Melatonin is a natural chemical created in the peneal gland located at the brain of a person. Once darkness or nighttime befalls us, the eyes will send a 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. 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.
Melatonin is a hormone commonly found among biological organisms and has been named scientifically as 5-methoxy-N-acetyltryptamine. The amount of it contained in an organism’s body depends on how much amount of lighting the body has received. 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. 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.
To date, melatonin has been harnessed by man as a natural sleeping aid. 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. 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. This is because melatonin helps in preventing and stopping the growth of different 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. The serotonin levels of one’s body have been shown to increase in different experiments conducted by scientist. 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. It is also used for treating cardiovascular diseases, circardian rhythm disorders and sexual dysfunctions.