If you have brown eyes, you are more likely than not wishing for any other eye color. You may be thinking that blue, green, or even hazel eyes would be better than plain old brown. However, what most people don’t know is how unique brown eyes really are. 

Yes, 79% of the world’s population has brown eyes, but there are many factors, that if you don’t have brown eyes, may make you want them. 

Why is brown the most common color for eyes? The theory is that all of our ancestors had brown eyes because they lived in warmer climates. This means they had more melanin, or pigment, within the iris of the eye, which gives it another layer of protection from the sun. As humans began evolving in cooler climates, blue, green and hazel eyes began to appear.

Ladies, do you find yourself attracted to someone with brown eyes? A study conducted in Czechoslovakia at Charles University suggests that men with brown eyes are perceived as more dominant. This is because brown eyed men tend to have bushier eyebrows, a sharper jawline and more defined cheekbones; all of these characteristics are associated with dominance. On the contrary, men with blue eyes are more often associated with childhood due to the fact that babies have blue eyes. 

On top of all of this, people with brown eyes are most likely better at sports because they have a faster reaction time. As there is more melanin in brown eyes, it multi-tasks as an insulator for electrical connections to the brain. This makes quicker connections to the brain, and gives people with brown eyes a better reaction time. 

However, it’s not all good news for people with brown eyes. A study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh showed that women don’t tolerate the pain from childbirth as well as women with other eye colors. Scientists say this is most likely because of the NCX-4 gene, which is linked to people with brown eyes. It is controlled by a protein that is linked to the pain receptors found in the body. 

Everyone actually has brown eyes, but the amount of melanin in the eye makes up the color of the iris. The color that we perceive is associated with the amount of melanin in the eye and how it reflects light. Eyes with less amounts of melanin, like blue, absorb less light and reflect more; this gives blue eyes the blue appearance. On the contrary, brown eyes absorb more light because they contain more melanin. 

Although brown may be the most common eye color in the world, it also has the most amount of health benefits. If global warming continues to heat up the earth, the amount of brown eyed people will most likely go up in order to prevent the sun from harming the eyes. Next time you find yourself wishing you had any eye color other than brown, you may want to think twice.