Everything You Must Know Relating to Melatonin
The peneal gland located in a person’s brain produces a natural hormone called Melatonin. Once darkness or nighttime befalls us, the eyes will send a signal to the brain to produce this substance. This substance induces natural drowsiness which greatly affects the sleeping and wake cycles of a person. Today, modern technology has found out the many benefits of melatonin intake for the body. Adults that have sleeping disorders such as insomnia partakes melatonin as a sleeping aid in order to help induce sleep. Although common, there are still concerns about prolonged exposure to melatonin sleep aid.
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. Natural melatonin production is at its peak during 2am to 4am everyday. The young and middle-aged men and women produce melatonin ranging from 5 to 25 micrograms daily. The amount produced by the pineal gland is adversely reduced as a person comes of age. For this reason, younger people have less sleeping troubles than older people have. Melatonin sleep aids could help with sleeping problems.
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. During daytime where the blood level of melatonin is low, these Melatonin supplements are consumed in order to make anybody sleepy. When blended together with vitamin C and E, melatonin greatly displays its protective property. As such, it may also be used as a natural protection from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays.
Melatonin is also commonly used today for cancer protection especially for women. 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. Melatonin also helps in enhancing the effects of chemotherapy drugs used to destroy cancer cells.
Studies regarding anxiety, panic and other kinds of depressions and seasonal affective disorders or SAD show that people that have these kinds of disorders have lower levels of melatonin compared to others. Experiments that have been conducted show that melatonin intake increases the serotonin levels of a person’s body. This serotonin helps in eliminating the various types of symptoms of the most usual depressions and anxieties a person may experience.
Melatonin also greatly influences the body’s immune system. Infectious diseases such as viral and bacterial infections have been prevented in studies conducted by scientists studying melatonin. When combined with calcium, it acts as an immunostimulator that helps in boosting up one’s immune system thus preventing harmful elements from invading the body. Other diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, circardian rhythm disorders and sexual dysfunctions are also treated with the help of melatonin.