Can Beta Sitosterol Prevent Hair Loss?

What is Beta Sitosterol?

Beta sitosterol powder is a type of plant sterol, which is a beneficial compound found in certain plant foods. It is white powder with a characteristic odor.

What is beta sitosterol extract used for? It is a phytosterol, also known as a plant sterol or sterol ester. Its structure is similar to cholesterol. It can assist in lowering cholesterol naturally and may reduce the risk of heart disease. It is also sometimes used to assist in managing other symptoms and conditions, although there is currently little research to prove its effectiveness for these purposes. For example, in some cases, it may be taken as a supplement to support prostate health and prevent allergies, asthma, tuberculosis, PMS, and joint and muscle pains.

What are Sources of Beta Sitosterol?

Beta sitosterol is found in foods that naturally contain fat, such as nuts, seeds, avocados, and vegetable oils. Despite they are low-fat foods, some legumes also contain beta-sitosterol.

Here are some examples of the most abundant beta-sitosterol foods:

Canola oil

Vegetable oils made from things such as nuts and seeds

Salads dressings made with vegetable oils

Pumpkin seed

Avocado

Rice bran

Nuts (peanuts, cashews, pistachios, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, fava beans)

Wheat germ

Soybeans

Corn oils

Margarine

Lentils (pink)

Dark chocolate (the darker the better)

Chickpeas

Macadamia nuts

How Does Beta Sitosterol Help Fight Hair Loss?

Beta sitosterol is considered to be a natural 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor. Testosterone is converted into DHT (dihydrotestosterone) with such enzyme. It is thought that beta sitosterol helps fight hair loss by blocking or slowing down the production of DHT.

Can Beta Sitosterol Prevent Hair Loss?

Hair loss can have many different causes. In men, the most common form of hair loss is male pattern baldness, which is resulted from a combination of genetic factors and androgen hormones such as dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT plays an important role in prostate enlargement and the treatment of BPH symptoms.

However, there is some scientific evidence that beta sitosterol supplement may improve hair growth in men with signs of male pattern baldness.

In a small research published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine in 2002, researchers focused on the therapeutic effects of plant substances such as beta sitosterol and saw palmetto for male pattern baldness.

During a period of 4 to 6 months, the researchers tracked the men's hair growth and asked participants to complete a survey assessing their response to treatment.

The research found that 60% of men who received beta sitosterol and saw palmetto supplements responded positively to the treatment.

As with many other natural supplements advertised as hair loss treatments, there is currently not a lot of scientific evidence for or against beta sitosterol.