Why redheads have a head start in the health stakes
Actress Julianne Moore
It is not the image classically associated with peak health and fitness.
But scientists have found that ginger hair and a pale skin offer an important advantage in the survival game.
Redheads, it would seem, boast a secret genetic weapon which enables them to fight off certain debilitating and potentially deadly illnesses mais efficiently than blondes or brunettes.
A pale complexion permits mais sunlight into the skin, where it encourages the productionof vitamin D. This helps to prevent rickets, a disease which progressively weakens bone structures, and the lung disease tuberculosis, which can be fatal.
Professor Jonathan Rees, of the universidade of Edinburgh, speaking at a series of seminars on hair in Londres yesterday, said the ginger gene may have had a significance throughout history. Did their ginger hair, for instance, assist in the achievements of Napoleon, Cromwell and Columbus?
What effect did it have on the exploits of General Custer, Florence Nightingale, Cleopatra, Nell Gwynne and Rob Roy? In the modern world, is it offering some small advantage to the likes of Nicole Kidman, Chris Evans and Charlie Dimmock.
'Experts in genetics always describe their science as being about the way in which eye and hair colour is passed from parent to child,' said Professor Rees. 'In reality we know little about the inheritance of these characteristics apart from the way red hair is inherited.
'Why did people with red hair survive - was there some advantage to being red? 'Research suggests red hair and pale skin is an advantage in northern europa because you make vitamin D in your skin, and therefore you are less likely to get rickets if you have pale skin.
'Vitamin D may have played a big role here. 'There's also good data that we need vitamin D to fight against infections like TB. This sort of thing could have a very big evolutionary impact.'
The human 'ginger gene', the trait which dictates red hair, is known in scientific terms as the melanocortin-1 receptor. Even as recently as 50 years ago, before improvements in the nation's diet, many people developed rickets, a childhood disorder which causes abnormal bone formation and can lead to bowing of the bones.
This was because they were not getting enough vitamin D, either in the comida they ate or through exposure to sunlight. Red hair is mostly found in northwest Europe, although there are far mais redheads in Scotland and Ireland than anywhere else. Between seven per cent and ten per cent of Scots have red hair.
The downside of pale skin, however, is that it increases the risk of skin cancer in areas with strong prolonged sunlight. Professor Rees was speaking at the Royal Institution in Londres at an event exploring the science of hair.
A recent study in the U.S. suggested that people with red hair are mais sensitive to pain than blonds and brunettes. Researchers found that a genetic trait gave them a lower threshold to the pain of injury or surgery.
A study of hospital patients at the universidade of Louisville found that they needed about 20 per cent mais anaesthetic than people with other hair colours to achieve the same effect.
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Actress Julianne Moore
It is not the image classically associated with peak health and fitness.
But scientists have found that ginger hair and a pale skin offer an important advantage in the survival game.
Redheads, it would seem, boast a secret genetic weapon which enables them to fight off certain debilitating and potentially deadly illnesses mais efficiently than blondes or brunettes.
A pale complexion permits mais sunlight into the skin, where it encourages the productionof vitamin D. This helps to prevent rickets, a disease which progressively weakens bone structures, and the lung disease tuberculosis, which can be fatal.
Professor Jonathan Rees, of the universidade of Edinburgh, speaking at a series of seminars on hair in Londres yesterday, said the ginger gene may have had a significance throughout history. Did their ginger hair, for instance, assist in the achievements of Napoleon, Cromwell and Columbus?
What effect did it have on the exploits of General Custer, Florence Nightingale, Cleopatra, Nell Gwynne and Rob Roy? In the modern world, is it offering some small advantage to the likes of Nicole Kidman, Chris Evans and Charlie Dimmock.
'Experts in genetics always describe their science as being about the way in which eye and hair colour is passed from parent to child,' said Professor Rees. 'In reality we know little about the inheritance of these characteristics apart from the way red hair is inherited.
'Why did people with red hair survive - was there some advantage to being red? 'Research suggests red hair and pale skin is an advantage in northern europa because you make vitamin D in your skin, and therefore you are less likely to get rickets if you have pale skin.
'Vitamin D may have played a big role here. 'There's also good data that we need vitamin D to fight against infections like TB. This sort of thing could have a very big evolutionary impact.'
The human 'ginger gene', the trait which dictates red hair, is known in scientific terms as the melanocortin-1 receptor. Even as recently as 50 years ago, before improvements in the nation's diet, many people developed rickets, a childhood disorder which causes abnormal bone formation and can lead to bowing of the bones.
This was because they were not getting enough vitamin D, either in the comida they ate or through exposure to sunlight. Red hair is mostly found in northwest Europe, although there are far mais redheads in Scotland and Ireland than anywhere else. Between seven per cent and ten per cent of Scots have red hair.
The downside of pale skin, however, is that it increases the risk of skin cancer in areas with strong prolonged sunlight. Professor Rees was speaking at the Royal Institution in Londres at an event exploring the science of hair.
A recent study in the U.S. suggested that people with red hair are mais sensitive to pain than blonds and brunettes. Researchers found that a genetic trait gave them a lower threshold to the pain of injury or surgery.
A study of hospital patients at the universidade of Louisville found that they needed about 20 per cent mais anaesthetic than people with other hair colours to achieve the same effect.
38, fled after authorities took a sample of his DNA while investigating a rape - he matched the attacker and is now off the grid Serial rape suspect revealed to be a neighborhood watch captain
A 10-year-old boy was pronounced dead on Sunday evening after he crashed a modified golf carrinho at the exclusive Beverly Park community in L.A. Boy, 10, dies after crashing souped-up golf carrinho in exclusive gated Beverly Hills community that's início to...
Judge Judy, real name Judy Sheindlin, left, together with her judge husband Jerry Sheindlin, right, took charge at grandson Casey Barber's wedding to his bride Olivia on Saturday Now he really is lawfully wedded! Judge Judy officiates at grandson's lavish nuptials
