I had read about excessive hydrogen peroxide causing gray hair a few years back, thanks for this. I am curious as to why the aging body will produce more and my gut tells me that it could certainly be a lifetime of bad habits, improper diet, etc. So, I did a little searching. I found a few links:

follow link for complete text...

http://www.gaiaresearch.co.za/hydroperoxide.html


"Several beverages commonly drunk by humans can contain H2O2 (Hydrogen-Peroxid) at concentrations above 100 micro-M, including green and black tea and especially instant coffee. When such beverages are ingested, the H2O2 (Hydrogen-Peroxid) they contain presumably rapidly diffuses into the cells of the oral cavity and upper part of the gastrointestinal tract. Oral bacteria also produce H2O2, although the resulting levels of exposure of the oral tissues are uncertain. It is often suggested that H2O2 (Hydrogen-Peroxid) released into saliva is used by salivary peroxidase to oxidize thiocyanate into products toxic to certain bacterial strains.'

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So I searched oral bacteria and hydrogen peroxide, found this:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22848782


Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2012;2012:717843. doi: 10.1155/2012/717843. Epub 2012 Jul 16.
The role of hydrogen peroxide in environmental adaptation of oral microbial communities.
Zhu L, Kreth J.
Source
Department of Periodontics, College of Dentistry, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA.
Abstract
Oral streptococci are able to produce growth-inhibiting amounts of hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) as byproduct of aerobic metabolism. Several recent studies showed that the produced H(2)O(2) is not a simple byproduct of metabolism but functions in several aspects of oral bacterial biofilm ecology. First, the release of DNA from cells is closely associated to the production of H(2)O(2) in Streptococcus sanguinis and Streptococcus gordonii. Extracellular DNA is crucial for biofilm development and stabilization and can also serve as source for horizontal gene transfer between oral streptococci. Second, due to the growth inhibiting nature of H(2)O(2), H(2)O(2) compatible species associate with the producers. H(2)O(2) production therefore might help in structuring the initial biofilm development. On the other hand, the oral environment harbors salivary peroxidases that are potent in H(2)O(2) scavenging. Therefore, the effects of biofilm intrinsic H(2)O(2) production might be locally confined. However, taking into account that 80% of initial oral biofilm constituents are streptococci, the influence of H(2)O(2) on biofilm development and environmental adaptation might be under appreciated in current research.
PMID: 22848782 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] PMCID: PMC3405655 Free PMC Article

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i have been eating mostly grain-free for a while now. Pretty low carb, very little sugar. When I do eat something high-carb(like a slice of gluten-free toast, junk I know, but the perfect carrier for BUTTER), I notice that my teeth grow plaque very quickly. When I don't consume those things, my teeth are clean. so.... I did a little research on paleo diet- gray hair and paleo diet-dental health. Here are a couple of excellent links:

dental health and paleo diet:

http://www.gnolls.org/3253/dental-health-and-the-paleo-diet-gingival-sulcus-d...


Dr. Luan Pho: Gray Hair Isn’t A Sign Of Old Age But A High-Carb, Low-Protein Diet

http://livinlavidalowcarb.com/blog/dr-luan-pho-gray-hair-isnt-a-sign-of-old-a...


all the more reason to go paleo:)