Melatonin: Health Benefits and How to Optimize Levels
You’ve probably seen melatonin supplements in your pharmacy or natural food store. You may even have used it to sleep better. But do you know what melatonin is?Melatonin is a natural hormone made by your pineal gland. Your body does this in response to darkness to support your circadian rhythms. Melatonin affects physical, behavioral and mental changes throughout the day. Melatonin affects your sleep-wake cycle and promotes your sleep. It affects your body temperature, cortisol levels, blood pressure, mood, brain health, immune function, and sexual function. It can reduce pain, inflammation and the risk of disease.
Melatonin is essential for the activation of the glymphatic system, which allows the brain to eliminate metabolic waste. Poor production of melatonin leads to poor glymphatic function and poor brain drainage, leading to neuronal excitotoxicity which can cause mood disorders, poor cognition and neurodegeneration.
Melatonin and the circadian rhythm
Melatonin is also called the “sleep hormone” or the “darkness hormone” because it promotes your sleep at night. Melatonin affects your sleep-wake cycle. At night, in the dark, your body produces the highest amounts of melatonin, while during the day or in the light, it produces only minimal amounts. When you’re exposed to light at night, it can block melatonin production and interfere with your sleep. Too little melatonin can not only lead to sleep problems, but also increase fatigue, depression, and mental health issues.
Melatonin supplements are commonly used as sleep aids. They are different from sleeping pills. Instead of forcefully putting you to sleep, they simply support your body’s ability to support your natural circadian rhythm. Melatonin can help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep, sleep longer, and sleep better. It can be particularly effective when traveling to avoid jet lag. It can also be useful for workers who work with changing schedules.
However, it is important not to take too much melatonin. Too much melatonin can cause drowsiness, dizziness, headaches and nausea. Later in this article, I will suggest how to naturally optimize your melatonin levels to avoid too much or too little melatonin and related health issues.
Melatonin is a powerful antioxidant that can effectively combat oxidative stress, inflammation, and the risk of chronic disease. Thus, melatonin may help reduce the risk of mitochondrial dysfunction and improve mitochondrial function.
It can help reduce free radical damage, oxidative stress, inflammation, cell damage and related diseases. Melatonin is referred to as the “fox in the chicken coop” describing how quickly it can work on problems.
Supporting healthy melatonin production can help reduce cancer growth. Melatonin can also reduce oxidative stress, free radical damage, and chronic inflammation, all of which are cancer-determining factors. Melatonin should be considered as a potential option for cancer therapies.
Melatonin may also help improve your brain health. This suggests that melatonin may be beneficial for neurodegenerative disorders and cognitive dysfunctions. Melatonin is also a powerful antioxidant. It prevents the peroxidation of cardiolipin and other membrane lipids. It also helps with protein trafficking, signaling and ATP energy.
Melatonin may also be beneficial if you suffer from chronic pain. A 2019 study published in Biological Research for Nursing found that melatonin may benefit people with fibromyalgia, a condition characterized by widespread chronic pain. Researchers have found that melatonin may help lower cortisol levels, improve mood, reduce pain, and increase quality of life in fibromyalgia.
Melatonin can also help protect your organs and blood vessels. Melatonin offers antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects.
It may also support your gut health by reducing gut inflammation and improving your gut microbiome.
I have already discussed the brain-supporting effects of melatonin. It’s no surprise that melatonin can also support your mood and mental health. Melatonin may help improve depression and suicide rates. Researchers have found that melatonin can help reduce neuroinflammation and reduce depressive behaviors.
Optimize melatonin levels
If you have symptoms of low melatonin levels, don’t worry. You can optimize your melatonin levels naturally. Here is what I recommend:
