Melatonin Benefits

A naturally occurring hormone in our body, melatonin is synthesized from serotonin and produced in the pineal gland located in the brain. It starts producing in the first few months of a human infant, at times, as early as three months. The production of melatonin continues till early adulthood (around 20 years) and from then, the production starts decreasing. Interestingly, melatonin production is at its highest at night, especially when a person is sleeping. Nonetheless, this production comes to an immediate halt if you are awake at night in a brightly-lit room. Reduced levels of melatonin are likely to increase the risks of some adverse health conditions, such as depression, seizure disorders and fibromyalgia. A more powerful antioxidant than vitamins C and E makes melatonin useful in treating various health conditions. Continue scrolling to know the different health benefits of consuming melatonin.

Health Benefits Of Melatonin

The benefits of melatonin apply directly to those people suffering from insomnia. It is known as a natural sleep aid as it resets the body’s clock into assuming that night has arrived and it’s time to sleep. Melatonin supplements are taken usually between 3 and 6 pm in the afternoon so that the person falls asleep by 10 or 11 pm.
A person, possessing lower levels of melatonin than normal, has been recorded to age prematurely. A human body is able to retain it youthfulness if it is given at least seven hours of good sound sleep failing which problems like insomnia and other sleep difficulties can arise. These, in turn, speed up the ageing process.
Consuming 0.5 to 5 mg of melatonin at night helps in easing jet lag by speeding up the resynchronization of the body’s time clock. It largely helps in reducing symptoms, such as drowsiness during the day, trouble sleeping at night, irritability, stomach upsets and impaired judgment, in air travelers.
There are several muscle relaxants available in the markets that help in calming the skeletal muscles (back muscles or shoulder muscles) that a person usually has control over. Conversely, smooth muscles are those that a person generally has less or no control over in most situations. Melatonin comes to your rescue at this point. It helps in relaxing the smooth muscles which most relaxants miss out on.
Studies indicate that melatonin has been successfully known to inhibit certain types of cancer, including breast, lung, prostate, brain and skin. In case of breast cancer, melatonin performs the job of estrogen therapy that reduces the growth of cancerous cells.
Melatonin has also been effective in treating common health problems, such as arthritis, epilepsy, sun burn, viral, encephalitis, heart diseases, osteoporosis, menopause, depression, cluster headaches, eating disorders, weight loss, sarcoidosis and rheumatoid.
Apart from the above, melatonin boosts the immune system, eliminates cell damaging free radicals, and reduces the damage caused due to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

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