Melatonin is a powerful antioxidant neurotransmitter produced not only by the pineal gland in the brain, but it’s also made in the skin and possibly other tissues. Levels of this vital substance tend to decline as we age (in both the skin and in the brain). Melatonin is widely known as a natural sleep-promoting compound, but research has shown that melatonin offers other remarkable health promoting benefits.
Melatonin is an ancient molecule. One of the most important benefits of Melatonin is that it regulates and controls our body’s need for Circadian Rhythm.
It’s a powerful antioxidant and free radical scavenger that helps combat inflammation. In fact, melatonin is so integral to your immune system that a lack of it causes your thymus gland, a key component of your immune system, to atrophy. Melatonin may even have a role in slowing the aging of your brain.
Melatonin is a “Hormone” naturally produced by the Pineal Gland. Melatonin is not unique to humans. It’s not unique to mammals, it’s in amphibians, birds, reptiles, insects, uni-cellular organisms, bacteria, plants…every organism contains melatonin even a blade of grass. There is no species that has been identified that does not contain Melatonin – Plant or Animal.
If you look at the picture above, the Pineal Gland is a small pinecone shaped endocrine gland located near the center of the brain. In the spiritual world it’s referred to as the “Third Eye”. Its primary function is to regulate the sleep-wake cycles.
The Pineal Gland is NOT the only organ that produces Melatonin. Many cells in the body produce Melatonin. The Pineal Gland is however the ONLY organ that releases it into the blood to provide “Circadian Information” to ALL CELLS that can read the message and ALL CELLS seem to be capable of reading the signal.
For example, consider your Urinary Bladder or your Liver. There’s no way your bladder or liver would know if it’s light or dark, your liver can not “see” so how does it know when it’s day or night unless there’s some Melatonin message its receiving. The PROBLEM IS…humans are relatively Melatonin deficient.
Why is being Melatonin Deficient a problem? Because it’s Melatonin that runs the clock in our brain. ALL species have a biological clock in their brain, you have one, I have one, your dog has one, even rats have one.
Your biological clock resides in the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus of your brain, let’s call this (SCN), which is part of your hypothalamus. Based on signals of light and darkness, your SCN tells your pineal gland when it’s time to secrete melatonin.
This is an extremely important point. Light comes in through your eyes and travels up your optic nerves to the SCN, which is exquisitely sensitive to cycles of light and darkness and may we remind you, dark is NO LONGER DARK if you live anywhere in a city throughout the world.
SLEEP-WAKE CYCLE CAN BE EASILY DISRUPTED
Natural daylight is blue-rich light. Bright artificial light is blue-rich.
Your body cannot tell the difference between natural & artificial light. So don’t confuse it at night.
If you must get up to use the restroom at night… do your best to navigate that trek in the dark!
Melatonin emits a circadian rhythm. Melatonin is not unique to humans. It’s not unique to mammals, it’s in amphibians, birds, reptiles, insects, uni-cellular organisms, bacteria, plants…every organism contains melatonin even a blade of grass. There is no species that has been identified that does not contain Melatonin – Plant or Animal. (* Dr. Russel Reiter).
- As mentioned, Melatonin emits a circadian rhythm. As you look at the picture exhibiting a 24-hour circadian body clock, notice functions of the body that happen during daytime hours are distinctively different than what happens at night. All of these functions at night are regulated by Melatonin in your blood stream.
- That’s the reason you don’t have a bowl moment at night because Melatonin sends your body a signal to suppress certain body functions that normally occur during the day, to NOT happen while your asleep. Hence the Miracle of Melatonin!
- Since humans evolved in the glow of firelight, the yellow, orange and red wavelengths don’t suppress melatonin production the way white and blue wavelengths do. Moonlight does NOT affect Melatonin production.
- The Problem is White Light – when you turn on a white light you are in fact getting blue light wavelengths, which are impacting your circadian biology.
Source: Dr. Russel Reiter
