Posted 3/16/07 |
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| NAME: |
Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) |
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| DESCRIPTION: | This neurohormone is secreted by the pineal gland in response to darkness, as well as regulating seasonal responses to changes in day length in seasonally breeding mammals— called photoperiodic responses.
Melatonin is the body's natural sleep promoter and has been found to be useful in the treatment of various sleep disorders, including not only insomnia but also delayed sleep phase disorder and jet lag-related sleeping problems. The essential amino acid L-tryptophan is a precursor in the synthesis of melatonin: L-tryptophan first gets metabolized to 5-hydroxytryptophan from which 5-hydroxytryptamine, also known as serotonin, is made. Within the pineal gland, serotonin is acetylated and then methylated to yield melatonin. The pineal gland, located near the center of the brain, is so named because it has a vaguely pine cone shape. The pineal gland is believed to function as a sort of biological clock, helping to control the body's circadian rhythms, the biological cycles that recur over 24-hour intervals: melatonin secretion normally increases dramatically at night (this increase is known as the nocturnal melatonin peak), although some is also produced during the day. |
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| FUNCTION: | Sleep aid, antidepressant
Melatonin may play a critical role in stabilizing or improving immunosuppression, Alzheimer’s and some cancers. |
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| DOSAGE: | Different people will be more sensitive or less sensitive to melatonin's effects: the best approach may be to begin with low doses that match the amounts our bodies normally make on a daily basis (< 0.3 mg), gradually raising doses to as much as 5 mg until the desired effect is achieved.
Other recomendations: Take one hour before bedtime. Take at the same time each night. |
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| DATA: | In animal laboratory models, European researchers were unable to create a CD4 cell loss under stress conditions when the animals had been given melatonin. In humans, stress can play a large role in CD4 count loss. Studies in older mice suggest that melatonin can impact on zinc turnover (important for immune function) which can restore thymus weight and expression of T cells among aging mice. | |
| CAUTIONS: | While melatonin is "natural," it is a sleep aid and thus will cause drowsiness! Do not drive or operate any other heavy machinery while taking this supplement.
Do not give meltonin to: infants, children and adolescents, pregnant women. Consult a physician before using if you have: an autoimmune disease such as HIV, diabetes, a depressive disorder, a thyroid condition, epilepsy, leukemia or a lymphoproliferative disorder or if you are using MAO inhibitor drugs or corticosteroids (hydrocortisone or prednisone). Long-term use at high doses is not a good idea. |
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| FOR MORE INFORMATION: |
Sleep Research Online catalogs scientific papers on the subject of sleep by members of the World Federation of Sleep Research Societies. | |
| RELATED PRODUCTS: |
Melatonin, sublingual (Source Naturals) Each bottle, 100 tablets. Each tablet contains 1mg of melatonin in an orange-flavored, sublingual form (to be dissolved under the tongue). | |
| PRODUCT NOTES: | From Source Naturals: Take one hour before bedtime. Take at the same time each night. You may slowly increase the dose up to about 3-5 mg per night. | |
