A claim has emerged that men who frequently drink carbonated beverages like cola or energy drinks may experience hair loss more easily.
Dr. Nina Chandrasekaran, an internist in Florida, recently claimed through a social media video that "carbonated drinks or energy drinks can promote hair loss in men." In the video, she explained that "carbonated drinks contain a lot of sugar and additives, which disrupt hormone balance and blood circulation, causing inflammation, and energy drinks containing high caffeine increase cortisol levels, the stress hormone," noting that "all of this can worsen the condition of hair follicles and promote hair loss."
She added, "The combination of cortisol levels and sugar increases mental anxiety and excessively stimulates the nervous system, leading to high stress," and said, "As a result, inflammation increases, raising the likelihood of hair loss." She then advised, "If you notice more hair falling out than usual, it's necessary to reduce the consumption of these beverages."
In fact, research results have shown that individuals who frequently consume sugary drinks are at a higher risk of developing male pattern hair loss. In 2023, a dermatology research team from Tsinghua University in China investigated the consumption of sugary beverages among over 1,000 Chinese men aged 18 to 45 over a four-month period and assessed their hair loss condition.
As a result, men who consumed sugary drinks more than seven times a week had three times the likelihood of hair loss compared to those who did not. The researchers also noted through animal experiments that sugar consumption disrupts bodily metabolism and interferes with the process of hair follicles growing and repairing.
However, there are also opinions that the direct causal relationship between the consumption of sugary drinks and the development of male pattern hair loss has not been proven. Dr. Susan Magic, a dermatologist at Ohio State University, stated, "Diet plays an important role in health, but hair loss is an issue influenced by multiple factors," adding that "there is no scientific evidence proving that the consumption of sugary drinks is directly related to hair loss."