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Now a gray, once a blonde, how about you? Ray PS my mom had auburn hair and I had copper ones PARKINSON'S DISEASE NEWS 10th February 2009 - New research HAIR COLOUR AND THE RISK OF PARKINSON'S DISEASE Annals of Neurology [2009] 65 (1) : 76-82 (Gao X, Simon KC, Han J, Schwarzschild MA, Ascherio A.) Complete abstract The risk of Parkinson's Disease has been found to increase according to hair colour. The four colours assessed were : black, brown, blonde and red. Over 100,000 people were assessed according to the natural colour of their hair when they were young adults. People with black hair were found to be least prone to Parkinson's Disease. People with brown hair were 40% more likely to develop Parkinson's Disease. People with blonde hair were found to be around 60% more likely to develop Parkinson's Disease. Worst at risk were people with red hair, for whom the risk of Parkinson's Disease is nearly doubled. At first this association seems odd because hair has nothing to do with Parkinson's Disease. However, by chance, hair colour and Parkinson's Disease share a common biochemistry. The dopamine needed to relieve Parkinson's Disease is initially made from L-tyrosine turning in to L-dopa. Coincidentally, melanin, the pigment that colours hair and skin is initially made by exactly the same means, by turning L-tyrosine in to L-dopa. However, in skin cells, instead of L-dopa then turning in to dopamine, it turns in to melanin, in order to darken hair and skin. Rayilyn Brown Director AZNPF Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation [log in to unmask] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn