Melatonin

E L I X S L E E P

Melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone that is naturally produced in your body by the pineal gland in response to darkness. Melatonin promotes sleep and assists in regulating the body's cycle of sleeping and waking. It also acts as an antioxidant to protect cells against the harmful effects of free radicals. Melatonin is present in many of the foods we eat, including rice, barley, corn, and meat, or can be taken as a supplement. It is particularly helpful for people who have trouble sleeping, work night shifts, or travel to different time zones. Melatonin can help reset your body's sleeping clock. The melatonin that your body produces declines with age.

History
Indole pigments, similar to melatonin, appeared in photosynthetic bacteria as early as 1.2 billion years ago after photosynthesis evolved and oxygen levels rose, posing a threat to all organisms exposed to light. These pigments play an important role in photoprotection, modulating the susceptibility of cells to potentially harmful challenges such as radiation, heat and toxins. In vertebrates, melatonin is mainly found in the pineal gland where it is almost exclusively synthesized and secreted during darkness at night. Melatonin was first isolated for study in the late 1950s, and was administered to humans and animals with reports of mild sedation as a side-effect. It wasn't until more recently that this effect was considered an integral part of the physiological role of melatonin. It wasn't until 1980 when the suppression of melatonin excretion by bright light was shown in humans, that its role in the circadian rhythm was appreciated. The most compelling evidence for this hypothesis was found in studies of sleep-disordered blind subjects. Up to 50% of totally blind subjects have free running circadian rhythm greater than 24 hours, and many of these same individuals report cyclic periods of disordered sleep. Administration of melatonin has been shown to improve their sleep patterns and modulate their circadian rhythm (e.g. body core temperature and urinary cortisol). Since 1980, melatonin has been shown to benefit mainly sleep disorders due to aging, shiftwork, international travel and chronic insomnia. Whether melatonin's action is primarily hypnotic, or due to circadian phase-shifting or a thermoregulatory effect, is still under review. Melatonin and the pineal gland also may be involved in the central master clock mechanisms that regulate and trigger reproduction, development and aging processes, such as the onset of puberty and menopause.

Kava Kava
Kava Kava has been used in the South Pacific for its calming euphoric effect for centuries. Village elders use it ceremonially to help communication among them, because of the calming meditative state that it delivers. Kava Kava has the added benefit of not becoming addictive or abusive to the liver like alcohol. Unlike synthetic tranquilizers or alcohol, Kava leaves the user with an alert mind, enhancing one's ability to communicate while sharpening the senses. It also does not produce unpleasant hangovers the next morning.

Even though there have been many attempts to synthesize a pharmaceutical drug out of one or more of the derivatives, it has been shown that the herb's activity depends on the naturally-occurring blend of all six kava lactones to gain its potency. In addition to Kava's calming effect, studies have shown that it reduces anxiety, aids sleep, relieves pain (muscle aches, tension headaches, toothaches, sore throats), and soothes menstrual cramps and menopausal problems.

Read about the history of kava kava.

Supplements | Buy Elix Now | About Us | Contact Us | FAQs