Melatonin

Melatonin is a  hormone which is presently available over the counter. When most people hear about Melatonin, the first word that comes to mind is that Melatonin helps improve sleep. Sleep continues to be a medical mystery. However, we do know that one of the reasons we feel sleepy is because our core body temperature decreases late in the evening. Melatonin has multitudinous mechanisms of action (does a lot of stuff).

A partial list of what Melatonin does includes:

• decreases core body temperature
• restores nightly cycle of rest and regeneration
• relaxes all muscles
• decreases blood pressure
• improves thyroid function
• decreases cholesterol
• increases human growth hormone
• decreases coagulation (blood clotting)
• increases action of benzodiazepines (tranquilizers) and number of receptors
• doubles natural killer cells (important for good immune function)
• crosses blood brain barrier and quenches free radicals

Melatonin is decreased with aging, during ovulation, in suicidal patients, in depressed patients, and with ingestion of alcohol and beta blockers prescriptions.

Melatonin and cortisol are biochemical antagonists, meaning that as one goes up, the other goes down. Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland (located behind your eyes. Radiologists reading brain MRIs use calcification of the pineal gland as a marker.

Some extracurricular information re: Melatonin -
With depression, cortisol increases during the evening instead of decreasing,
the result being poor sleep.

The brain is 2% of our body weight, yet consumes 25% of our oxygen supply.  The reason this is important is because oxygen produces free radicals which cross the blood brain barrier. More specifically, the most damaging free radical called the hydroxyl radical. Melatonin crosses the blood brain barrier and quenches the bad guy hydroxyl free radical. Bottom line, we are preventing degenerative, irreversible neurological diseases of aging. Prevention is not worth a pound of cure, it is worth tons and tons of cure.

Melatonin dosing is somewhat tricky. Always start low and go slowly. Some patients require 0.l (one tenth) of a milligram. Personally, I take six milligrams. If you take too much you shall awaken feeling as though you have dreamed the entire night. Suggestion - open the capsule and place very small amounts under your tongue.