Melatonin

Scientific Name:  5-methoxy-N-acetyltryptamine (C13H16N2O2).

Melatonin is a hormone found in all forms of living creature ranging from something as simplistic as algae to organisms as complex as humans.

Forms of Melatonin:  Melatonin is available in capsules over the counter in various dosages for improved sleep.

Sources of Melatonin: Melatonin is produced in animals by the pineal gland of the brain, as well as by the lens, retina, and gastrointestinal tract.

It is naturally made from tryptophan (an amino acid) through the synthesis of serotonin. It is also synthesized in various plants such as rice.

Ingested melatonin has been proven to reach and bind with sites in the brains of mammals.

Home Remedies using Melatonin:

Benefits and Uses of Melatonin:

Melatonin is an extremely powerful antioxidant and is particularly important in protecting nuclear and mitochondrial DNA. 

Melatonin creates part of the system that regulates the circadian cycle (the basic 24-hour living cycle of creatures and plants on Earth). 

Melatonin has been shown to prevent some damage to DNA by carcinogens, stopping the mechanism by which they cause cancer. 

Melatonin may also help to fight disease by enhancing the immune system through improved T cell production. 

In combination with calcium, it can greatly improve T cell response.

Reports indicate that melatonin might be helpful in eye health and in treating eye problems such as glaucoma and uveitis.

It is believed that antioxidant properties of melatonin may reduce the damage of some forms of Parkinson’s disease, prevent cardiac arrhythmia, and even increase life span (showing up to a 20 percent increase in life span in mice). 

Melatonin can increase the capacity for learning and memory and may be effective in treating diseases like Alzheimer’s. 

Melatonin can restore fertility and prevent depression in association with menopause. 

However, the most common usage is for improved sleep.

Side Effects of Melatonin:

Melatonin supplementation to improve the immune system may actually aggravate autoimmune disorders (type 1 diabetes, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, etc). 

Increased melatonin production can lead to an increase in vividness or frequency of REM sleep and dreaming (this could be considered a positive or negative side effect). 

Melatonin taken in combination with MAOIs could lead to the possibility of overdose.