大家有喝過電視上廣告，『喝了在上…康貝特』，或是贊助賽車不遺餘力的紅牛(Red bull)飲料，或是在日本已銷售了50年，銷售量達200億瓶以上的リポビタン(力保美達)？這些在世界各地流行的機能性飲料中的主要成分牛磺酸Taurine，可是有對抗脫髮的潛力呢！
牛磺酸（Taurine）是一種帶有氨基的磺酸（不是胺基酸），是身體所需營養成分之一，被指為對嬰兒腦部及眼部發展有良好影響，而被放入奶粉的成份裡面。牛磺酸在維持腦部運作及發展方面都扮演著重要的角色。牛磺酸能加速神經元的增生以及延長的作用。由於牛磺酸有抑制神經的作用，所以它亦有抗痙攣及減少焦慮的特點。牛磺酸同時具有抗氧化的特點，故此它亦能保護腦部免受氧化物的傷害。(以上這段出自Wikipedia)
研究摘要整理：
脫髮或禿髮被視為一種文明病，在面臨各種壓力的狀況下，有可能加重脫髮的症狀。脫髮症也由好發在40～50歲的年紀，轉變成現今普遍在20～30歲的年紀就會發生。
研究指出，與其他市售抗脫髮產品作比較，牛磺酸是有潛力對抗化學性壓力(chemical stress)脫髮的，所謂的化學性壓力，指的是我們身邊可能遇到的各種化學污染源，如空氣、用水、藥物、不健康食物、食品添加物，或是如煙、酒、咖啡因飲料等其它化學成份之食品。
研究使用秀麗隠桿線蟲(Caenorhabditis elegans)，秀麗隠桿線蟲是一種可以獨立生存的線蟲，長度約1公釐，生活在溫度恆定的環境。秀麗隠桿線蟲可做為模式生物，以研究發育生物學及神經科學。所採用的標準為他們在應對壓力的表現，及生命徵象(Vital signs)變化測量的影響：壽命比較、後代數量和遷移率。
線蟲顯示，如果施以衣黴素(tunicamycin)，會出現典型壓力症狀，線蟲的壽命和其後代的數量顯著下降，並伴隨著不同尋常的遲緩運動。有趣的是，當蠕蟲以牛磺酸、astressin-B和Finasteride(柔沛成分)一同治療，卻顯示了正向反應。在治療期間，Finasteride在降低壓力效果上顯示更好的結果，牛磺酸更有效地幫助蠕蟲由壓力的不利影響中恢復。
研究結論指出，有強力的證據顯示，牛磺酸用來對抗脫髮有很大的潛力，尤其是對化學性壓力的不利影響。牛磺酸如果結合其他對抗脫髮的產品，也許會有很強的效果。
如果我們想補充牛磺酸，有相關的產品嗎？除了上述耳熟能詳的機能飲料，其實法國L’OREAL有一款針對對抗脫髮的口服錠，Inneov Hair Mass Supplements，當中就有牛磺酸等成分，有小規模臨床實驗。當然，也有單一牛磺酸成分的補充品，劑量較高，且品牌眾多!! 該如何定位這成分？如果非雄性禿，與化學性壓力有關的脫髮，再考慮嘗試。
By iwanthair’s blog
研究原文：
Adv Exp Med Biol. 2013;776:267-76. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4614-6093-0_25.
Simulative evaluation of taurine against alopecia caused by stress in Caenorhabditis elegans.
Kim H, Chang H, Lee DH.
Source Department of Life Sciences, University of Seoul, Seoul, South Korea. (韓國首爾大學)
Abstract
Hair loss or alopecia has been portrayed as a modern malady which is aggravated by stressful conditions. Major cases of alopecia were found among individuals of 40s-50s, nowadays, even among the 20s-30s. This study characterized taurine’s potential against alopecia caused by chemical stress agents based on the comparison with other commercially available anti-alopecia agents using Caenorhabditis elegans. The criteria used are their effects on the expression of stress markers and measurements of vital signs: lifespan comparison, progeny number, and mobility. C. elegans showed the typical stress symptoms under treatment with tunicamycin, endoplasmic reticulum stress agent. Hsp-70 protein expression increased, while worm’s lifespan and per capita progeny number significantly decreased along with an unusually retarded movement. A positive response was shown when worms were treated with taurine along with astressin-B and finasteride. Between the treatments, finasteride showed better outcomes in terms of stress-reducing effects. Taurine helped worms recover more effectively from adverse influence of stress. In conclusion, there is strong evidence that taurine has a great potential as anti-alopecia effect especially against the one caused by the chemical stress. The present study implies that taurine might strongly work against hair loss when used in combination with other commercially available -anti-alopecia agents.
紅牛讓我改觀了!!