The Night Owl’s Guide to Effective Night Time Supplements
Melatonin is a very successful hormone, considering that it is found not only in humans’ brains but also in almost all other animals, plants, fungi, bacteria, and even algae. We must have a part of our brain, the pineal gland, dedicated almost exclusively to producing melatonin.
Melatonin for advanced supps is not a sleeping pill but the chemical messenger of sleep, and in turn, it is regulated by light. That is why it is important not to expose yourself to bright lights, such as the mobile screen, during the two hours before going to bed.
Melatonin secretion decreases with age, which is believed to be one of the reasons why sleep quality has declined over the years. Melatonin supplements have proven effective in regulating sleep disturbed by jet lag after a long plane ride and a change in time zone, as well as improving sleep quality in older people or those who wake up at night. However, it has not been shown to help people who work night shifts.
But melatonin an night time supplement is not just the sleep hormone. It is essential as a regulator of oxidation, and the immune system and its imbalances greatly influence aging and chronic diseases.
What we know about the other functions of melatonin comes from studying what happens when it is missing. When there is a tumor in the pineal gland, and the person is left without a supply of melatonin, the effects are not pleasant. In addition to sleep disturbances, a lack of melatonin is associated with chronic pain, type 2 diabetes, dementia, behavioral disorders, and cancer.
These are some of the properties of melatonin that make it essential in your life:
Antioxidant
Melatonin is a powerful neutralizer of free radicals, oxidizing substances in our body. Sometimes, they are byproducts of metabolism, but immune system cells also produce free radicals to “spray” potential attackers during an infection. Antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, have, among other things, the function of “turning off” these oxidative fires. Melatonin is an antioxidant twice as powerful as vitamin E, which is the most effective. Specifically, melatonin protects mitochondria, the cell’s energy factories, from oxidation.
Anti-aging
Melatonin is not the elixir of eternal youth, as it began to be advertised a few years ago when it was discovered that it extended the life of laboratory mice. However, the lack of melatonin does cause accelerated aging. Furthermore, it is well known that reducing calories in the diet prolongs life, but this may be mainly due to increased melatonin production in the intestine, so supplements can achieve a similar effect without needing to fast.
Regulator of the immune system
Having a dysregulated immune system seems to be behind many chronic diseases. An imbalanced immune system is characterized by an increase in inflammatory enzymes and free radicals, which cause damage to healthy tissues and, in turn, an inhibition of the cells responsible for eliminating bacteria, viruses, and defective or cancerous cells.
Melatonin has a regulatory effect: On the one hand, it increases the number of cells in the immune system to fight infection or cancer, and, at the same time, it regulates the production of inflammatory factors, thus preventing chronic inflammation.
Anticancer
Melatonin is an anticancer hormone precisely because it stimulates immune system cells that eliminate cancer cells. A review of studies has found that melatonin can help treat and prevent breast, prostate, stomach, and colon cancer. In addition, melatonin increases the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiotherapy and reduces the side effects of these treatments.