Melatonine (MT) is one of the hormones secreted by the pineal gland. Melatonin belongs to indoles heterocyclic compounds, its chemical name is n-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, also known as pineal hormone, melatonin. After melatonin synthesis, it is stored in the pineal gland, and sympathetic excitation innervates pineal cells to release melatonin. The secretion of melatonin has obvious circadian rhythm, which is inhibited during the day and active at night. Melatonin can inhibit the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, so that gonadotropin release hormone, gonadotropin, luteinizing hormone and follicle estrogen content are reduced, and can directly act on the gonads, reduce the content of androgens, estrogen and progesterone. In addition, MT has strong neuroendocrine immune regulatory activity and free radical scavenging antioxidant capacity, which may become a new antiviral treatment method and approach. MT is eventually metabolized in the liver, and damage to liver cells can affect the level of MT in the body.
The main function of melatonin is known to improve sleep (dosage: 0.1~0.3mg), shorten the time of awakening and falling asleep before sleep, and improve sleep quality. The number of awakenings during sleep is significantly reduced, the light sleep stage is short, the deep sleep stage is prolonged, and the wake-up threshold drops the next morning. Has the strong adjustment time difference function.
Perhaps the most remarkable feature of melatonin is that it is the strongest endogenous free radical scavenger ever found. The basic function of melatonin is to participate in the antioxidant system and prevent oxidative damage to cells.
What are the recommended empirical effects of melatonin?
1.To assist in falling asleep
One third of a person’s life is spent in sleep, if the long-term insomnia will lead to a variety of diseases (including immune disorders, cardiovascular disease, cognitive disorders, etc.), even the rate of aging is also normal two to three times. More recently, scientists have found that sleep is an important time for the brain to clear neurotoxins, such as amyloid beta, which is linked to alzheimer’s disease and is flushed out of the cerebrospinal fluid during sleep. In other words, chronic insomnia significantly increases the risk of neurodegenerative dementia.
In a large analysis of 15 clinical studies of people without medication for insomnia, taking melatonin (1 to 2 hours before bedtime) significantly reduced the time it took to fall asleep, improved sleep efficiency and increased sleep duration.
In addition, for elderly men often have the problem of prostatic hypertrophy, easy to lead to frequent urination at night, serious impact on sleep quality, and take melatonin can reduce the number of nocturnal urination, improve annoying symptoms.
Other studies have found that melatonin‘s ability to help you fall asleep and regulate your circadian clock may be related to its ability to lower the body’s core body temperature (a lower core body temperature before bed can help induce sleepiness and induce deeper sleep).
2.Improve jet lag
Jet lag is across time zones that happened after the flight arrived at the destination circadian disruption note 8 (often insomnia, fatigue, concentration, etc.), in general, a long flight across two or three time zone (about 4 or above), there are 80% of the population is likely to jet lag symptoms (if more than 9 hours of time difference, often need to 5 days to adjustment).
Found in a large comprehensive analysis (including 5 research), before taking melatonin helps regulate circadian, reduce the discomfort of jet lag, and help to sleep (using a dose of between 500mcg – 5 mg) and the effect of melatonin regulates circadian also applies for shift work to disrupt life work and rest of the staff, the blind, or because of signs such as glare and couldn’t sleep at night.
3.Migraine
Studies have linked low levels of melatonin to migraines. So melatonin is seen as a potential treatment for preventing migraines, and in a clinical study of regular migraine sufferers, melatonin (given 3 mg 30 minutes before bedtime) was found to reduce the frequency, intensity and duration of headaches.
Another study in children also found that melatonin prevented tension headaches and migraines in children, reducing the number of attacks by up to 50 percent in some cases.
4.Improve gastroesophageal reflux disease and heart burn
A recent clinical study found that taking 3mg of melatonin at night reduced perceived gastroesophageal reflux and heart burn symptoms, although slightly less effective than OMEPRAZOLE, but with an additive effect.
A small trial of patients with gastric ulcers (positive for helicobacter pylori) also found that melatonin improved ulcers (all subjects recovered), but only three of the seven in the drug group reported improvement.
In addition, Aspirin is a common analgesic and antiphlogistic drug. However, a common side effect is inflammation of the gastrointestinal and gastric mucosa, which can lead to gastric ulcer in the most serious cases. However, taking melatonin has the effect of protecting gastric mucosa and reducing gastric damage.
In addition, melatonin and human respiratory system, digestive system, urinary system regulation.
Post time: Apr-17-2020