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IPFS News Link • Health and Physical Fitness

The Importance of Melatonin for Optimal Health

• https://www.lewrockwell.com, By Joseph Mercola

This is also known as your body clock. It's a natural, biological timer present in every one of your cells that helps your body recognize sleepiness and wakefulness over a period of 24 hours.

Your circadian rhythm is largely dictated by your pineal gland, located near the center of your brain, which produces melatonin, a hormone that is crucial for the regulation of your sleep cycle.

If you have had enough exposure to bright light in the daytime, your pineal gland typically starts secreting melatonin around 9 p.m.1 As the amount of melatonin in your brain increases, sleepiness sets in as your body begins to prepare for sleep.

If you stay awake past dark, artificial light — especially that emitted by electronic devices — will inhibit your body's melatonin production, so, ideally, you would stop using electronics at least an hour or two before bedtime to help increase melatonin production and maintain a steady circadian rhythm.

Melatonin Does More Than Control Sleep

While melatonin works as a natural sleep regulator, its biological effects don't end there.2 It's also a potent antioxidant3 that plays an important role in cancer prevention.4 It's also thought to be important for brain, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal health,5 and has been shown to boost your immune function in a variety of ways.


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