A research team from Nagoya University and other institutions has confirmed that luteolin, an antioxidant found in broccoli and celery, can help suppress the progression of gray hair in mice.

The findings were published on Saturday in the international journal Antioxidants, with findings showing that both oral intake and topical application were effective.

The team hopes that further testing on humans will lead to the development of a drug for preventing or reducing gray hair.

Mice do not typically develop gray hair when they age, but Professor Masashi Kato’s team at Nagoya University created a genetically modified mouse model that experiences early graying. These mice, whose hair turns 80% gray by the time they reach 10 months — the equivalent of middle age in humans — were used for the experiment.

The team administered luteolin orally or applied it to the mice’s backs over 16 weeks, then compared the results with untreated mice.

At the start of the experiment, all of the mice had only about 20% gray hair. However, after 16 weeks, the treated mice showed little to no change in the amount of gray hair, while the untreated mice saw the proportion of gray hair increase to between 60% and 80%.

Further examination of the hair follicles revealed that endothelin, a substance that decreases as gray hair increases, was maintained in the treated mice. Endothelin supports the cells that produce hair pigment, and the research suggests that luteolin’s antioxidant properties may help prevent the aging of these cells, ultimately suppressing the progression of gray hair.

Professor Kato said that while the study was conducted on animals, the same mechanisms may apply to humans. “Although we cannot say for certain that it will have the same effect on human gray hair, previous research suggests that a similar process could occur in people,” he said.

“A balanced diet that includes foods rich in luteolin may help suppress the progression of gray hair,” he added.

Translated by The Japan Times