Low Fat diet reduces Androgens

[DammitLetMeIn]

One must also consider that the entire population analyzed in the study is Scandinavian, so coming to a conclusion that benefits all of society is impossible.

Well, Scandanavians are caucasians. Thats most of the US. I hope there are many more studies like this with even greater specificity. Its a shame the link has not been investigated more thoroughly before now.

Unfortunately, that still doesn't explain early onset male pattern baldness in men with a normal BMI that exercise regularly, do cardio every-other-day, and eat semi-vegan or vegan diets.

These people still experience insulin resistance. I'm willing to bet they are also less likely to have baldness than those people who do the opposite of what you describe. (as this study indicates).

I have no doubt in my mind that poor diet can potentiate male pattern baldness. But, you'd have to not take of yourself for a while to work yourself up to being insulin insensitive..

The vast majority of us are insulin resistant to at least some degree.

That's the pre-requisite. From there, I could definitely see the process working synergistically with the already in progress events of male pattern baldness.

I don't think male pattern baldness has to be in progress. I think the genes just have to be present with the diet helping create the conditions in the body whereby the genes can express themselves.

 

[docj077]

The vast majority of us are insulin resistant to at least some degree.

Estimates seem to demonstrate that 10-35 percent of the population have some form of insulin resistance. Unfortunately, male pattern baldness is more common than that. Also, obesity is more common.

One can not simply exclude those people without insulin insensitivity that have male pattern baldness.

 

[docj077]

I don't think male pattern baldness has to be in progress. I think the genes just have to be present with the diet helping create the conditions in the body whereby the genes can express themselves.

Of course it does. That's why there aren't obese five year olds with insulin resistance AND male pattern baldness. Puberty is absolutely required for the process, which means that androgens are the first step. The genes are automatically expressed from puberty onward.

 

[DammitLetMeIn]

Estimates seem to demonstrate that 10-35 percent of the population have some form of insulin resistance. Unfortunately, male pattern baldness is more common than that. Also, obesity is more common.

One can not simply exclude those people without insulin insensitivity that have male pattern baldness.

Well, you and I do not have the same no. of cells which are insulin sensitive than your average healthy non-obese 10 year old does.

Dr. Rosedale explains this point in his lecture. He says that everyone is insulin resistant to some degree in that everyone has cells which are resistant to the effects of insulin. He also explains that we generally become more and more insulin resistant as we get older. This would correspond with male pattern baldness developing in our later years (for most people, that is).

 

[DammitLetMeIn]

Of course it does. That's why there aren't obese five year olds with insulin resistance AND male pattern baldness. Puberty is absolutely required for the process, which means that androgens are the first step. The genes are automatically expressed from puberty onward.

Ok agreed. But where androgens are not in excess diet appears to be the accelerating factor as suggested by this study.

 

[abcdefg]

I dont think some changes that happen in the body are reversible but everyone always wants to think they are. It makes logical sense to us that if insulin levels raise because of say diet that changing your diet again will lower it. I dont think things like that are true a lot of times in the human body.

 

[DammitLetMeIn]

Dr Mercola believes that male pattern baldness is a marker for insulin resistance:

Early Baldness May Result From Insulin Resistance

There exists a proven association between male-pattern baldness and serious cardiovascular events, but the mechanism of action is unknown.

Now, a new study has shown a strikingly increased risk of insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, and insulin-resistance-associated disorders in men with early onset of male-pattern baldness (alopecia), supporting the theory that early male-pattern baldness could be a clinical marker of insulin resistance.


Researchers performed a practice-based case-control study on 154 subjects (aged 19-50 years) with early-onset male-pattern baldness (onset prior to 35 years of age) and age-matched controls.

Men were only selected whose hair loss was significant, using an accepted classification method.

Information on diagnoses of chronic diseases and data on current medication, weight and height, fasting total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, and blood glucose were collected.

Blood insulin levels were measured.
Researchers looked at the following insulin-resistance-associated risk factors:


Elevated lipids (HDL cholesterol <0> 1.7 mmol/L, or lipid-lowering medication)

Abnormal glucose metabolism (fasting blood glucose > 6.7 mmol/L twice or antidiabetic medication)

High body-mass index

Elevated systolic blood pressure (> 160 mm Hg).
A "cluster" was considered to be present if at least three of the four variables were simultaneously positive.

The risks for the following were all found to be elevated for the alopecia group:


Nearly 5 times more likely to have clustered risk factors

Hyperinsulinemia risk was increased nearly 2-fold

Moderate obesity was increased nearly 2-fold

Severe obesity was increased nearly 150%.

Use of cholesterol lowering medication was increased more than 4-fold

Use of blood pressure or diabetic medication was more than double
Researchers maintain that there findings " ... raise the question whether insulin resistance could be a pathophysiological mechanism or promoting factor in early androgenetic alopecia, which could, in turn, be an early marker of insulin resistance."

In addition, they suggest that men with early-onset male-pattern baldness should be screened for insulin resistance and other cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Lancet September 30, 2000; 356: 1165-1166.