Graying hair is a sure-fire sign of aging. But what is going on? Actually, the hair is being bleached. Recently-reported research indicates that graying with age is due to a buildup of hydrogen peroxide in human scalp hair shafts – yes the same stuff used to bleach hair. The peroxide blocks synthesis of our hair’s natural pigment, melanin. The buildup of hydrogen peroxide is caused by a reduction of an enzyme that converts hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen, and the graying is compounded by low levels of methionine sulfoxide reducase (MSR) A and B, enzymes that repair hair follicles. Further, these events disrupt the formation of tyrosinase, a key enzyme involved in the production of melanin.
What can be done about all this to bring back naturally-colored hair? That is unclear for now but there are hints. It appears that a key step in the sequence of hair-bleaching events, oxidation of methionine sulfoxide, can be blocked in-vitro by L-methionine. Methionine is an amino acid that can be found in sesame seeds, Brazil nuts, fish, meats, and certain plant seeds. L-methionine is also readily available as a dietary supplement. Taurine, an amino acid derivative from L-methionine and cysteine metabolism, and also available a dietary supplement, also seems to have a protective effect on human hair follicles in-vitro(ref). However, so far I have seen no research evidence that dietary L-methionine or taurine can have any impact on human hair color or density.
Hi Vince
http://www.huliq.com/1/77952/catalase-enzyme-makes-your-hair-gray
http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&lr=&q=catalase+resveratrol
resveratrol upregulates catalese. So resveratrol mixed with sesame oil would be good medicine for turning that hair black
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Right on about the hydrogen peroxide buildup being due to decline in catalase and the research about resveratrol upregulating catalase. But why do you suggest sesame oil rather than fish oils or oils with strong concentrations of EPA and DHA? Is it significantly better at promoting catalase?
On a personal level I take 325mg of trans-resveratrol twice daily and lots of EPA/DHA oils. I am getting a somewhat thicker fuzz of hairs on my scalp, possibly attributable to hair folicle stem cells being stimulated by taking astragaloside IV. But they almost all remain stubornly gray.
In India, people use Sesame oil or coconut oil (as the gel)for the hair. People there say that this oil keeps tha hair black. So there may be some truth to that. So adding Resveratrol would be doubly beneficient. Is it not?
Res: As a matter of fact I know some older Indians who have very black hair. I am already doing the resveratrol and will look into sesame or coconut oil gels. This is a cosmetic issue but something I am willing to try. There are some Indian stores in Waltham near where I live and I will start asking about gels there.
Vince,
Two things – There is some research that suggests low protein diets, or just low in methionine, might promote health and longevity (see June article in New Scientist). Also, Tom, over at the Life Extension forums has posted quite a bit of information suggesting that fish oils in excess might actually be harmful due to the ease with which they are oxidized. http://forum.lef.org/default.aspx?m=66683&f=39&p=1
Research by Professor Schallreuter in the UK found that l-methionine blocks h. peroxide in vitro and she also speculated that we get cannot enough l-methionine in our diet.
http://hubpages.com/hub/Causes-of-White-Hair-Discovered-by-Scientists
Limiting l-methionine may extend life but I don’t see how it could reverse gray hair.