News tagged with melatonin
Dark matter DNA active in brain during day-night cycle
(Medical Xpress)—Long stretches of DNA once considered inert dark matter appear to be uniquely active in a part of the brain known to control the body's 24-hour cycle, according to researchers at the National Institutes ...
Medical research
Sep 24, 2012 |
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Genetic study links body clock receptor to diabetes
A study published in Nature Genetics today has found new evidence for a link between the body clock hormone melatonin and type 2 diabetes. The study found that people who carry rare genetic mutations in the receptor for me ...
Diabetes
Jan 29, 2012 |
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'White' light suppresses the body's production of melatonin
Exposure to the light of white LED bulbs, it turns out, suppresses melatonin 5 times more than exposure to the light of High Pressure Sodium bulbs that give off an orange-yellow light. "Just as there are regulations and standards ...
Health
Sep 12, 2011 |
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Night shift might boost women's breast cancer risk: study
(HealthDay) -- Women who work the night shift more than twice a week might be increasing their risk for breast cancer, Danish researchers find.
Health
May 29, 2012 |
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Team finds melatonin delays ALS symptom onset and death in mice
Melatonin injections delayed symptom onset and reduced mortality in a mouse model of the neurodegenerative condition amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, according to a new study by researchers at ...
Neuroscience
Apr 25, 2013 |
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Study finds homeschool students sleep better: Research supports later start times for high school
(Medical Xpress)—In the first study of its kind, researchers have determined that teens who are homeschooled benefit from healthier sleep habits than those who go to most private and public schools. The findings provide ...
Health
Mar 07, 2013 |
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Study finds melatonin eases sleep woes in children with autism
(Medical Xpress) -- A new Vanderbilt study shows that the over-the-counter supplement melatonin is promising in helping children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and their families, sleep better.
Autism spectrum disorders
Jan 09, 2012 |
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Light from self-luminous tablet computers can affect evening melatonin, delaying sleep
(Medical Xpress)—A new study from the Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute shows that a two-hour exposure to electronic devices with self-luminous "backlit" displays causes ...
Medical research
Aug 27, 2012 |
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Decreased melatonin secretion associated with higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes
With previous evidence suggesting that melatonin may have a role in glucose metabolism, researchers have found an independent association between decreased secretion of melatonin and an increased risk for the development ...
Diabetes
Apr 02, 2013 |
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Melatonin and exercise work against Alzheimer's in mice
The combination of two neuroprotective therapies, voluntary physical exercise, and the daily intake of melatonin has been shown to have a synergistic effect against brain deterioration in rodents with three ...
Alzheimer's disease & dementia
Sep 26, 2012 |
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Too hot to sleep? Here's why
Bushfires are quite appropriately dominating our nation's concerns during the current Australian heatwave. But for many, the struggle to sleep through soaring temperatures is a personal inferno that dominates ...
Health
Jan 11, 2013 |
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Dangerous dreaming: Sleep specialist says rem behavior disorder likely underreported
(Medical Xpress)—A troubling sleep disorder that causes sleepers to physically act out their dreams by kicking, screaming or falling out of bed may be more common than reported, according to Loyola University Medical Center ...
Health
Sep 21, 2012 |
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Oral melatonin has no effect on appetite in advanced cancer
(HealthDay)—Oral melatonin does not improve appetite, weight, or quality of life for patients with cachexia due to advanced cancer, according to research published online Feb. 25 in the Journal of Clinical On ...
Cancer
Mar 16, 2013 |
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Moderate iPad use won't keep teens up at night
(Medical Xpress)—Teenagers who use an iPad for an hour before bed are still likely to get a good night's sleep, new research from Flinders University shows.
Health
Oct 04, 2012 |
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Making headway on beta-blockers and sleep
Over 20 million people in the United States take beta-blockers, a medication commonly prescribed for cardiovascular issues, anxiety, hypertension and more. Many of these same people also have trouble sleeping, a side effect ...
Health
Sep 28, 2012 |
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Melatonin
Melatonin i/ˌmɛləˈtoʊnɪn/, also known chemically as N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, is a naturally occurring compound found in animals, plants, and microbes. In animals, circulating levels of the hormone melatonin vary in a daily cycle, thereby allowing the entrainment of the circadian rhythms of several biological functions.
Many biological effects of melatonin are produced through activation of melatonin receptors, while others are due to its role as a pervasive and powerful antioxidant, with a particular role in the protection of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA.
In mammals, melatonin is secreted into the blood by the pineal gland in the brain. Known as the "hormone of darkness," it is secreted in darkness in both day-active (diurnal) and night-active (nocturnal) animals.
It may also be produced by a variety of peripheral cells such as bone marrow cells, lymphocytes, and epithelial cells. Usually, the melatonin concentration in these cells is much higher than that found in the blood, but it does not seem to be regulated by the photoperiod.
Research has shown that when bird chicks ingest melatonin-rich plant feed, such as rice, the melatonin binds to melatonin receptors in their brains. No food has been found to elevate plasma melatonin levels in humans.
Products containing melatonin have been available over-the-counter as dietary supplements in the United States since the mid-1990s. In many other countries, the over-the-counter sale of this neurohormone is not permitted or requires a prescription, and the U.S. Postal Service lists unapproved melatonin preparations among items prohibited by Germany.
For more information about Melatonin, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
