melatonin 411

Discovered: A Direct Link Between Circadian Clock and the Immune System

You may have noticed that you are more likely to get sick when tired or otherwise feeling out-of-sync. Many people who travel have noted that they are most likely to become ill just after a large trip, especially one that takes them across time zones and causes the dreaded jet lag. Is this a coincidence? Studies have long suggested a link between the circadian clock and the immune system, but were unable to find a direct cause for the connection. However, new research now suggests that T cells, an important part of the immune system, are the missing link.

The Circadian Rhythm of the Immune System

Like all cells in the human body, the cells of your immune system run on a distinct circadian, or 24-hour, rhythm. There are daily rhythms in the release of immune proteins such as cytokines as well as in the migration of immune cells to inflamed tissues and the production of T cells and other cells involved in immunity.

How is this circadian rhythm maintained? Like many cells, immune cells appear to express circadian rhythm genes as well as to responding to melatonin and other hormones governing our sleep-wake cycle. According to new research, circadian genes may be more important to our immune system than we previously realized.

T Cells: The Link Between the Circadian Clock and the Immune System

If you have a loved one with a disease that affects their immune system, you have probably heard of T cells. T cells are tested to measure the strength of an immune system, and are in fact one of the most important parts of your immune system. T cells scout your body looking for microbes. When they see them, they attack. In addition, T cells have an amazing ability to remember the microbes that they have encountered, which is why you can only get some diseases once. Because T cells are so important, their numbers are tightly regulated.

However, T cells appear to be regulated in a different way than most cells in the body. Most cells can divide a set number of times, while T cells appear to have a time limit for division instead. They can divide as often as needed within their allotted lifetime and then they self-destruct. This appears to be controlled by a gene called Bcl-2, which also is involved in the circadian rhythm.

Circadian Rhythm-Governed Expression of Immune Cells

There are yet other ways that the circadian clock and the immune system are linked. The immune system revs up production of immune cells at certain times of day in response to melatonin levels. In addition, the expression of certain cell receptors that are crucial in the function of immune cells also appears to be governed in part by the time of day. These receptors are crucial in helping T cells to detect an antigen and then set off the immune cascade that will prevent or lessen the symptoms of an illness. The result is that you are far less likely to catch a cold that you are exposed to in the late morning, and far more likely to die from a serious infection such as sepsis in the late night and the hours just before dawn.

These new studies add to a growing body of research on the link between infections, immunity and the circadian rhythm. It explains a phenomenon that researchers have already repeatedly observed: Animals exposed to an illness just before or during their resting phase get more serious infections and become sicker. Your circadian rhythm appears to have an immense effect on whether you get sick from the many pathogens we are exposed to on a daily basis.

You may not be able to choose the time of day at which you are exposed to an illness, but there are a few things you can do to improve your odds of making it through the fall and winter with as few sick days as possible. Be especially vigilant about hand-washing and other common-sense disease-control measures in the evening and late at night when your immune system is most susceptible. Maintain a healthy circadian rhythm with set bedtimes and wake up times. Keeping a healthy body, including a healthy sleep-wake cycle, is one of the best disease prevention measures you can use to reduce your chances of catching the next office cold.

Melatonin for Jet Lag: Reset Your Body Clock Naturally When Travelling Across Time Zones

Oct 20 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Modern life requires travel. Americans and Western Europeans have become more mobile than ever, which means that seeing family and building a career often means some type of travel is involved. As a result, jet lag is not just a problem for executives anymore. Millions of people find their circadian rhythm is disrupted by the busy schedule of modern life. Luckily, there are safe, natural ways to get your internal clocks back on track.

What Is Jet Lag?

Jet lag, or desynchronosis, is a state in which your inner clocks are not aligned with the external time. People can get jet lag from traveling across time zones. There is also a phenomenon called social jet lag, in which people have to be awake for work or other obligations during hours that don’t sync with their circadian rhythm.

Regardless of the reason for jet lag, it can have devastating effects on health. People with jet lag feel fatigued, yet often have trouble sleeping. They can feel mentally fuzzy and suffer from lower cognition and memory. Jet lag also puts people at higher risk of suffering from adverse health events such as infections. Despite the huge number of physical and psychological effects of jet lag, modern medicine offers very few solutions to this common problem.

Factors That Can Make Jet Lag Better… Or Worse

You may have noticed that you do not get jet lag every time you step on or off a plane. This is because there are a variety of factors that can make jet lag better or worse. For instance, researchers have found that traveling east causes worse jet lag symptoms than traveling west. It ends up that our natural internal rhythms are actually set for slightly longer than 24 hours, so it is easier to add time to our day by moving to an earlier time zone than to subtract hours in the day. Staying hydrated and eating healthy also can keep jet lag from being as severe. The healthier your body is, the more likely it will be to adjust to challenges such as travel quickly and seamlessly.

Even if you are traveling east, there are several ways that you can mitigate the effects of jet lag. Drinking lots of water helps, as travel is dehydrating and this can make jet lag symptoms worse. Avoiding caffeine, alcohol and other substances also help your body to get back on track more quickly. Ensure that you eat a wide variety of healthy foods to get the vitamins your body needs and that you get plenty of exercise. Last, do things that help your body to adjust to your new time zone. Make sure you get plenty of light exposure during the day and eat at set times.

Melatonin for Jet Lag: A Safe, Natural Treatment

Research on melatonin for jet lag has found that this supplement can make a huge difference in helping people to get both the quality and the quantity of sleep they need. Melatonin is naturally produced by your body in preparation for sleep. If you are planning to travel, scientists recommend trying to slowly adjust to the new time zone before you leave by either going to bed progressively later or taking melatonin so you can go to bed earlier. Our bodies take approximately one day per time zone to adjust, but this process can be done before travel to make the transition easier.

There are also other safe, natural remedies besides melatonin for jet lag. Stanford researchers have developed a mask that can be controlled by your smartphone intended to help treat jet lag. It uses light to help your body adjust to changes in time zone. There is also a Stop Jet Lag app that can guide you in preparing for and undergoing a large trip without being devastated by fatigue and other symptoms. The Anti-Jet Lag Calculator is a similar app that helps you to align your circadian rhythm with a new time zone by carefully planning when you eat meals and perform other daily tasks.

Unfortunately, jet lag is a fact of modern life. However, you do not have to live with the fatigue, clouded thinking, insomnia and other effects of this disorder. There are many different ways of helping your body to adjust to a new time zone with as few physical effects as possible. Taking charge of your circadian rhythm is taking charge of your health.

Seasonal Affective Disorder: How to Beat the Winter Blues

Sep 26 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Many people suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and don’t even realizing it. You may have felt a touch of the winter blues but quickly recovered with a vacation to somewhere sunny. Others live all fall and winter with a mild case of the “winter blahs” without realizing that this can have an effect on their physical health. However, for many people, the winter blues are a pervasive health problem. They not only suffer from a serious case of the blahs but from persistent depression and other physical and mental health issues.

What Is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Many people in North America and Northern Europe suffer from seasonal affective disorder, also known as SAD, without even knowing it. A lack of sunlight can affect our lives in a variety of ways. According to some researchers, many people feel the effects of low levels of light. While some feel the classic symptoms of depression, others experience seasonal affective disorder differently. You may feel more tired and fatigued, more anxious, or even be more prone to contagious illnesses.

Not getting enough sunlight in the fall and winter can impact your health in a variety of ways. Many people feel that they are more fatigued in the winter and get tired more easily. Others find that they have a larger appetite, leading to weight gain, or even that they are more likely to catch contagious illnesses such as colds and flus. Human health depends on having a balanced circadian rhythm, and having a balanced circadian rhythm depends on having healthy and appropriate levels of melatonin.

Sunlight and Human Health

Although we do not realize it, the sun affects our health in a variety of ways. Blind people who cannot experience sunlight are a good example of these effects. When our eyes perceive light, they send messages to the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the brain, which in turn sends messages to the pineal gland. These neurological messages determine whether we release sleep-enhancing hormones such as melatonin or biochemicals that encourage wakefulness such as cortisol. Without functioning retinas, the bodies and brains of blind people are left without a compass.

Many blind people suffer from seasonal affective disorder all year long. Their retinas do not sense light so they are left with no way to coordinate their circadian rhythms. This can lead to dysregulation of sleep and the according depression and fatigue, but also physical effects. Our bodies are created to be attuned to the light and dark cycles of our environments; without a way to perceive these cycles, we are left quite literally in the dark.

Combating SAD

Although seasonal affective disorder is common, it is not something people need to tolerate without treatment. There are many ways to beat the winter blues. Stock up on vitamin D supplements so you don’t lack this critical nutrient. Make an effort to get outside and enjoy the winter season, even if you find it hard to get moving. Get plenty of exposure to light, even if it isn’t the light of the sun.

In addition, there are natural therapies that have been found to decrease seasonal affective disorder. Exposing yourself to natural light during the day and taking melatonin at night can resolve many of the symptoms. In fact, taking melatonin at night in itself has been found to correct around a third of the symptoms associated with SAD.

When our eyes do not perceive the right wavelength of light, it is easy for melatonin production to also get off track. Taking melatonin before bed gives a clear signal, that now is the time for sleep. Light therapy during the day can also help, by sending a clear message that these hours are meant for wakefulness. In winter, light levels are low enough that it is easy for our brains to get confused about when to sleep and when to wake. Correcting these crossed signals with well-timed light and melatonin may alleviate many of the symptoms associated with seasonal affective disorder.

Many people suffer from seasonal affective disorder, or at least the winter blues, without even realizing it. However, there is no need to power through these symptoms: Many therapies, including light therapy and melatonin, have been found to alleviate them. Including light therapies, such as using a dawn-simulating alarm clock, and supplementing with melatonin are ways you can help keep your circadian rhythm on track. In many cases, depression is just the first obvious symptom that something is wrong with your whole body health.

Promising New Connections Between Melatonin and Migraines

Aug 31 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Migraines are one of the most daunting problems facing modern medicine. There are medications that may help prevent migraines and others that can help with the headaches when they do occur. However, these are not always effective and can have various side effects. This leaves millions of people suffering from the pain, nausea, auras and other effects of this common condition, with no relief in sight. So what is a migraine sufferer supposed to do? According to new research, promoting healthy levels of the sleep hormone melatonin may be the answer for some.

What Is Melatonin?

Melatonin is a hormone produced in your pineal gland and released when your eyes do not sense light. Melatonin is responsible for regulating our sleep cycles and inducing sleep. However, it has a variety of other effects on our bodies as well. Melatonin has been implicated as playing a major role in GI health and may even help protect against certain types of cancer.

More important for migraine sufferers, it has been found to be effective at soothing minor pain and is beginning to be used to help in cases of cluster headaches. Melatonin appears to have a modulating effect on nerve pathways that carry pain signals, preventing overactivity in these circuits.

Links Between Melatonin and Migraine

Sleep plays an important role in migraines. Migraine sufferers who have disrupted sleep are more likely to get headaches more often and to suffer from worse pain when they have these migraines. There is significant evidence that people who get migraines often have sleep disorders linked to a lack of melatonin. People who have low levels of melatonin have a lower stimulation threshold in their trigeminal nerve, which is the nerve that is most commonly implicated in migraine pain. The link between melatonin and migraine is clear, but could promoting healthy levels of this natural substance really help?

Could Sleep and Melatonin Help Your Migraines?

There is significant research maintaining healthy levels of melatonin through supplementation and other means may be helpful for many migraine sufferers. Melatonin has been shown to be more effective than popular preventive medications, and it comes with a much lower risk of harmful side effects. In addition, taking melatonin at the onset of a migraine may help reduce some of the symptoms once they have begun. Melatonin slightly lowers the rate of nerve firing in the neural pathways that carry pain signals, especially those in the head, face and neck. This includes the trigeminal pathway, which has been repeatedly implicated as a major source of migraine pain.

These discoveries were made after scientists observed that people who suffer from migraines are less likely to get them at night and also have lower levels of pain during night migraines. If the melatonin made by our brains protects us partially from the symptoms of a migraine, it’s possible that a melatonin supplement could have the same effect. In addition, melatonin is safe and has no side effects for many people.

Stopping Migraines the Natural Way

If you suffer from migraines and are trying to find natural solutions that might be helpful, there are a few things that you can try. First, even low dose melatonin taken at night before sleep may have a positive effect, especially on your quality of rest. In addition, taking measures to improve your own melatonin production without supplements also can help. Reduce your light exposure at night and practice good sleep hygiene, including going to bed at the same time every night. These measures may help protect against a migraine, but also leave you feeling better rested in the morning. As with all lifestyle changes, it is important to discuss these changes with your doctor before making them.

Research suggests that supporting healthy melatonin production and getting a good night’s rest are both a potential solution for many people who have been suffering from this debilitating disorder.

Melatonin and Blood Pressure: New Research Suggests a Sleep Supplement May Promote Heart Health

Jul 13 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Most of us know someone, be it a friend, grandfather, parent, or another family member, who takes medication for hypertension, or high blood pressure. Not only is high blood pressure common in the Western world, but our risk of developing it increases as we age. At the same time, many people find that they also have trouble sleeping as they age, a concern often caused by the age-related slowing of melatonin production. Could the two be related? New research suggests there might be a link between melatonin and blood pressure.

Cardiovascular Health And Aging

It is no surprise that our bodies change as we get older, with the changes being more pronounced inside our bodies than on the outside. Our blood vessels become less pliant, paving the way for hypertension and a variety of cardiovascular diseases. Changes to the body’s circadian rhythm also contribute to poor health. For instance, our blood pressure normally follows a predictable rhythm. As we age, blood pressure becomes more variable and unpredictable. Rather than rising and falling in a predictable way, it tends to become more reactive and follow external cues rather than an internal clock. With all of this in mind, could there be a link between circadian rhythm, melatonin, and blood pressure?

Melatonin and Blood Pressure

In a recent study, elderly people living in a community for older adults were followed for a week, with attention given to their normal lifestyle and any medications taken. The individuals in the study all suffered from hypertension of varying degrees and had an average age of 80. Participants were then instructed to add a melatonin supplement to their daily regime. After just two weeks the results were surprising. After adding a melatonin supplement, blood pressure decreased on average by approximately eight points, which is significant. In addition, those who took melatonin had less variability in blood pressure and a more predictable blood pressure rhythm, suggesting that melatonin may be helpful in protecting against some of the negative effects of aging on our blood vessels. This breaking research into the link between melatonin and blood pressure suggests that a daily melatonin supplement may go a long way toward keeping blood vessels healthy.

Because blood pressure is a major risk factor for a variety of serious, life-threatening health problems, these findings could have potential immense effects on overall health. Lower blood pressure is desirable in almost all cases and can reduce the risk of serious complications like heart attacks. In addition, high blood pressure variability is an important indicator of future disease risk. People who have high variability are at risk for a variety of diseases such as chronic kidney disease.

The Magic of Melatonin

Released by the pineal gland in response to cues from the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus, melatonin had been a major focus of research for years due to its essential role in maintaining the circadian rhythm and a regular sleep-wake cycle. Melatonin levels typically decrease with age, causing disrupted or insufficient sleep in many older adults. The age-related reduction of melatonin may be partially responsible for some of the effects that we associate with aging. For instance, some of the memory loss that we associate with aging may be actually due to a lack of adequate sleep, as sleep is the time during which we consolidate memories. Because sleep is also when our cells rejuvenate and heal from the damage of the day, some of the accumulated damage we associate with aging may be partially due to age-related loss of melatonin.

People jokingly say that sleep is the best medicine. However, research indicates that this is actually not a laughing matter. Maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm, including the addition of a melatonin supplement if needed, may be one important part of preventative medicine. Cultivating a healthy sleep-wake cycle is important because we do not sleep only to dream, but also to complete essential cell repair processes that keep us healthy and happy.

It’s important to discuss any supplements or new over the counter medications with your physician. However, evidence is increasingly indicating that melatonin may be one of the most potent natural healthy-aging supplements available. From your blood vessels to your short term memory, the healing and rejuvenating effects of melatonin support good health from the inside out. Adding this simple and safe supplement may make all the difference in your lifelong well-being.

Proven: Shift Work is Detrimental to Your Health

Jun 29 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Modern society has become almost “timeless” due to electric lighting and other technology. We can buy groceries at midnight, get medical care at any hour, and access 24/7 customer service for any problems that arise during the day or night. There are definite benefits to this constant access. However, there may be serious health consequences for the people who keep our world running around the clock.

Shift Work and the Circadian Rhythm

The main problem with shift work is that the timing of sleep matters. Our bodies are made to run by internal clocks that are set by light levels. When our retinas sense light, they pass signals to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) to shut down the production of melatonin and other biochemicals associated with sleep. Our circadian rhythm is also affected by factors such as temperature and the timing of meals.

How does shift work affect the circadian rhythm? People who work odd hours often must function at times when their bodies are telling them to settle into bed so key restorative processes can occur. They must try to sleep at times when cortisol and other hormones that encourage wakefulness are high. People who engage in shift work suffer from a long-term form of jet lag, in which their internal clocks are not aligned with their lifestyle.

The Out-of-Sync Brain

What happens to the human body when shift work forces the circadian rhythm out of sync with the environment? Researchers have discovered a variety of effects. Anyone who has lost a night of sleep knows the short-term effects. People feel more fatigued and suffer from “fuzzy” thinking, but the effects on cognition do not stop there. Chronobiology research has found that people who engage in shift work perform lower on cognitive tests, with the effects lasting up to five years after they resume a typical day schedule. Medical staff who work nights are more likely to miss critical issues and often struggle to stay awake, much less to perform to a high standard of care. However, the effects of shift work extend beyond mood and mental function. There appear to be long-term effects on disease risk and lifespan as well.

Can Shift Work Affect Your Long-Term Health?

New research suggests that cardiovascular health is one of the areas most effected by shift work. Deep sleep allows our hearts to rest and to perform cell repair as well as other restorative processes. Without adequate sleep, people have higher blood levels of stress hormones and increased heart rates. The result is an increased risk of cardiovascular disease that can ultimately be life-threatening.

In addition, people who work odd shifts have a higher risk of stroke and experience more devastating strokes when they do occur. Lab rats who have a disrupted circadian rhythm are more likely to have lasting brain damage and loss of limb function after a stroke.

Disproportionately Severe Effects on Women

Shift work increases risk factors for chronic disease across the board, but the exact effects appear to depend a great deal on biological sex. While men are at higher risk of permanent disability from a stroke, women get the short end of the stick overall. A study of nurses found that women who work night shifts see more negative effects on their heart health than males, even when adjusted for lifestyle and risk factors. They have a higher incidence of coronary artery disease, heart attack and death from heart problems. This increase in risk is significant, at about 15 to 18 percent higher.

Why do men and women suffer different health consequences from shift work? It appears that male and female bodies react different to disruptions in the circadian rhythm. A study of sleep-deprived volunteers of both sexes found that women have more changes in mood and cognitive performance than men when subjected to a disrupted internal clock. This may pose a challenge to the public health as many jobs involving shift work, such as nursing and waitressing, are traditionally female professions.

Our society requires 24-hour staffing in many fields to accommodate modern lifestyles. However, this does not come without consequences for the workers involved. While we will always need medical and law enforcement staff around the clock, it may be better for public health to allow workers in less time-sensitive industries to go home in the evening and get the good night of sleep that they need for optimal health.