Melatonin

If you are a constant airplane traveler, or can barely find the time to sleep, then melatonin may be a supplement you have heard of. However, many people skip over this naturally occurring hormone and go straight to medications such as NyQuil, or Advil PM. The fact is, these drugs can become somewhat addictive and are often abused in America. People who cant find the time to fit sleep into their schedule should consider Melatonin, and the benefits it brings to the body.

Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that is produced by the pineal gland in your brain from the amino acid tryptophan. The pineal gland is a pea-sized gland located above the middle of your brain. During the day, your pineal gland is inactive. As darkness falls, your pineal gland begins to produce melatonin, and then releases it into your blood stream. Melatonin is produced in animals, plants, and microbes. Melatonin helps to regulate other hormones, as well as your body's circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is simply your body's “internal clock” - a 24 hour cycle in which your body knows when to fall asleep, and when to wake up. This works because when it becomes dark, your body naturally produces more melatonin. When you are exposed to light, your bodies production drops, and you feel less tired. Melatonin is often referred to as the “Dracula of Hormones”, as it only comes out at night. Now this is how your body is suppose to work, obviously there are many factors that can disrupt this cycle, and that is why many people experience jet lag from airplanes, and a hard time getting to sleep. Simple factors like bright light in the night time or a dark room during the day can mess up your circadian rhythm. Imagine what drinking that double espresso latte at 9 pm does to your cycle!

If you are interested in more information about the importance of sleep, visit the National Sleep Foundation.

Melatonin is usually marketed as a remedy for insomnia and jet lag, but is also highly favored by swing-shift workers to help them readjust to unusual work schedules. Melatonin has also been seen to promote life extension, maintain youth, and increase sexual vigor. Although melatonin levels increase in the dark and put you to sleep, overall melatonin levels decrease as we age.

Some of the effects of melatonin are produced when melatonin receptors are activated. Others are due to its role as an antioxidant, with a specific role of protecting DNA within the mitochondria as well as nuclear DNA. As an antioxidant, melatonin has been shown to be TWICE as effective as vitamin E in protecting you from free radicals. Remember, these guys can cause serious cellular damage, so you want to protect yourself as much as you can.

In mammals, melatonin is biosynthesized in four enzymatic steps from tryptophan, that fall-asleep-on-thanksgiving-day amino acid. Serotonin is then produced in the second step. After that is when your pea-sized pineal gland begins to produce melatonin, and send it into your blood stream. Melatonin is secreted in both day-active and night-active mammals.

There have been many studies conducted on possible medical uses for melatonin. It originally become popular for its help in treating insomnia, but further research shows it could help in many other areas as well. Some of these include cancer, cardiovascular disorder, immune disorders, Seasonal Affective Disorder, depression, Alzheimer's, delirium in the elderly, fertility, and mood. Melatonin also helps with the release and timing of female reproductive hormones. It helps determine when a women starts menstruating, stops menstruating, the duration, and the frequency.

Something to note on this topic is that sleeping difficulties can arise from various factors, not only from low melatonin levels. Things like caffeine, stress, or alcohol can also make it hard to reach a normal sleep pattern. If you already have normal or high levels of melatonin, taking a melatonin supplement could worsen your sleeping difficulties. Levels too high can cause heightened nervousness and unrest. If you think you may already have high levels of melatonin, ask a natural health care practitioner to test your saliva for melatonin levels, to see is supplementation is for you. Remember, melatonin levels are usually higher in children and young adults, and decrease with age.

If you are interested in supplementing your diet with Melatonin to help one of these medical problems, visit Melatonin Dosage for correct dosages based on disorder and age, or speak with your health care provider about its potential benefits.

A great site that has a lot more information on melatonin and its benefits to the human body and medical diseases is Natural News - Melatonin. This page includes recent news, articles, and information on this natural hormone.

A few supplements that we have found to be beneficial are listed below:

Melatonin 3mg 180 Caps Melatonin is a natural hormone that?s naturally produced by the pineal gland. As we age, our body produces less and less, making in more difficult to fall asleep. NOW? Melatonin pharmaceutical grade with a minimum purity of 99.6%.

Time Release Melatonin 60 Tabs This time release form allows the melatonin to be released slowly into the system over a longer period of time, potentially being particularly beneficial for the aspects of brain chemistry involved in sleep and staying asleep. NutriCology was the first to introduce melatonin into the healthfood and professional market. It has many nutritional benefits including profound antioxidant properties via hydroxy radical scavenging. The use of high purity melatonin is very important to insure safety.