Stevia, a natural sweetener, could have a 2nd benefit in the form of helping to curb baldness and hair loss.
Scientists based in Australia and China have found that stevioside, the sweetener found in the stevia plant, helps to improve the skin’s absorption of minoxidil, a hair loss treatment for men and women. While human trials have not yet taken place, animal tests showed that using the 2 together “effectively promoted hair follicles to enter the growth phase, leading to new hair development.”
Lifeng Kang from the University of Sydney, who carried out the research with colleagues from China Pharmaceutical University in Nanjing, said “Using stevioside to enhance minoxidil delivery represents a promising step toward more effective and natural treatments for hair loss, potentially benefiting millions worldwide.”
Alopecia treatments such as minoxidil are hindered by their water insolubility and poor skin permeability, according to the team, whose research was published in the journal Advanced Healthcare Materials.
