The Old Gray Mare

Have you ever heard of an enzyme named catalase? If so did you relate it to gray hair? First of all the presence of catalase is what makes hydrogen peroxide bubble when applied to tissue containing catalase. Hydrogen peroxide is a harmful by-product of many normal metabolic processes,to prevent damage to cells and tissues it must be converted into less dangerous substances. This is where catalase does its work. Catalase is also used in the food industry for removing hydrogen peroxide from milk before it is made into cheese and in food wrappers to prevent oxidation. Catalase is also used in some contact lens cleaning products,hydrogen peroxide is used to sterilize them and then a solution of catalase is used before the inserting the lens into the eye. But here is the real kicker: recent studies revealed that low levels of catalase my play a role in the graying of human hair. If there is a dip in the catalase level the hydrogen peroxide is not broken down and bleaches the hair from the inside out. Now as Andy Rooney would have said,you know the rest of the story.