(As per Too Much Black)
Melanin is a pigment that ranges in color from yellow to black and is found in every major organ of the body. It is the pigment that gives people of Afrikan descent, and otherwise ‘melanated’ people, their color. A primary function of melanin is to shield the body’s tissues from harmful radiation emitted by the sun.
The purest form of melanin is black, and it absorbs nearly all energy while reflecting very little. Melanin captures and stores various forms of energy such as light and sound. “[Melanin] may be viewed as a battery that is partially charged, and can always accept an electrical charge.” (w. McCormick, fundamentals of college physics, pg. 276).
Melanin is primarily produced by special synthesizing cells called melanocytes within the skin and organs. It is also produced in the brain and nervous system without the aid of melanocytes. Individuals whose bodies can produce sufficient quantities of melanin will have dark skin, black hair and brown eyes. Those with bodies that are not able to produce significant amounts of melanin will have pale skin, blond or red hair, and light colored eyes (blue, green, hazel etc).
Three Basic Types of Melanin:
1. Eumelanin2. Pheomelanin
3. Neuromelanin
The most common is Eumelanin:
1. Brown eumelanin
2. Black eumelanin.
20 Benefits Of Melanin
1. Superior protection against negative effects of ultraviolet radiation.
2. Fiercely fights against the signs of aging.
3. Absorbs energy source of light.
4. Absorbs energy source of sound waves.
5. Neutralizes harmful effects of all energies.
6. Protects the body from DNA damage.
7. Protects against folate completion.
8. Essential to brain, nerve and organ function.
9. Protects against parasites of the central nervous system.
10. Protects against optic neuritis.
11. Protects against Parkinsons disease and Spina Bifida.
12. Expedites the transmission of messages to the brain and body, thus increasing levels of motor skills.
13. Protects the reproductive system.
14. Counteracts stress.
15. Minimizes jet lag.
16. Regulates biological rhythms.
17. Is known to protect against some cancers and heart disease.
18. Targets and destroys free radicals.
19. Can taste the full flavor of foods.
20. Increased psychic abilities.
6 Classifications of Melanin:
Type 1/2/3: referred to as having pheo-melanin1 are those that are “caucasian;” Euros that are often Irish, Welsh, and Scottish
Type 4: are lightly tanned; Japanese, Chinese, Italians, Greeks, Spanish, and some Indians fall into this type
Type 5: range from brown skinned to very dark (black) skin; Mexicans, Malaysians, Puerto Ricans, and many South American inhabitants
Type 6: Eumelanin is found in this type; Egyptians, Ethiopians, Nigerians, Africans in America, and Australian Aborigines all make up this type
References:
Melanin: What makes Black People Black, Dr. Llaila Afrika
The Melanin Millennium: Skin Color as 21st Century International Discourse, Ronald E. Hall
Melanin: The Chemical Key To Black Greatness
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