A SUGAR found in the body could be a cure for baldness, experts say. Scientists found the sweet solution successfully stimulates hair growth. And it is just as effective as an existing drug used ...

further investigation and clinical trials will be necessary to determine whether the sugar can be "safely and effectively developed into a viable cure for male pattern baldness," Whyte added.

Protection of foods from microbial spoilage using salt (usually sodium chloride) or sugar (usually sucrose) has ancient roots and is often referred to as salting, salt curing, corning or sugar curing.

A Sheffield University team working with scientists in Pakistan found applying a small dose of the naturally-occurring sugar, called 2-deoxy-D-ribose (2dDR), stimulates hair growth in mice.