By YOSHINOBU MATSUNAGA/ Staff Writer
February 27, 2025 at 08:00 JST
Nagoya University Hospital (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
NAGOYA--A natural compound in celery, broccoli and other plants inhibits black hair from going gray, research shows.
Machiko Iida, a specially appointed assistant professor of occupational and environmental health at Nagoya University’s Graduate School of Medicine, said she and her colleagues discovered via an experiment with mice that luteolin, a flavonoid variant, alleviates graying of hair.
The team’s findings were published Dec. 17 in the online edition of the international academic journal Antioxidants.
Masashi Kato, professor of medicine at Nagoya University, said in a statement that the research will likely lead to the development of a topical agent and an oral dietary supplement utilizing luteolin “that provides a novel option to hinder hair from graying.”
But human trials must first be held to gauge the effectiveness and safety of the substance, he said.
Luteolin is found in celery, broccoli and the herb species chamomile, among other plants.
The ability of luteolin to promote skin health through antioxidative and anti-aging mechanisms was already known, but this was the first time its effectiveness in inhibiting the graying of black hair has been scientifically verified.
The team used mice with black fur to observe whether their hair became grayish over time.
Luteolin was applied to the skin on their backs for 16 weeks. The results showed that mice developed gray hair less frequently than those that did not receive luteolin. Oral administration of luteolin provided similar results.
Team members noted that the use of luteolin helped to alleviate a decline in the volume of endothelin, a physiological active chemical in hair-growing follicles, and endothelin receptor type B.
As a result, the function of melanocyte stem cells improved, meaning that those born with black hair were more likely to keep the color longer.
According to the team, there are few scientifically efficient products on the market to prevent hair from graying.
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