Melatonin is a natural chemical created in the peneal gland located at the brain of a person. The eyes get affected by the lack of light and will therefore send an electronic signal to the brain to produce this substance. Its primary function is the regulation of one’s body clock, in other words one’s sleeping and waking up cycles. Melatonin consumption has now been researched to showcase different kinds of benefits. It is now a widely famous sleeping aid used by adults who have sleeping problems like insomnia. Although common, there are still concerns about prolonged exposure to melatonin side effects.
Scientists have named Melatonin as 5-methoxy-N-acetyltryptamine and these scientists have found this hormone in different biological organisms besides humans. Depending on the light that an organism receives is the amount of melatonin stored in a person’s body. 2am to 4am is the peak time where the pineal gland naturally produces vast amounts of this melatonin. About 5 to 25 micrograms of melatonin are produced by young adults and middle aged adults once nighttime falls. As a person grows older, the amount produced by the pineal gland is greatly reduced. For this reason, younger people have less sleeping troubles than older people have. Melatonin sleep aids could help with having trouble sleeping.
The modern day use of melatonin now comes in the form of natural sleeping aids. It comes in the form of herbal capsules widely popular for people with sleeping disorders. It can be consumed before nighttime in order to increase the blood level of melatonin as it produces natural drowsiness and helps a person go to sleep even when it is daytime. It can also be combined with vitamins C and E and as such it showcases different protective properties. It can be used as a natural sunscreen in order to protect the skin from the sun.
Women find Melatonin helpful for helping in the fight against caner as of date. It has been researched and proven that women who have breast cancer have drastically lower amounts of melatonin compared to cancer free women. The reason for this is because melatonin prevents the growth and maturity of certain kinds of breast cancer cells. It can also boost the effectiveness of some widely used chemotherapy drugs.
People who suffer from anxiety, panic and other kinds of depressions and seasonal affective disorders or SAD tend to have low levels of melatonin. Experiments that have been conducted show that melatonin intake increases the serotonin levels of a person’s body. Once the serotonin level rises, it helps in eliminating the different kinds of symptoms of the most common depressions and anxieties.
The body’s immune system is also greatly affected by Melatonin. Infectious diseases such as viral and bacterial infections have been prevented in studies conducted by scientists studying melatonin. The body’s immune system is greatly strengthened especially if melatonin is combined with calcium because the combination acts as an immunostimulator. It is also used for treating cardiovascular diseases, circardian rhythm disorders and sexual dysfunctions.