Exciting new research shows that high blood levels of insulin and its growth factors may cause male pattern baldness in which men and women lose hair from the top and front of their heads, while hair on the sides of their scalp continue to grow luxuriously. A study from Harvard School of Public Health shows that men who have the highest blood levels of insulin like growth factor-1 are the ones most likely to suffer male pattern baldness. Women who have high levels of insulin (polycystic ovary syndrome) are the ones most likely to lose hair from the tops of their heads. It still is early in the research, but evidence is accumulating that male-pattern baldness may be caused by high levels of insulin that are produced by eating huge amounts of sugary and floured foods such as bakery products and pastas. We need research to show if male pattern baldness can be prevented by avoiding flour and sugar, eating fruits only with meals and taking drugs such as Glucophage and Actos to lower insulin levels.
Signorello LB et al. Hormones and hair patterning in men: A role for insulin-like growth factor-1. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology February, 1999;40:200-203.