The hormone melatonin has been credited with nearly all the magical abilities for the improvement of sleep to prevent arthritis, osteoporosis and other disabilities which can be related to aging. Can melatonin really do all these wonderful features? Certainly, melatonin has direct effect on sleep but most of the other benefits are because of serotonin from which melatonin is made.
Melatonin is a hormone which is produced by the small gland situated near the center of the brain known as pineal gland. One of the primary functions of melatonin is to control the circadian rhythm which is the 24 hour clock of the body that controls when it is time to sleep. This is basically because melatonin release is triggered by darkness and be suppressed by strong light. But this is where the problems lie for several people.
A better approach to go would be stimulating the release of melatonin in a natural way by eating tryptophan rich foods such as eggs, milk, bananas and turkey. These foods will form serotonin inside the body. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter and considered to be a precursor for melatonin. In order for production of melatonin to work properly, it is important that serotonin should be present.
It is tryptophan that forms serotonin which would also convert to melatonin. Tryptophan is available freely in some countries while in other countries, this can be available in prescription. This can also be an option if you are not able to consume dairy products or is a vegetarian.
Another remarkable way to stimulate the levels of melatonin is get adequate sunlight during the day particularly in the morning. For places without plenty of natural daylight or workers on shift schedules, light boxes could be purchased. This is believed to be the most effective way to make sure that a person’s body clock is set properly.
As a conclusion, melatonin is very necessary for the well being of people yet, direct supplementation will not work for a lot of people. If you think that your levels of melatonin are low, you need to consult a sleep specialist or give the suggestions in this article a try.