphenols). So I think a nice cup of green tea is still worth your while.

Additionally, researcher’s found EGCG’s ability to block 5-AR is improved in the presence of medium chain triglycerides, like Lauric Acid, found in coconut oil. So cook your eggs in coconut oil and eat them with your green tea on the side.