McDonald's french fries might lead to a cure for baldness. No, not by eating them.
Researchers at Japan's Yokohama National University used a chemical found in the fries to grow hair follicles on mice, according to a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Biomaterials.
The study focuses on the large-scale transportation of hair follicles to areas where there is no hair. Researchers used dimethylpolysiloxane as part of an "oxygen permeable" solution to prepare 5,000 hair follicle germs.
"These self-sorted hair follicle germs were shown to be capable of efficient hair-follicle and shaft generation upon intracutaneous transplantation into the backs of nude mice," reads an excerpt from the study.
Ask A Dermatologist: Hair Loss Cure in McDonald's Fries?
Although researchers note more studies are required, the findings could lead to a potential strategy for hair regeneration.
According to nutrition information found on McDonald's website, dimethylpolysiloxane is used as an anti-foaming agent in the oil used to fry foods including french fries, Chicken McNuggets and fried fish sandwiches.