News tagged with melatonin
'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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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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Cherry juice gives a good nights' sleep
Drinking cherry juice significantly improves both the quality and duration of sleep, according to new findings from Northumbria University.
Health
Nov 02, 2011 |
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Tireless research reveals secrets of the 'sleep hormone'
A team from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) and McGill University has made a major breakthrough by unraveling the inner workings of melatonin, also known as the "sleep hormone." The ...
Neuroscience
Dec 13, 2011 |
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Melatonin delays onset, reduces deaths in mouse model of Huntington's disease
Melatonin, best known for its role in sleep regulation, delayed the onset of symptoms and reduced mortality in a mouse model of Huntington's disease, say researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and ...
Neuroscience
Oct 11, 2011 |
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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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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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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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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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Melatonin analogue agomelatine could have role in treating major depression
A New Drug Class paper published Online First by The Lancet looks at the use of melatonin and its analogues—traditionally used to modify the body's internal clock (circadian system)—in the treatment of major depres ...
Psychology & Psychiatry
May 17, 2011 |
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Aging eyes linked to sleepless nights, new study shows
A natural yellowing of the eye lens that absorbs blue light has been linked to sleep disorders in a group of test volunteers, according to a study in the September 1 issue of the journal Sleep. As this type of lens discol ...
Health
Sep 01, 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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Light from electronic screens at night linked to sleep loss
Like a lot of Americans, Amalie Drury has grown very attached to her smartphone.
Health
Jul 11, 2012 |
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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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Researchers shed new light on cancer risks associated with night work
Night work can increase cancer risk in men, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology by a research team from Centre INRS–Institut Armand-Frappier and Centre de recherche du Centre hospit ...
Cancer
Oct 15, 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.
