All You Should Know About Melatonin
The peneal gland located in a person’s brain produces a natural hormone called Melatonin. The eyes get affected by the lack of light and will therefore send an electronic 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 over the counter sleep aids.
Melatonin is a hormone commonly found among biological organisms and has been named scientifically as 5-methoxy-N-acetyltryptamine. 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. 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. Because of this, older people have trouble sleeping that younger people. 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. 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. 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. Modern studies have found out that women having breast cancer have greatly lower amounts of melatonin when compared with 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. The serotonin levels of one’s body have been shown to increase in different experiments conducted by scientist. 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. Studies show that there are some cases where it has been useful in fighting off infectious diseases such as viral and bacterial infections. 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.
