[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hen it comes to getting a good night’s sleep, you will need to ensure that you get the right amount of nutrients and hormones. One of the best ways to help you would be consuming food or supplements which contain melatonin. This is a hormone which tells your body when it’s time to begin sleeping and has been one of the most popular supplements many take to fall asleep quickly and with quality.
But what else can melatonin do? I’ll be showing you 9 interesting health benefits of melatonin, as well as the ideal melatonin dosage one needs to sleep better.
Here are the nine health benefits you reap when taking melatonin:
Better Sleep
This is the main reason why people take the supplement! Melatonin is one of the best natural remedies for those who have trouble sleeping. It’s a great natural sleep aid for those who have jet lag or for people who have erratic schedules, such as working the night shift. It won’t only help with the time it takes to fall asleep, but with the quality of sleep for almost any individual suffering from sleeping disorders or other sicknesses that hinder their sleep quality, such as insomnia or low melatonin levels. Also, there is no dependence to melatonin, compared to other medicines that help with better quality sleep.
May Support Eye Health
Those who have healthy melatonin levels will experience better eye health, thanks to its antioxidants! Because of this, it can lower the risk of various eye diseases like age-related macular degeneration (or AMD). A study shows that those who take 3 mg of melatonin for 6 to 24 months have helped protect retinas and delay the damage caused by AMD without any side effects.
Treats Stomach Ulcer and Heartburn
Again, this is all thanks to melatonin’s antioxidant properties! A study has shown that participants who take melatonin and tryptophan with omeprazole (common medicine to treat acid reflux) helped heal stomach ulcers quicker. It also helps treat gastroesophageal reflux disease and reduce heartburn.
But take note that this area of research is still new and further studies need to be made.
Reduce Symptoms of Tinnitus
Studies have shown that melatonin can be a natural treatment for tinnitus, which is a condition that would cause noise or ringing in the ear. This is thanks to melatonin’s anti-oxidative properties. In the research, those who have taken 3 milligrams of melatonin have experiences greater decrease in tinnitus symptoms. The hormone also helped with the patients’ sleep.
Increase Growth Hormone Levels For Men
Growth hormones are released while you sleep. For young men, melatonin supplements can increase the growth hormone levels. Studies show that the hormone can have the pituitary gland more sensitive to hormones which release the growth hormone. Both low and high melatonin dosages are effective when stimulating the release of growth hormones in young men.
Helps With Seasonal Depression
Seasonal Affective Disorder affects about 20% of adults in the United States, mostly affected by the changes of light and sleep cycles. Because of this, melatonin can turn these symptoms around by improving one’s sleep cycle. But there is no hard evidence of it yet and further studies need to be made.
Potential Treatment for Cancer
Studies have suggested that low melatonin levels might be associated with a higher breast and prostate cancer risk. Other studies show that melatonin can also inhibit tumor growth. It can also improve the results of chemotherapy. Melatonin can also inhibit proliferation of prostate cancer cells.
Helps With Heart Disease
Many studies have shown that melatonin has heart-protective properties thanks to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. The hormone can also lower blood pressure and cholesterol, treating cardiovascular diseases.
It can also help improve your immune system because of its anti-inflammatory properties.
Relieves Chronic Pain
Taking melatonin may help with fibromyalgia symptoms and chronic pain. Studies show that patients have reduced symptoms when taking melatonin dosage alone or with antidepressants. It may also help with migraine headaches and relieve stress, controlling the stimulation of stress hormones in the body.
For those who are new to melatonin supplements, it’s best to begin a dosage of about 0.5 to 1 mg before bed. You can increase it to 3 to 5 mg if it doesn’t help with your sleep.
In Conclusion
Melatonin is an excellent hormone that won’t only help your sleep, but with other aspects of your body as well! Hopefully, this article on the health benefits of melatonin informed you on how much of the hormone you should take and what to expect from taking it. So don’t wait any longer and start taking melatonin supplements or food that contain it today.
If you have any questions or would like to share your experiences when taking melatonin, then comment down below. I would love to hear what you have to think.
