Melatonin is a hormone designed to regulate our circadian rhythm, the cycle that dictates when we should be awake and when we should be asleep. Although melatonin is naturally produced in the pineal gland and found in certain foods such as cherries and walnuts, it is most commonly known as a natural health product for improving sleep.
Supplemental melatonin has been demonstrated to improve sleep parameters under many circumstances. Notably, clinical trials have found that melatonin can improve total sleep time and restfulness in individuals with general sleeplessness. For shift workers or people that commonly travel across time zones, melatonin can greatly improve the transition between day and night shifts or speed up jet lag recovery.
It may surprise many people to learn that melatonin actually has vast health applications in the realm of digestion. For example, research has found that melatonin protects the esophageal lining from acid reflux by increasing local mucous production. This is important because acid reflux into the esophagus can create the burning sensation and cause damage to the tissue. Not only can melatonin reduce heartburn symptoms but clinical trials have also shown that it can improve gastritis and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome such as pain, abdominal distension and urgency.
Finally, various clinical trials have shown that melatonin can reduce symptoms of itchiness and discomfort in eczema sufferers, reduce migraine frequency, improve tinnitus and decrease endometriosis related pain. Clearly, there is more to melatonin than a good night’s rest.
Melatonin by Cyto-Matrix offers 3mg of pure and stable melatonin per capsule, delivered in a sustained release format to gradually supply melatonin over a 6-8 hour time period. The sustained release delivery is particularly advantageous for those that wake frequently during the night and have difficulty getting back to sleep.
