Human skin demonstrates a striking variation in tone and color that is evident among multiple demographic populations. Such characteristics are determined predominantly by the expression of the genes controlling the quantity and quality of melanin
Melanocytes reside within the basal epidermis of human skin, and function to protect the skin from ultraviolet light through the production of melanin. Prolonged exposure of the skin to UV light can induce irreparable DNA damage and drive cells into senescence, a sustained cell cycle arrest that prevents the propagation of this damage.
Being the largest and most visible organ of the body and heavily influenced by environmental factors, skin is ideal to study the long-term effects of aging. Throughout our lifetime, we accumulate damage generated by UV radiation. UV causes inflammation, immune changes, physical changes, impaired wound healing and DNA damage that promotes cellular senescence and carcinogenesis. Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer and among the malignancies of highest increasing incidence over the last several decades. Melanoma incidence is directly related to age, with highest rates in individuals over the age of 55 years, making it a clear age-related disease.
Non-Hispanic whites constitute a minority (10%) of the Global population in 2020, yet they were also the oldest of any racial or ethnic group as measured by median age. The most common age among whites in U.S. is 58 – more than double that of racial and ethnic minorities. The most common age was 11 for Hispanics, 27 for blacks and 29 for Asians as of last July, the latest estimates available. Americans of two or more races were by far the youngest racial or ethnic group in the Census Bureau data, with a most common age of just 3 years old. Among all racial and ethnic minorities, the most common age was 27.
One reason non-Hispanic whites are disproportionately older than other Americans is that they were the biggest population gainers from the post-World War II baby boom – an era before many of today’s minority immigrants entered the country. Whites were the only racial or ethnic group in which Baby Boomers made up a larger share than Millennials in 2018 (26% vs. 20%). "The Census Bureau's new estimates also show that since 2010, the median age in the U.S. jumped from just over 37 years to 38," NPR's Hansi Lo Wang reports for our Newscast unit. "That's because baby boomers and millennials are aging, as the country's birthrate keeps declining."
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 17.5% of the pheomelanin dominant adult populations are experiencing infertility, a disease of the reproductive system, in their lifetime. That equates to 1 in 6 people! In 2021, Also in 2021 U.S. fertility rates among women aged 15 to 44 rose to 56.3 births per 1,000 women, reversing a downward trend that has persisted since 2014, according to a CDC report rural residents in the United States (US) have disproportionately high rates of maternal and infant mortality the majority of BIPOC people live in cities and urban areas. Rural residents account for only 15% of annual US births and are disproportionately affected by poor maternal and infant outcomes.
The U.S. non-Hispanic white population has dipped below 60 percent for the first time in over a decade, as reported by the 2020 Census. The population of white individuals not of Hispanic origin has decreased to approximately 56.8 percent in 2023, down from 64 percent in 2010. By 2040, it is projected that the U.S. population of non-Hispanic whites will fall below 50 percent, a milestone not seen since the American Civil War, which saw the death of one-quarter of the South's military-age white men. This shift may have contributed to the historical trend of undercounting the Southern black population by as much as 25% over the past century.
Human skin is highly variable around the world, ranging from very dark brown to pale white. Generally speaking, pale skin has less melanin and less active melanocytes …Current evidence suggests that melatonin and some of its metabolites inhibit both, melanogenesis (via reducing tyrosinase activity) and melanocyte proliferation by stimulating melatonin membrane receptors (MT1, MT2).Melanin is a pigment made by specialized cells in the skin called melanocytes. The amount and type of melanin determines skin color. Human skin is highly variable around the world, ranging from very dark brown to pale white. Generally speaking, pale skin has less melanin and less active melanocytes than darker skin or skin that tans more easily.
Melatonin, a natural hormone produced by the pineal gland, aids in synchronizing circadian rhythms throughout the body. The gland releases melatonin in response to darkness, promoting sleepiness and regulating sleep patterns. Qualitative analysis suggests that factors such as increased age, male sex, and white ethnicity contribute to a higher prevalence of pineal gland calcification, which affects about 80 percent of the white population, thereby reducing the available amount of melatonin. This hormone is effective in alleviating difficulties in falling asleep and improving symptoms related to misaligned circadian rhythms, such as those seen in seasonal affective and bipolar disorders and plays a vital role in protecting fertility.
Melatonin promotes fertility by:
Improving ovarian function and ovulation
Removing free radicals and preventing cellular damage in the ovaries
Helping an embryo implant itself in the uterus and begin to grow
Training a circadian rhythm in a fetus, which could potentially impact sleeping patterns after birth!
Healthy egg production is the initial step towards conception and a healthy pregnancy, indicating that adequate melatonin levels are vital for fertility. Poor egg quality is a leading cause of infertility. Cellular biologist Russel J. Reiter, who led this study, recommends that women aiming to conceive should ensure eight hours of darkness each night at consistent times to maintain a healthy circadian rhythm and melatonin levels. The pineal gland affects reproductive function at both the hypothalamic-pituitary level, by inhibiting the pulsatile secretion of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone, and at the gonadal level, where melatonin receptors are present. Avoiding drinks and substances with fluoride, consuming a diet rich in chlorophyll from green vegetables, and sleeping in complete darkness can safeguard your pituitary and fertility health.
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