Melatonin

Melatonin acts both as a hormone regulating sleep, as well as a powerful antioxidant. Melatonin has been reported to be protective in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis [Polimeni2014  🕮 ].

Genetic variations can affect how fast melatonin is produced in the body, how melatonin receptors in the brain respond to the melatonin, and how fast melatonin is metabolized (deactivated). Knowing an individual's melatonin variations can help in designing epigenetic interventions to improve sleep patterns.

Melatonin production is linked to serotonin neurotransmitter precursors, as well as to the pineal gland's detection of light.

Adenosine and caffeine also contribute to controlling melatonin production by the brain.

Major functions of melatonin include:

• Regulating sleep
• Regulating the immune system
• Antioxidant
• Anti-aging

Dr. Weyrich notes that any food or supplement that increases the level of the essential amino acid tryptophan or the neurotransmitter serotonin may also increase melatonin levels [US RDA of tryptophan is 250 to 425mg/day]. According to [WebMD], the following foods are good sources of melatonin or tryptophan:

• Tart Cherries
• Goji Berries
• Eggs
• Dairy: Milk, whole (732mg tryptophan/quart); Cheddar cheese (91mg tryptophan/oz).
• Oily fish: e.g. Salmon, Sardines, canned Tuna (472mg tryptophan/oz).
• Nuts: e.g. Pistachios, Almonds
• Poultry: Turkey, white meat, raw (410mg tryptophan/lb); Turkey, dark meat, raw (303mg tryptophan/lb).
• Legumes: Peanuts (91mg tryptophan/oz).
• Oatmeal, cooked: 147mg/cup.

•       [Polimeni2014]   G Polimeni, E Esposito, V Bevelacqua, C Guarneri, S Cuzzocrea. Role of melatonin supplementation in neurodegenerative disorders. Front Biosci (Landmark Ed). 2014 Jan 1;19:429-46. PMID: 24389194
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  [WebMD]
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  [WebMD]
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  [NIH]
• [PMID: 27500468]