Pea Sprout Extract: A Hair Growth Miracle? Little Evidence, Lots Of Hype

Article Summary

What does the science say about pea sprout extract and its ability to combat hair loss? On the on hand, pea sprouts might improve hair growth by reducing non-growing hairs and increasing hair density. On the other hand, the studies supporting pea sprout extract face methodological concerns, such as small sample sizes, lack of placebo controls, variability in methodologies, and an absence of disclosed hair loss types for participants – thus drawing into question the validity of these findings. Here we dive into the evidence surrounding pea sprouts as a remedy for hair loss.

Full Article

Pea sprouts are legumes that are thought to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hypertensive properties.^[1]Borges-Martinez, E., Gallardo-Velazquez, T., Cardador-Martinez, A., Moguel-Concha, D., Osoriao-Revilla, G., Ruiz-Ruiz, J.C., Martines, C.J. (2020). Phenolic compounds profile and antioxidant activity … Continue reading In this article, we will examine the science behind pea sprouts in hair loss treatments and whether they might benefit people with hair loss.

Key Takeaways

• What is it?  Pea sprouts are legumes thought to have many properties that could benefit overall health. Some evidence suggests that pea sprout extract may induce hair growth by enhancing the mRNA expression of both key genes involved in hair follicle growth and development.
• Evidence Quality: The evidence quality is 31/100 based on our metrics
• Clinical Data: 
  • The first study involved 21 people aged 21 to 37 who applied a topical 4% pea sprout extract gel once daily for 3 months.^[2]Schmid, D., Belser, E., Zulli, F. (2013). The FGF7 and Noggin genes are key targets to treat hair loss. SOFW Journal. 9. 1-5. Available at: https://mibellebiochemistry.com/about#publications The phototrichogram counts showed a 78% increase in the ratio of growing to non-growing hairs compared to the baseline. However, the study did not use a placebo group, the participants did not appear to have a hair loss disorder, and the sample size was exceedingly small, meaning that the effects did not represent the wider population.
  • The second study was conducted with 21 people aged between 22-63 years of age with mild to moderate hair loss. The participants orally consumed 100 mg of pea sprout extract dissolved in 200 -250 ml of a cold liquid once daily for 8 weeks. After 4 weeks of treatment, the number of hairs lost fell by 33.9%, which was maintained throughout the 8 weeks. However, this study also had problems in that no placebo was used,  we do not know exactly which hair disorder participants suffered from, methods like phototrichogram were not used, and the sample size was also very small.
• Safety: There is no safety data for the topical or oral use of pea sprout extract, therefore we cannot say that it is safe to use in the short- or long term.
• Who Might Pea Sprout Supplementation Benefit? Because of the lack of data, we cannot give a definitive answer on who might benefit from pea sprout supplementation. However, if you are suffering from mild hair loss and want to try a different treatment, then you might want to experiment with products containing pea sprout extracts.
• Pea sprouts contain many phytonutrients. Phytonutrients comprise a number of different chemicals, including carotenoids, indoles, glucosinolates, phytosterols, and polyphenols, amongst others. There are a number of therapeutic applications of phytonutrients, and they also play an important role in the prevention of serious chronic diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, and hypertension, along with cancer and degenerative diseases.^[3]Monjotin, N., Amiot, M.J., Fleurentin, J., Morel, J.M., Raynal, S. (2022). Clinical evidence of the benefits of phytonutrients in human healthcare. Nutrients. 14(9). 1712. Available at: … Continue reading Under the brand name Anagain (formulated by Mibelle Group Biochemistry), pea sprout extract is licensed for use in multiple cosmetic products, including hair loss. But is there any scientific evidence to suggest that pea sprouts can improve hair loss outcomes?

Is There Evidence for an Effect of Pea Sprouts on Hair Follicles?

One study examined the mechanism of action of pea sprouts on hair follicle growth. The study was conducted with 10 participants (4 women and 6 men) aged between 46 and 60.^[4]Schmid, D., Belser, E., Zulli, F. (2013). The FGF7 and Noggin genes are key targets to treat hair loss. SOFW Journal. 9. 1-5. Available at: https://mibellebiochemistry.com/about#publications Unfortunately, the researchers do not mention whether the participants had any type of hair loss disorder. The pea sprout extract was formulated into a 2% solution and applied to a test site at the back of the head for 2 weeks. 20 hairs were plucked from the test site at the beginning and end of the study. The researchers determined if there was any change in gene expression of two key fibroblast-growth-factor 7 and Noggin. Noggin has previously been found to be required for the induction of the growing (anagen) phase of the hair follicle cycle.^[5]Botchkarev, V.A., Botchkareva, N.V., Nakamura, M., Huber, O., Funa, K., Lauster, R., Paus, R., Gilchrest, B.A. (2001). Noggin is required to induce the hair follicle growth phase in postnatal skin. … Continue reading FGF-7 is one of the most abundantly induced genes during hair follicle development and is considered to be an important mediator of normal hair follicle growth, development, and differentiation.^[6]Iino, M., Ehama, R., Nakazawa, Y., Iwabuchi, T., Ogo, M., Tajima, M., Arase, S. (2007). Adenosine stimulates fibroblast growth factor-7 gene expression via adenosine A2b receptor signaling in dermal … Continue reading

While it did appear that there was some induction of both FGF-7 and noggin in each of the 10 participants, the level of induction varied massively (Figure 1). Furthermore, the subsequent effect of induction on hair growth was not measured in these participants, so we do not know if more induction is equal to more growth.

Figure 1: Effect of topical 2% pea sprout extract on the gene expression of FGF-7 and Noggin after 2 weeks of treatment.^[8]Schmid, D., Belser, E., Zulli, F. (2013). The FGF7 and Noggin genes are key targets to treat hair loss. SOFW Journal. 9. 1-5. Available at: https://mibellebiochemistry.com/about#publications

So, the only mechanistic data we have is that pea sprout extract might induce hair follicle growth through induction of FGF-7 and noggin gene expression. 

But how does this translate to hair growth in humans?

Clinical Data

The same researchers conducted a small study in which 17 women and 3 men aged between 21 and 37 applied a 4% pea sprout extract gel to the scalp twice daily for 12 weeks.^[9]Schmid, D., Belser, E., Zulli, F. (2013). The FGF7 and Noggin genes are key targets to treat hair loss. SOFW Journal. 9. 1-5. Available at: https://mibellebiochemistry.com/about#publications The researchers used a phototrichogram (a non-invasive technique used to take high-resolution photos of the scalp, which are then used to count, stage, and measure the thickness of hair follicles) to collect their data. Patient satisfaction surveys were also filled out.

By the end of the 12 weeks, the treatment had reduced non-growing (telogen) hairs by 27% compared to the baseline and increased anagen hairs by 7% compared to the baseline. Furthermore, the ratio of growing to non-growing hairs increased by 78% compared to the baseline (Figure 2). 

Patient satisfaction was also measured, and over 80% of participants felt that their hair loss was reduced, that they saw hair regrowth, and that the general look of their hair was improved (Figure 3).

At face value, these results look good, however, it is important to note some points:

• It is not stated that the participants had any form of hair loss disorder.
• There was no placebo used, so we do not know if any of the positive effects were due to normal hair growth or the actual treatment.
• The graphs do not show a standard deviation, so we do not know the range of effects depending on the person.
• The sample size is very small (20 people total), which is not representative of the wider population

So, with topical treatment, there may be some effect on hair follicle growth, but is there any other evidence?

One pilot study was conducted in which 21 healthy people aged between 22 and 63 with mild to moderate hair loss (categorized as ≥100 lost hairs daily) orally consumed 100 mg of pea sprout extract in 200 – 250 ml of cold liquid of their choice once daily for eight weeks.^[12]Grothe, T., Wandrey, F., Schuerch, C., (2020). Short communication: clinical evaluation of pea sprout extract in the treatment of hair loss. Phytotherapy Research. 34(2). 428-431. Available at: … Continue reading

At baseline, week 4 and week 8 the participants collected hairs that had fallen out on the comb or brush in the morning and evening and participated in a dermatological assessment on the scalp. At the end of the study, participants also completed questionnaires to evaluate their satisfaction with the treatment and their hair condition. 

After one month of treatment, the first count showed a 33.9 % decrease in the number of fallen hairs, which was maintained over the second month (Figure 4). This looks very promising but the standard deviation tells us that there was a wide amount of variation in all samples. It would be interesting to see the raw data to see if there were one or more hyper-responders to the pea sprout extract. 

Upon self-assessment, 86% of participants reported a reduction of hair loss after 8 weeks of treatment, and 71% reported an improvement in overall hair condition. Furthermore, no adverse effects were reported.

Once again, although the results seem positive at face value, there are distinct issues associated with this study:

• We do not know what type of hair loss disorder the participants had
• No placebo
• Did not use more trustworthy methods of objective data collection (like phototrichogram)
• Very small sample size

So, while these studies may provide a good foundation for the potential of pea sprout extract, further research should utilize large-scale clinical studies over a long period (6 months) to determine its efficacy for specific hair disorders.

Is Pea Sprout Supplementation Safe?

While there were no adverse events reported in the above study, because there is no official safety data available for either oral or topical use, we cannot say whether it is safe to use in the short or long term.

Who might benefit from Pea Sprout Supplementation?

In the one study on with people with hair loss, the type of hair loss was not disclosed, meaning that we cannot give a definitive answer on who might benefit from pea sprout supplementation. However, if you are suffering from mild diffuse hair loss and want to try an alternative to pharmaceutical treatments, then you may want to try products containing pea sprout extracts.