Melatonin is Not Just for Sleep

Sleep should be simple, yet it’s become one of the most difficult things to do, especially as a person ages. This is because of diminishing melatonin levels.

How is it that we work so hard and yet have so much difficulty sleeping? It's time to snap out of it and talk about how you CAN lie down and STAY down for at least six to eight hours.

Created from the pineal (say peen-ee-al) gland, melatonin is the hormone responsible for the “circadian cycle,” or the sleep/wake cycle. The pineal gland is a tiny gland in the center of the brain, so tiny it resembles a pea or a kernel of corn. During your first few weeks of growth in your mother’s womb, your pineal gland was one of the first organs that grew. It doesn’t have access to light, because it is situated deep within the brain, but it does contain light-sensitive cells.

When light enters the eyes, it travels to the retina. From the retina, a message is sent through the optic nerve to the hypothalamus (a much bigger gland than the pineal) and that’s when the pineal is informed that there is light (or when there is an absence of it). Scientists used to think the pineal was as useless as a person’s pinky finger, but without the tiny organ, the body wouldn’t have any melatonin, a modulating hormone that relaxes us and processes environmental information, like when it’s a good time to get some ZzZs.

Assembling melatonin: the factory line Light > eyes > retina> cells in retina> optic nerve> hypothalamus> pineal gland> MELATONIN

Did you know hormones go through spurts during different times of the day? Melatonin is a prime example of this because it peaks between 2 and 5 a.m. and then drops as the sun rises; this usually happens at around 7-8 a.m.

Melatonin is produced by enzymatic conversion from the amino acid tryptophan. Stress depletes tryptophan. You need tryptophan along with vitamin B complex to convert tryptophan into melatonin. During stressful times, tryptophan depletion leads to a reduction in melatonin, and melatonin is one of the few hormones that actually lowers cortisol levels to help keep you cool, calm and collected when life gets crazy.

Functions of Melatonin:

• Induces sleep
• Improves mood
• Helps stress response
• Assists immune system function
• Stimulates release of sex hormones
• Has powerful antioxidant effects Bland J., “Obesity and endocrine signaling.” Health Comm International, Inc. 1999, p.124
• p.124. Helps prevent cancer
• Blocks estrogen binding to receptors. Lieberman, S., e Real Vitamin and Mineral Book. Avery Publ. 1997.p.216
• Stimulates parathyroid bone formation. Lieberman, S., e Real Vitamin and Mineral Book. Avery Publ. 1997.p.216
• Production of growth hormone
• Decreases and modulates cortisol

Melatonin is rarely thought of as an antioxidant, but D.X. Tan (et al.), a researcher, found that its radical scavenger activities are surprisingly potent. In a lab study conducted on rats, Tan found that melatonin possesses abilities similar to that of glutathione. He saw that over an extended period of time, the rats that had been fed melatonin fought illness much quicker than the rats that hadn’t. Tan concluded that melatonin strengthens cell receptors and helps bodies fight diseases (Tan, D.X., et al. “Melatonin: A potent indigenous hydroxyl radical scavenger.” Journal of Endocrinology,

A clinical study conducted by Dr. K. Petrie (et al.) showed that by taking a melatonin supplement one can minimize subjective feelings of jet lag from a 4.5-day recovery period to a 2.85-day recovery period. It’s been proven that melatonin will save at least two days of your trip. With a quicker recovery period, you can devote more time to shopping and sightseeing instead of moping around your hotel room.

With the ability to get better sleep, you’ll strengthen your immune system and will decrease your chances of developing obesity. A lack of sleep will generate a host of bodily problems. You’ll find that with a few more hours of restful sleep, you’ll be more productive and thus much more able to accomplish all of your goals.

Prof. Dr. Paul Ling Tai’s Pearls

I only wish you good nights and even better mornings. This is why I want to assure you that by taking bio identical melatonin, I am confident that you will fall asleep quicker. I’m also sure that when you begin to use melatonin, you’ll feel much more rested in the morning. I had a terrible time falling asleep, and out of all the supplements I’ve used, melatonin has never failed me. It’s been years since I have taking melatonin and I’ve developed so much energy because I sleep straight through the night instead of waking up at irregular intervals as I once used to. When I travel, I make sure to bump up my dosage, only because it strengthens my immunities and helps me fight jet lag. I take melatonin on a nightly basis, and ever since, my dreams and days have become sweeter than ever!

If you are interested in learning more about Melatonin, be sure to check out Dr. Tai's course on Melatonin and Sleep and the 8 Powerful Secrets of Anti-Aging book by Dr. Tai, available on HealthSecretsUSA.com.

Prof. Dr. Paul Ling Tai's Product Recommendations

Melatonin PleoLyposome - 15 ml