Whilst greying hair is frequently regarded as an indicator of ageing, many of us go to considerable efforts to prevent it. From hair colourants and highlights to protecting against sun exposure, there are various products and practices used to resist the natural change in hair colour.
Nevertheless, researchers claim an antioxidant present in vegetables can “suppress” the greying process in hair. The scientific team from Nagoya University in Japan, headed by Masashi Kato and Takumi Kagawa, identified luteolin – an antioxidant found in vegetables including five Brit classics such as celery, broccoli, carrots, onions, and peppers – as a potential anti-greying compound.
Many of these vegetables can be purchased for under £1 at supermarkets, with a bag of carrots from Tesco currently priced at just 69p – although of course you can find cheap deals in pretty much any UK supermarket or grocer. The research analysed three antioxidants – luteolin, hesperetin, and diosmetin – to assess their anti-greying properties on mice bred to develop grey fur similar to humans.
They found that mice administered luteolin retained their black fur, whilst their cage companions’ fur turned grey. This held true regardless of whether the luteolin was applied topically or consumed internally, reports the Mirror.
The research, which you can access here, was conducted in late 2024, yet its conclusions remain relevant today and provide encouragement for those wishing to preserve their natural hair colour as they age. Professor Kato said: “This result was surprising, While we expected that antioxidants may also have anti-greying effects, only luteolin, not hesperetin or diosmetin, demonstrated significant effects. This finding suggests that luteolin may have a unique medicinal effect that prevents greying.”
Luteolin’s capacity to fight greying is closely linked to its influence on endothelins – proteins crucial for communication between cells. The research discovered that luteolin treatments preserved the expression of endothelins and their receptor.
This preservation supports critical signalling pathways, preventing the decline in melanocyte function that typically occurs with greying hair. Prof Kato observed: “Interestingly, luteolin had limited effects on hair cycles, indicating that its primary impact is on pigmentation rather than hair growth or shedding.
“This targeted action makes luteolin a particularly intriguing candidate for addressing age-related hair greying.”
The scientists stress that the similarities between how hair greys in the laboratory mice and in humans offer encouraging prospects for translating these findings for human application. In addition to vegetables, luteolin is now available as a supplement for both topical application and oral use, making it a viable candidate for further development as an anti-greying solution.
As research progresses, this antioxidant could become a key ingredient in hair care products aimed at delaying the appearance of those silver locks as we grow older.
The results could also open up broader applications for luteolin in the field of ageing research. Dr Kagawa noted: “It would be interesting to investigate whether luteolin’s anti-aging effects could also be applicable to other age-related changes, including balding.”