AUSTRALIAN researchers have discovered a surprising breakthrough treatment when it comes to hair loss - and turns out, it is the same sweet ingredient used in ice-cream and fizzy drink.
Stevia - a natural, zero-calorie sugar substitute - may help revive hair growth on the head when its compounds (called steviosides) are mixed with the popular over-the-counter hair loss drug, minoxidil.
In tests on mice, scientists placed a microneedle patch infused with a mix of minoxidil and steviosides on the rodents' bald back every day for a month and found it triggered new hair growth across 67.5% of their back by the experiment's end, with no side effects or adverse events recorded.
In comparison, mice who had the standard minoxidil solution, without steviosides, sprayed onto their backs every day for the same period saw regrowth over just 25% of the bald area.
Dr Lifeng Kang, a pharmacist at the University of Sydney who led the research, explained: "Using stevioside to enhance minoxidil delivery represents a promising step toward more effective and natural treatments for hair loss, potentially benefiting millions worldwide."
While the researchers are not yet sure as to why stevia extracts seem to encourage hair growth, they believe it could be due to helping the body absorb more of the minoxidil, thereby boosting the effectiveness of the medication.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 10 Oct 25
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