Health is Wealth
Note: While research on alcohol is evolving, the World Health Organization says drinking less or not at all is better for your health.
If youāve noticed your hair thinning or that youāre losing hair more rapidly, you may be wondering whether your alcohol consumption is to blame. After all, alcohol is tied to a wide range of health issues, from liver disease to nutrient deficiencies and cardiovascular conditions ā more than 200 health conditions in all.
[1] Could it also be contributing to your hair loss?
The short answer: Alcohol itself isnāt a direct, proven cause of hair loss. But excessive drinking may contribute to factors that negatively affect hair health, such as nutritional deficiencies, dehydration, hormonal disturbances, and immune system impairment.
[1]
āThereās no direct causal relationship thatās been defined. What we see instead is a suggested link, especially with androgenic alopecia, or pattern hair loss. And it may depend on the type and amount of alcohol consumed,ā says Chris Adigun, MD, a dermatologist in private practice in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Hereās a closer look at what the science says if youāre worried about the potential role of alcohol in your hair health.
Currently, thereās no strong evidence that alcohol directly causes hair loss. But researchers have studied how drinking causes ripple effects on overall health, including indirectly influencing hair loss.
One research review that included 17 studies and more than 61,000 participants ā mostly women ā found that consuming higher amounts of sugary drinks and alcohol was linked to more hair shedding. The researchers even suggest that limiting alcohol may be beneficial in supporting hair health, though further research is needed to confirm the findings.
[2]
The research review isnāt able to determine the two are linked, but some clear factors are at play, says Julia Zumpano, RD, a registered dietitian at Cleveland Clinicās Digestive Disease & Surgery Institute in Ohio.
āOne probable cause could be the role these beverages play in the gut microbiome and nutrient absorption,ā Zumpano says.
Excessive drinkers may also eat less nutrient-dense foods and may be deficient in nutrients crucial to hair health, such as vitamin D, iron, protein, and B12, she says. Chronic nutrient deficiency can weaken the hairās structure and cause thinning.
[3]
Both theories are backed by research. Itās been established that chronic alcohol use is tied to malnutrition via alcoholās effects on the small intestineās ability to absorb key nutrients.
[4]
Genetics are another key factor, according to research. One study that looked at more than 1,100 men who were diagnosed with androgenetic alopecia found that regular drinkers had a 61 percent increased risk that their pattern hair loss would advance to moderate or severe stages.
[5]
In this case, the researchers said doctors should consider counselling patients with a genetic predisposition to hair loss to steer away from alcohol as a preventive measure.
[5]
And then thereās the stress on the body that alcohol may cause, Dr. Adigun says. Excessive drinking can disrupt sleep, trigger dehydration, and weaken the immune system, all of which can indirectly affect hair health.
[6]Should You Drink if You Have Hair Loss?
If youāre already dealing with hair thinning or shedding, do you need to stop drinking altogether? The answer depends on how much you drink and your overall health.
Based on the research, if youāre genetically predisposed to hair loss, Adigun suggests limiting alcohol consumption to avoid accelerating the process. āIf someone has a family history of androgenic alopecia, for example, adding alcohol as another risk factor is inadvisable if they want to keep their hair,ā she says.
But for most adults, moderate drinking ā up to one drink per day for women and two for men, according to U.S. dietary guidelines ā is unlikely to directly trigger hair loss, Adigun says.
[7]
If you drink excessively, cutting back may support your hair health indirectly by lessening the negative impact on your sleep, immune system, and your ability to absorb nutrients.
The term āexcessive drinking” typically refers to binge drinking or heavy drinking. Binge drinking consists of consuming multiple drinks on a single occasion ā 4 or more for women, 5 or more for men. Heavy drinking is defined as consuming 8 or more drinks per week for women, or 15 or more for men.
[8]
Your best bet is to meet with a dermatologist, who can help sort out the underlying causes of your hair loss ā whether theyāre genetic, hormonal, nutritional, or related to other health conditions. A dermatologist can run tests, identify the type of hair loss, and create a treatment approach that may combine medications, supplements, and lifestyle changes.
[9]
āHair loss doesnāt happen in a vacuum, itās complex. Alcohol is one piece of the puzzle, but we also need to look at genetics, lifestyle, and other contributing factors,ā Adigun says.
Does Alcohol Interact With Hair LossĀ Medications?
If youāre taking medication for hair loss, you may wonder whether alcohol is safe. Some hair regrowth treatments donāt interact with alcohol, but others may increase your risk of side effects when combined with drinking.
Always ask your doctor or pharmacist before combining the two.
Hereās a look at some common treatments for hair loss and their potential interactions.
Topical application of minoxidil has no known alcohol interactions, but oral minoxidil may increase the risk of severe hangovers in people who are drinking heavily while taking the medication.
[10]
[11]
There are no major interactions with alcohol while taking this medication.
[12]
This medication is used off-label for female pattern hair loss. While taking it, women should stick within recommended guidelines for daily alcohol consumption ā one drink per day or less. Alcohol can make some people feel dizzy or sleepy. If this happens to you, try not to drink alcohol while taking spironolactone.
[13]
[7]
Adigun also reminds people who are already exploring hair restoration options, such as topical and oral medications or injections, to try not to undermine their progress by drinking.
āIf youāre doing treatments like minoxidil or [platelet-rich plasma injections] and at the same time, [youāre] drinking moderately or heavily, youāre adding a risk factor that we know increases [hair loss] severity,ā she says. āWhy continue a habit that worsens the condition youāre trying to treat?ā
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Leading cause of death of those age 15-49
Stopping for happy hour with colleagues after work. Cracking open a cold beer (or two) while watching the game. Meeting up with girlfriends for a glass of pinot noir. Having an alcoholic beverage of choice is a common way to unwind. But according to a recent study, even casual drinking can put your long-term health at risk.
Liver specialist Jamile Wakim-Fleming, MD, did not take part in the study, but says the research found that alcohol was a leading risk factor for both disease and premature death.
āThey found that alcohol was the seventh leading cause of death worldwide,ā she says. āBut even more alarming, is that it was the first leading cause of death of people between the ages of 15-49.ā
The study looked at global data from hundreds of previous studies and found that for all ages, alcohol was associated with 2.8 million deaths each year.
Researchers found that alcohol-related cancer and heart disease, infectious diseases, intentional injury, traffic accidents and accidental injury were some of the leading causes of alcohol-related deaths.
Dr. Wakim-Fleming says people often believe that a little bit of alcohol, wine in particular, may be good for their heart. But the study results didnāt show any health benefit to drinking any amount of alcohol.
She says this information, along with previous research that has shown more young people are dying from alcohol-related liver disease, indicates that excessive drinking among young adults is a growing problem.
And like any substance-abuse problem, Dr. Wakim-Fleming says the damage to the body from alcohol increases over your lifespan.
āItās a cumulative effect,ā she explains. āIf you do it all at once, then youāre going to have the effect now. If you drink on a regular basis, over years itās going to be cumulative and you will end up with a problem later on.ā
Dr. Wakim-Fleming notes that anything we do in life involves risk, but itās important to know what the risks are so that we can make the best decisions for our health.
Complete results of the study can be found in The Lancet. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Pinterest alcoholalcohol and healthalcohol-related liver disease
Leading cause of death of those age 15-49
Stopping for happy hour with colleagues after work. Cracking open a cold beer (or two) while watching the game. Meeting up with girlfriends for a glass of pinot noir. Having an alcoholic beverage of choice is a common way to unwind. But according to a recent study, even casual drinking can put your long-term health at risk.
Liver specialist Jamile Wakim-Fleming, MD, did not take part in the study, but says the research found that alcohol was a leading risk factor for both disease and premature death.
āThey found that alcohol was the seventh leading cause of death worldwide,ā she says. āBut even more alarming, is that it was the first leading cause of death of people between the ages of 15-49.ā
The study looked at global data from hundreds of previous studies and found that for all ages, alcohol was associated with 2.8 million deaths each year.
Researchers found that alcohol-related cancer and heart disease, infectious diseases, intentional injury, traffic accidents and accidental injury were some of the leading causes of alcohol-related deaths.
Dr. Wakim-Fleming says people often believe that a little bit of alcohol, wine in particular, may be good for their heart. But the study results didnāt show any health benefit to drinking any amount of alcohol.
She says this information, along with previous research that has shown more young people are dying from alcohol-related liver disease, indicates that excessive drinking among young adults is a growing problem.
And like any substance-abuse problem, Dr. Wakim-Fleming says the damage to the body from alcohol increases over your lifespan.
āItās a cumulative effect,ā she explains. āIf you do it all at once, then youāre going to have the effect now. If you drink on a regular basis, over years itās going to be cumulative and you will end up with a problem later on.ā
Dr. Wakim-Fleming notes that anything we do in life involves risk, but itās important to know what the risks are so that we can make the best decisions for our health.
Complete results of the study can be found in The Lancet. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Pinterest alcoholalcohol and healthalcohol-related liver disease
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It may come on in those first few sips of alcohol. Or maybe youāre hit with a hot flash whenever youāre a few drinks in. But whenever you drink, you seem to experience a sudden sensation of warmth, and your face, neck and upper chest become covered in red patches and blotchy skin.
Is facial flushing a sign that you canāt handle your alcohol? Or is this a symptom of something more severe? Dermatologist Alok Vij, MD, explains just what causes facial flushing, along with some truth behind some common misconceptions.
There are a couple of different root causes for facial flushing. More technically termed the āalcohol flush reaction,ā this occurs because your body either canāt fully digest the alcohol youāre consuming or because your body is having an inflammatory response to drinking alcohol.
āYour face may flush from alcohol for two reasons: Because of an enzyme deficiency or because of rosacea,ā says Dr. Vij. āBoth are tied to your ethnicity.ā
Many Asian populations, specifically 35% to 45% of East Asians, have a deficiency in alcohol dehydrogenase, the enzyme that breaks down a specific substance in alcohol called acetaldehyde.
āAlcohol is toxic to cells, and when it gets into the cells of your blood vessels, it makes them dilate,ā explains Dr. Vij. āThis reddens the skin and can make you feel warm.ā
But without enough of this enzyme, you can end up having too much acetaldehyde in your body, and this makes alcohol reach toxic levels much earlier in your cells. This results in your skin becoming flushed.
Fair-skinned people of Northern European backgrounds who flush when they drink may have some degree of rosacea.
āThis very common skin condition is marked by vasomotor instability or hyperactivity,ā Dr. Vij explains further. āThat means lots of things can dilate your blood vessels: alcohol, chocolate, hot beverages and spicy foods ā basically, all the good things in life.ā
You may be asking yourself this question if youāve ever experienced facial flushing. On the surface, facial flushing might feel cosmetically embarrassing at most and may not come with any other dangerous symptoms. For those with an enzyme deficiency, facial flushing can occasionally be experienced with increased onset of nausea or vomiting because of your bodyās inability to fully digest the alcohol youāre consuming.
For the most part, these factors are mostly harmless. But because alcohol is a cellular toxin, anyone who drinks excessively increases their risk for oral cancer and esophageal cancer.
āAlcohol most frequently passes through these sites,ā states Dr. Vij. āToxicity and DNA damage can build up in cells and, eventually, a cancer can form.ā
But recent studies report that those who get an alcohol flush because of an enzyme deficiency are also at heightened risk of digestive, liver and respiratory cancers. These populations are more vulnerable to alcoholās toxicity, as itās processed and later eliminated in:
āWe donāt think of rosacea as a precancerous disease,ā Dr. Vij clarifies. āThe biggest problems rosacea causes are a bulbous nose, like W.C. Fields had, and eye inflammation.ā
(It was rosacea ā not alcoholism ā that made the storied comedianās nose look large, red and bumpy, because of an overgrowth of the sebaceous glands, Dr. Vij adds.)
In addition, rosacea can make your eyes feel itchy, dry and chronically irritated. These eye symptoms can be managed with anti-inflammatory medication.
āWe typically prescribe oral antibiotics like doxycycline or minocycline, often at lower doses than are required to kill bacteria,ā he continues.
If an alcohol flush makes you feel self-conscious when you drink, certain treatments can help:
But because these medications and laser treatments are considered cosmetic, they arenāt typically covered by insurance.
So, if your face flushes, are specific kinds of alcohol to blame? And can you avoid some but not others as an at-home treatment approach to facial flushing?
āItās really patient-specific. Some people with rosacea flush more with red wine; others flush more with hard liquor,ā says Dr. Vij.
If you have rosacea and keep track of what happens when you drink, you may be able to find your triggers. But if facial flushing is an issue for you at all, avoiding alcohol in all its forms might be the next best and most equitable solution.
āIf flushing bothers you, and you know alcohol is a trigger, the easiest and most cost-effective solution is to avoid it,ā suggests Dr. Vij.
Ā·
When youāre pregnant, itās important to eat a healthy diet that provides the nutrients you need. That helps keep you feeling your best and promotes healthy fetal development. But pregnancy also puts you at higher risk for foodborne illness. Some foods and drinks can increase your risk for pregnancy complications. Avoid high-mercury fish and processed meat, and go easy on salt and caffeine.
Itās a warm summer day and youāre hanging out with friends and family for the first time in over a year, celebrating being vaccinated and just being together. And to help beat the heat, you reach in the cooler for an ice-cold beer.
While that might be refreshing at the moment, though, thereās good reason to grab some water, too. The heat of summer can be brutal, sometimes, and its effects are amplified when youāve had a little too much alcohol.
To better understand the risks you face when drinking alcohol during this hot vaccine summer, we spoke with registered dietitian Julia Zumpano, RD.
Whenever youāre outside in the heat for prolonged periods ā like at the beach or picnic ā youāre at risk of dehydration. Consuming alcohol only heightens that risk.
Alcohol reduces the release of the hormone vasopressin, which keeps your body fluids balanced. At the same time, alcohol is also a diuretic which means more urinating and that can lead to dehydration even without the heat. Add in all that sweat from the hot sun and itās a recipe for dehydration disaster.
One thing Zumprano points out, too, is that caffeine ā whether via coffee, soda or as a mixer for liquor ā heightens that dehydration risk even further.
Dehydration can also compound certain aspects of intoxication, she notes. āAltered thinking, altered abilities to drive and make reasonable decisions or even just to have conversations are all things that intoxication can cause.ā
Given that alcohol content is usually higher in spirits than in your average beer, it makes sense that drinking beer instead of mixed drinks might help you avoid dehydration. But the reality is a little more complex, according to Zumpano.
āIf youāre consuming liquor at a volume equivalent to the volume of beer, like 12 ounces of margaritas compared to 12 ounces of an average beer, you will get drunk a lot quicker,ā she says. āBut if youāre drinking whatās considered an alcoholic drink equivalent, thereās not much of a difference because your alcohol intake is the same.ā
According to the National Institute of Health, one alcoholic drink equivalent, also referred to as a āstandard drink,ā contains around 14 grams of pure alcohol. By those measurements, an average 12-ounce can of beer contains the same amount of alcohol as a 5-ounce glass of wine or a typical shot of distilled spirits like rum, vodka, gin or whiskey.
One thing to keep an eye on, though, is the alcoholic content of your beer. While major brands generally run between 4% and 5% alcohol per 12-ounce can or bottle, certain styles of craft beer are as much as 9% alcohol per the same volume. In other words, one can of your favorite local IPA delivers almost twice the amount of alcohol to your system.
Another mistake you should avoid, Zumpano says, is thinking that drinking all that liquid rehydrates you. āIf youāre drinking a lot of beer or alcoholic seltzer, it can feel like youāre drinking a lot of liquid and staying hydrated, but the alcohol offsets that because itās the dehydrating factor,ā she points out.
Not that drinking mixed drinks is any better, according to Zumpano. āIf youāre drinking a sugary, sweet mixed drink, you run into the same thing. It feels like youāre staying hydrated because they go down so much smoother than drinking spirits on the rocks. But itās the same effect as with beer: The alcohol is still dehydrating you unless youāre also drinking enough water.ā
All of these drinks have other adverse health effects, too. They can pack a bunch of calories into a single serving ā as many as 400 to 500 calories in some mixed drinks and craft beers ā and they can come loaded with carbs.
Thereās more, though. āIf youāre drinking high sugar, high caloric intake beverages and youāre drinking a lot of them, they can be very filling,ā Zumpano says. If youāre feeling full, you might not eat any food which can otherwise help absorb some of the alcohol.
So what can you do to avoid dehydration troubles when youāre sipping your favorite boozy beverage by the pool? āTo counteract the dehydration risk of alcohol,ā Zumpano says, ādrink 8 to 12 ounces of water for every alcoholic drink. It slows your intake, keeps you hydrated and can mitigate negative hangover effects.ā
She suggests keeping a reusable water bottle with you that you can refill as the day goes on, taking time to drink the necessary water between beers or margaritas. Another option is to buy a pack of 8-ounce bottles of water and alternate with your booze. And you can always infuse your water with fruit to keep it flavorful.
āItās also important to know what your trigger for over-consumption is,ā she adds. āIf youāre triggered by over-consuming beer or alcoholic seltzer, you want to be mindful of that. Try to switch a drink you have better control of and keep the water bottle handy.ā
Cancer Research UKāVerified account @CR_UK 26m26 minutes ago
Alcohol damages the DNA inside stem cells, this could explain why itās linked to cancer http://po.st/BokGoH
