Creatine responsible for causing hair loss
Creatine is responsible for causing hair loss. You may have read that creatine is a popular nutritional supplement for athletes and can cause hair loss. But is this true? Although it is not the direct cause of hair loss, creatine can affect the level of the hormone DHT and cause hair loss.
Creatine function
Creatine is produced naturally by the kidneys, pancreas, and liver and is an important source of energy for cells. You can get creatine from your diet by eating fish and red meat.
Creatine is generally stored in skeletal muscle in the form of phosphocreatine. This is broken down and used as energy in sports activities that require muscle contraction. Creatine can also be used as a supplement in powder, tablet, and liquid form. Some people take these creatine supplements to increase their athletic ability and muscle mass.
creatine side effects
Before you get into the habit of taking creatine supplements, you need to understand its potential side effects, some of which are listed below.
- Water retention: Creatine consumption can cause water retention in the body which can lead to short-term weight gain.
- Kidney problems: When creatine levels remain high in your body, you are more susceptible to kidney damage. Therefore, it is best to avoid taking creatine supplements if you have underlying kidney problems. However, the researchers found that in healthy individuals, creatine had no negative effects.
- Safe for Adults – When taken in proper doses, creatine is safe for use in adults and has been found to help produce better ergogenic benefits than other supplements.
- Use sparingly in teens: For teens, it’s best to talk to your doctor before starting a creatine supplement. This is because the safety of creatine supplementation in adolescents has not yet been studied in detail, and most adolescents tend to ingest some amount of creatine as part of their daily diet.
Research on creatine and hair loss
Creatine is responsible for causing hair loss. There is not enough research to show that taking creatine supplements can cause hair loss. Rather, most of the evidence related to creatine and hair loss is anecdotal, that is, from people’s personal experiences.
How is creatine related to hair loss?
Elevated creatine levels can indirectly cause hair loss. Creatine supplementation causes the level of the hormone DHT to increase, which affects the enzyme that converts testosterone to DHT. This can cause hair loss.
Generally speaking, hair follicles grow in three different cycles, namely the growth phase, the resting phase, and the hair loss phase. However, when DHT levels increase, the binding rate of DHT hormones to hair follicles increases, thus shortening the period of hair growth. This leads to weakening and thinning of the hair, which in turn leads to rapid hair loss.
The researchers only looked at increased DHT levels and paid no attention to hair loss. However, it’s important to know that because DHT plays a major role in hair loss, an increase in DHT levels puts you at risk for hair loss. More research is needed to determine the exact role of creatine in hair loss.
If you are worried about the way your hair has been falling out, contact us at DHI Panama, you can have a free online consultation through WhatsApp 6349-5550; by filling out our contact form or writing to the chat on the website.