😉 Hello everyone! Thank you for choosing the article “Melatonin: what it is and what it is for” on this site! Here you will find out which foods, due to the presence of the hormone of circadian rhythms, regulate our condition and are useful for insomnia.
What is Melatonin
This sleep hormone was discovered in 1958 by Lerner, professor of dermatology at Yale University.
Until recently, it was only known that it is a hormone that controls our biological “clock”. It determines when and how much the body sleeps, when and how much to stay awake. It turns out that the deficiency of this substance is the key cause of insomnia.
But today it is known that melatonin has many more vital functions. For example, it regulates the synthesis of many hormones and digestion, is responsible for the strength of the immune system, suppresses the growth of tumors, counteracts stress and even binds free radicals, thereby slowing down overall aging.
Its phenomenon is that, on the one hand, it affects the duration and depth of sleep, and on the other, it is produced exclusively at night, during such a sound sleep. The less we sleep, the lower the melatonin level, and the lower the level, the worse we sleep. A diet rich in melatonin will help break the vicious circle.
Melatonin: functions in the body
- corrects the activity of the endocrine system, the frequency of sleep and blood pressure;
- slows down the aging process in the body;
- has a beneficial effect on immunity;
- has antioxidant and anti-stress properties;
- affects adaptation when changing time zones;
- participates in the regulation of the functions of the digestive system and in the work of brain cells.
Melatonin: which foods contain
I sometimes noticed: I will drink coffee during the day and feel sleepy. This surprised me, because coffee is a drink for energy. And from the beer I fell asleep …
The first product that scientists discovered melatonin was, oddly enough, coffee beans. There is especially a lot of it in coffee extract, so coffee can be called a drink not only for daytime vigor, but also for quality sleep. Later it was found in tea, beer and wine. And also in cereals – corn, rice, oats, barley, wheat.
In considerable concentrations, the “sleep hormone” is contained in:
- tomatoes;
- walnuts;
- peanut butter;
- bananas;
- pomegranates;
- strawberries and raspberries;
- ginger;
- Brussels sprouts.
Coffee and green tea signal the body to wake up. Others – berries and fruits – tune the brain to sleep.
Conclusion:
- coffee in the morning, cereal or porridge for breakfast;
- unfermented tea at noon;
- berries and some natural wine in the evening.
This is the optimal regimen to keep you energized by day and restful at night.
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