Neuromelanin & "The Melanin Theory": Unraveling Science from Pseudoscience

By Nelly Alexis

We know a lot about cutaneous melanin but little about neuromelanin. However, over the years, many studies have been conducted on this fascinating pigment, leading to interesting discoveries.
Neuromelanin, closely related to peripheral melanins, is a pigment synthesized in specific catecholaminergic neurons of the Substantia Nigra and Locus Coeruleus. Certain substances such as antipsychotic drugs, pesticides, metals, and neurotoxins have a high affinity for neuromelanin and bind to it for long periods. Initially, this mechanism acts as a form of protection, but over time, due to the inability of neurons to degrade and eliminate the pigment and because of the reversibility of binding, the accumulated substances are eventually released into the body, leading to significant side effects. Additionally, some chemical compounds with an affinity for neuromelanin appear to be implicated in the onset of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's.
Despite various studies and scientific discoveries regarding this pigment, numerous pseudoscientific theories have also gained traction, particularly within the "Black Conscious Community", an Afrocentric American movement that emerged between the 1980s and 1990s and gave rise to the so-called "Melanin Theory".

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0F898MMK1
• ISBN13: 9798308644774
• Release Date: May 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 0.31 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 6.0" x 9.0"