A Japanese study published in 2024 claims that cinnamon could play an unexpected role against baldness. Despite the potential for hair regrowth and risks to the liver, researchers are urging caution.
Could a sprinkle of cinnamon on your rice pudding really slow down baldness? A recent Japanese study suggests that cinnamon could promote hair growth, offering a natural boost to those experiencing hair loss.
In France, hair loss is not just a concern for a handful of worried individuals in their forties. According to an IFOP survey, around 13% of the population is affected by baldness, which explains the enthusiasm for every anti-hair loss promise. Between hope and scientific reality, it is worth taking a closer look at what this cinnamon story actually entails.
In the vast majority of cases, it is androgenetic alopecia, the famous “male pattern baldness”, linked to the sensitivity of hair follicles to hormones. Hair thins, shortens, and eventually disappears in certain areas. For those experiencing this, the issue goes beyond mere aesthetics and affects self-confidence.
Available treatments today mainly rely on medications to apply or take orally, as well as hair transplants. They can slow down hair loss or densify certain areas, but require great consistency, sometimes come with side effects, and remain costly or inaccessible for many. Hence the interest in any more natural approach, like cinnamon.
In February 2024, a team from Yokohama National University published a study in the journal Scientific Reports focusing on cinnamic acid, a key component of cinnamon, especially Chinese cinnamon. Researchers tested this molecule on “hair follicle organoids”, small hair structure replicas cultivated in the laboratory that mimic miniature hairs.
In this study, at concentrations below 500 micrograms per milliliter, cinnamic acid stimulated gene activity involved in hair growth and increased the activity of an oxytocin receptor, a hormone known to impact hair follicles. When researchers increased the dose to 1,000 or even 2,000 micrograms per milliliter, cells showed signs of toxicity. All of this was done on 3D models, without animal or human trials as of yet.
Sprinkling your desserts with cinnamon does not mean you will suddenly grow a rockstar-like mane. The doses used in the lab have nothing to do with what we ingest daily, and no study has shown that cinnamon enthusiasts are less likely to be bald than others.
Another important point is that cinnamon, especially Chinese cinnamon, is rich in coumarin, a molecule that can strain the liver at high doses. According to Anses, the tolerable daily dose is 0.1 mg of coumarin per kilo of body weight, around 6 mg per day for a 60 kg person, a threshold that some supplements can quickly surpass.
In practice, it’s better to consider cinnamon as a culinary pleasure, used sparingly in sweet or savory dishes alongside other foods rich in beneficial compounds like cocoa, grapes, or spinach. For healthy hair, a varied diet and consulting with a professional remain your best allies.
