In this Issue:
Greetings
[[firstname]],
Melatonin: Sleep Aide as Proven Cellular Health Promoter, too!
Melatonin is perhaps best known for supporting healthy sleep patterns that
re affected by jetlag or other sleep disturbances.
Interestingly, however, regulating the circadian rhythm and other biological
rhythms is only a secondary function of melatonin. Here's what else you should
know about this ancient substance!
Melatonin has been found in the earliest life forms and is found in all types
of organisms including bacteria, algae, fungi, plants, insects, and vertebrates.
It is suspected that in most life forms, melatonin acts solely as a detoxifying
agent!
Derived from the essential amino acid tryptophan, melatonin has been
typically portrayed as a hormone --produced by the pineal gland, making it an
endocrine hormone.
Melatonin’s benefits further include powerful antioxidant activity. Melatonin
exhibits antioxidant effects more potent than vitamin E, easily crosses cell
membranes and the blood-brain barrier, and thus benefits cellular energy
function and cellular communication in particular.
Melatonin: Antioxidant Supporting Mitrochondrial Protection and Function
Ultimately, most of the benefits from melatonin may depend on its
effects on mitochondrial physiology. Melatonin prevents
mitochondrial impairment, energy failure, and even cell-death in mitochondria
that have been damaged by oxidation.
If you need a refresher on mitochondria, they're the energy-producing
workhorses of the cellular world. The primary role of mitochondria is to produce
ATP (adenosine triphosphate) or energy from glucose.
Unfortunately, mitochondria can easily come under free radical attack,
threatening cell functionality.
Ideally, intra-mitochondrial antioxidant systems should scavenge these free
radicals to avoid oxidative damage and impaired ATP production. Unfortunately,
during aging and disease conditions, this is not always the case.
Oxidative stress unchecked can lead to a wide range of diseases -- like
Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Damaged mitochondria are unable to maintain the
energy demands of cells, leading to an increased production of free radicals,
and thus a vicious cycle of cell malfunction and potentially disease.
Back in 2001, researchers at the Universidad de Granada in Spain and the
University of Texas at San Antonio described the
link between melatonin and mitochondrial protection:
“In a series of pathologies in which high production of free radicals is
the primary cause of the disease, melatonin is also protective. A common feature
in these diseases is the existence of mitochondrial damage due to oxidative
stress. The discoveries of new actions of melatonin in mitochondria support a
novel mechanism, which explains some of the protective effects of the
indoleamine on cell survival.”
In summary, melatonin aids
mitochondrial health by:
-
Stimulating antioxidative enzymes
-
Scavenging a variety of toxic oxygen and
nitrogen-based reactants
-
Increasing the efficiency of the electron
transport chain thereby limiting electron leakage and free radical
generation
-
Promoting ATP or cellular energy synthesis
Through these actions, melatonin preserves the integrity of the mitochondria
and helps to maintain cell functions and survival.
For more on the benefits of melatonin, including its support of healthy
moods, the immune system, etc., check out our
Melatonin product page.
Health in the News
Kat's Notes:
Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City with Dr. Rodier
Cindy and Steve drove down to the
Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City this weekend to see a couple of plays
with Dr. Rodier, including King Lear (in a replica of the original
Globe
Theater in London).
You’d think that Dr. Rodier is part feline, as I hear that he caught two (yes
two) naps on Saturday, one after brunch and another after dinner and before the
final play. A man after my own heart!
After dinner, knowing he had checked out of his room already, Cindy offered
her jacket as a pillow, and Dr. Rodier said, “No thanks, I use my shoes” and off
he went to find a place in the shade.
After
King Lear finished at around 11 pm, Dr. Rodier waved goodbye, jumped
in his yellow open air Jeep, and drove for over four hours under the starry
night.
Two naps, nocturnal, entirely frugal, idiosyncratic hmm, Dr. Rodier is
becoming one of this kat’s favorite characters! ^..^
'Til next time, fair members!
Still purringly yours,
Guido
Guido Housemouser
Chief Kat and Community Manager
Our Health Co-op
4188 Westroads Drive, Unit 123
Riviera Beach, FL 33407
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