What Is Melatonin?

Melatonin is a hormone that is produced by the pineal gland. The pineal gland is a small organ located in the brain. The pineal secretes melatonin in anticipation of night and is partially responsible for keeping daily rhythms.

Melatonin is produced from the amino acid tryptophan and in addition to its effect in regulating circadian rhythms also acts as a potent antioxidant. Melatonin also plays a role in skin darkening and is suspected to play a role in melanoma.

As a dietary supplement, melatonin has been used for a variety of purposes. The most common purpose is to improve sleep or to combat jet lag. Taking melatonin a few hours before sleep can adjust the sleep cycle and promote more restful sleep and more alter wakefulness on rising. There is no doubt that it works and works well for this purpose.

Melatonin is also used to promote restful sleeping in the elderly (particularly those with dementia) and in children with autism. Anyone who has dealt with an autistic child or an older person with dementia knows that getting to sleep and staying to sleep can be a major challenge. Again, for these purposes, melatonin seems to work fairly well and is non habit-forming or narcotic in nature.

There are some other potential effects of melatonin that may be of use as a dietary supplement. One potential use is in boosting the immune system. As we age, our immune system becomes less efficient. Melatonin has been shown to have some effect in boosting immune system function.

Another interesting effect of melatonin is its effect on growth hormone secretion. A recent article explored the effect of melatonin on growth hormone and found that a significant increase in growth hormone in response to a single dose of melatonin. Growth hormone has a number of effects in humans including increasing muscle mass, decreasing fat mass and increasing energy and libido. Growth hormone has been used illicitly by aging men and women as a youth elixir. Of course using growth hormone in this manner is illegal but using melatonin on the other hand is perfectly legal.

Growth hormone has also been used by bodybuilders to increase muscle mass and performance while decreasing body fat. Again, using growth hormone in this manner is illegal and poses health risks. Melatonin is generally believed to be safe though one should limit sun exposure since it can augment sun damage.

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