Gluten is able to improve the quality of hair
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
Gluten peptides proved to be an excellent means for smoothing damage to the ends of the hair - the so-called split ends.
Human hair (as well as nail plates) are represented by a large number of protein substances - keratin. Keratin molecules are bound by specific disulfide chains, each of which is a chemical compound of sulfur atoms that are present in the cysteine.
Elasticity and elasticity of hair depends on the number of similar disulfide chains in them. As a result of all kinds of external stimuli (frost, wind, blow-drying, staining), such chains are damaged, which can be noticed by the appearance of split ends of hair.
It would seem that the output should be simple - the structure of the hair is normalized when the chemical protein compound is restored. However, in reality everything was more complicated. For more than one year, developers of detergents and caring for hair can not achieve the necessary effective hair restoration. Why is that? The bottom line is that a certain electrical charge is present, both in amino acids, and in short peptides, and in long proteins, and it depends on the level of acidity.
To smooth the damage of the hair tip, animals and plant proteins and peptides are needed. They must be placed directly in the "slot", and then connect the sulfur in the keratin molecules with the "new" sulfur. One of the conditions is that the keratins and the connecting peptides must have a neutral charge. To provide such a level of acidity is very difficult, therefore practically all specially developed cosmetic preparations prove to be ineffective.
Specialists representing the University of Jiangnan, were able to create a methodology, according to which it is possible to smooth the split ends. A peculiar "glue" was gluten (gluten) - a protein group, which is present in the grains of cereals.
Gluten, seized from wheat grains, scientists split into a number of short peptides and combined with a chemical component, which made it possible to approximate the isoelectric points of keratin and peptides. The substance was added to the detergent, treated with hair and thoroughly combed dry and wet hair. According to the results of the experiment, it became noticeable: the hair tips became more even and healthier. After carrying out additional diagnostics of hair, the scientists were convinced that the damage at the ends was connected and equalized.
Skeptics say the study could be inaccurate. After all, the description does not say anything about what type of hair the experiments were performed on, whether they were fatty or dry, colored or natural, etc. Indeed, the success of this technique may largely depend on other unaccounted factors.
However, the approach to the solution of the painful issue was recognized as true: perhaps a new way of dealing with split ends simply needs improvement.
Details of the research of scientists are described on the pages of the Royal Society Open Science.
[