Most of you have heard of melatonin before, but it’s likely that you usually only hear about it in regards to insomnia or sleep issues. What you may not know is that it seems to play a role in other health concerns we frequently hear about, including cancers, hypertension, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease, just to name a few.[1-7],[9],[10],[12]
Melatonin is a compound in our body that helps to regulate sleep as well as other physiological rhythms in our body. It is secreted by the pineal gland and is a hormone that is affected by light. Light suppresses levels of melatonin, while darkness helps to trigger our body to secrete more of this compound. What’s interesting about melatonin is that its levels start to wane as we age and certain medications seem to alter its levels in our body as well. The Huffington Post (huffingtonpost.com) – Melatonin: May Help More Than Just Your Sleep – By Julie Chen, M.D.(Monday, November 5,2012)