You hear it all of the time. You are struggling to fall asleep so what do you do? Take melatonin. Or you hear that as a common suggestion to banish sleep disorders. Take melatonin. However, what do you really know about melatonin? Other than it helps you fall asleep, you likely don’t know much about it.
Let’s talk about 10 unexpected things about melatonin that doctors do want you to know about.
Take Synthetic Melatonin And Not Natural
It may seem strange to be told to take melatonin that is synthetic instead of natural. However, natural melatonin is derived from animals and you don’t know what kind of viruses that could be tainting the natural melatonin tablets. It is best to take it in its synthetic form for that reason.
Melatonin Can Have A Negative Interaction With Drugs
Before you take your melatonin, find out what type of drug interactions it could have with a medication that you may be on. It can have an effect on blood clotting as well as blood sugar levels. Ask your doctor about how safe it is for you to take melatonin and when to space it apart if you are on a prescription.
Menstrual Cycle Can Be Affected
Women that are taking melatonin will need to be aware that their cycles can be altered. They can have an irregular cycle and/or have a long time when they are bleeding as well. Ovulation can be affected so it is likely best if melatonin is held off when trying to conceive, and it is not advisable to take during pregnancy either.
It Can Have A Negative Impact On Your Libido
The only thing that melatonin does not put to rest is you at night. It puts your intimacy to rest too. It has a negative impact on your libido and you will find that your passion is nonexistent or just very weak. It also can have a negative impact on sperm counts as well.
The Dosage You Are Taking May Be Wrong
You don’t know if you are taking too much melatonin or too little. Melatonin is the only medication that is not prescribed so there is no way to know how much you are taking and there is a good chance the dosage is not right for you.
It Does Help With Jet Lag
Are you struggling with jet lag? Then melatonin is the right drug for you to take to help with the symptoms. That is one of the only times that melatonin is recommended to be taken as it will help you get your body clock back into the right frame.
Cancer Risk Is Higher If You Have Low Levels
It has been found that if you have low levels of melatonin, you have an increased chance of ending up with breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men. In fact, higher dosages of melatonin are given to cancer patients as a treatment as well. Therefore, ironically if you do take melatonin, it can potentially lower your risk of cancer if you have low levels of it.
It Can Be Used To Treat Degenerative Conditions
If you have Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s disease, or dementia, melatonin can be helpful in treating those conditions. That is because it has antioxidant properties that can help slow degeneration down, and it is also helpful to those who have high blood pressure and migraines.
You Can Eat Foods That Are Natural Melatonin Sources
You can eat foods that help produce melatonin such as dairy, oatmeal, and bananas. And foods such as tart cherries are natural sources of it as well. But turkey is not a melatonin source. It makes you tired because it contains tryptophan which helps boost serotonin and that can get a kickstart on melatonin production. Other foods that can help with melatonin production are nuts, eggs, seeds, and chicken.
There Are Actual Causes For Low Melatonin Levels
There may be reasons your melatonin levels are low. Caffeine consumption is one, as well as working graveyard shifts, as well as too much alcohol consumption, stress, and being exposed to light. That is why it is best to not look at screens within 2 hours of going to sleep. Blood sugar imbalances can be a cause as well.
Therefore, before you take melatonin, be sure that you talk to your doctor about it before starting.
