Melatonin

Melatonin is not just for sleep and you might be surprised all the different ways melatonin can affect your health.

Melatonin can be measured, and as one ages, levels normally decrease.  As you will see levels of melatonin being too low or too high do have consequences, so if you are supplementing, measured levels can be of benefit.

Melatonin is created through a pathway from the amino acid, tryptophan.  Tryptophan does require adequate B vitamins to help the conversion to melatonin.  So if one does not eat an adequate supply of B vitamin rich foods or do not take extra supplementation, one’s body might be deficient in melatonin.

Another interesting point to mention is that melatonin has found to be lower in patients with heart disease than in healthy people; and if you supplement and your levels become too high you can end up suppressing estrogen and testosterone in your body.