What is the clinical efficacy of Nutrafol (saw palmetto, biotin, and other nutrients)?

From the Guidelines

Nutrafol's clinical efficacy for hair growth and thickness improvement is not strongly supported by the provided evidence, and its use should be approached with caution due to the lack of high-quality studies demonstrating its effectiveness. The provided study 1 discusses the role of micronutrients, including zinc, in treating alopecia areata, but it does not directly address Nutrafol's efficacy. Some key points to consider when evaluating Nutrafol's potential benefits include:

• The study 1 found inconsistent results regarding the use of oral zinc as a treatment for alopecia areata, with the only double-blind, placebo-controlled trial showing no improvement in patients with alopecia areata.
• Other studies mentioned in the text, such as Park et al. 1, showed some therapeutic improvement in patients with low serum zinc levels, but these findings were not statistically significant and lacked a placebo group.
• The complex treatment courses and combination therapies used in some studies make it difficult to interpret the therapeutic effects of individual components, including zinc.
• There is no direct evidence provided to support the use of Nutrafol, which contains a proprietary blend of botanicals, vitamins, and minerals, for hair growth and thickness improvement.
• As a result, it is essential to prioritize caution and consider the potential risks and benefits of using Nutrafol, particularly in the absence of high-quality evidence supporting its efficacy.

From the Research

Clinical Efficacy of Nutrafol

• The clinical efficacy of Nutrafol has been evaluated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, which found that daily intake of the nutraceutical supplement resulted in a significant increase in the number of terminal and vellus hairs in the target area at day 90 and day 180 vs placebo (P less than 0.009) 2.
• The study also revealed significant improvements in hair growth (P equals 0.016) and overall hair quality (P equals 0.005) as assessed by blinded investigator global hair assessments 2.
• A significant percentage of subjects receiving active treatment also reported improvement in hair growth, volume, thickness, and hair growth rate, as well as decreased anxiety and other wellness parameters 2.
• There were no reported adverse events, suggesting that Nutrafol is a safe and effective treatment for promoting hair growth in women with self-perceived thinning hair 2.

Comparison with Other Treatments

• Other treatments for androgenetic alopecia, such as minoxidil, finasteride, and low-level laser light therapy, have also been shown to be effective in promoting hair growth 3.
• A review of recent studies on the treatment of androgenetic alopecia found that novel therapies such as oral minoxidil, topical finasteride, and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) offer interesting alternatives to standard of care therapies 4.
• However, the quality of evidence for these treatments varies greatly, and there is still a need for randomized double-blinded clinical trials to adequately assess their clinical efficacy 4.

Mechanism of Action

• Nutrafol's mechanism of action is thought to involve the inhibition of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a potent form of testosterone that contributes to hair loss 2.
• The supplement's proprietary Synergen Complex® contains standardized, active botanicals with potent anti-inflammatory, adaptogenic, antioxidant, and DHT-inhibiting properties 2.
• Other treatments, such as arginine and zinc, have also been shown to have inhibitory activity on 5-alpha-reductase (5-AR), an enzyme involved in the conversion of testosterone to DHT 5.