Melatonin is a hormone made in the pineal gland of the brain from the amino acid tryptophan. A powerful antioxidant, melatonin is involved in the formation of circadian rhythms, which regulate our sleep and wake cycles. It also works to protect DNA at the mitochondrial level. Melatonin is found in several herbs, including feverfew and St. John’s wort, as well as a number of food, including bananas, grapes, cherries, rice and olive oil. However, these food sources do not raise melatonin levels in the blood. Melatonin secretion increases in response to darkness and helps move our bodies towards sleep. In addition to functioning as an antioxidant, melatonin has been shown to affect a wide range of conditions and body systems, including immune function. wholehealthinsider/newsletter/nutrient-spotlight-melatonin/?utm_source=WHI&utm_medium=house_email&utm_term=all&utm_content=news&utm_campaign=WHI_20140821
Posted on: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 09:04:01 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015