Health: Tips to boosting Melatonin to enhance Dream State
How to Boost MELATONIN levels
5-HTP
♦ 5HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan) - "Best
SEROTONIN Supplement" – the body converts SEROTONIN to MELATONIN, the
"Body's natural sleeping pill". Low
MELATONIN levels can prevent you from falling asleep.
- Dose: Take 100mg 5-HTP before bedtime – also ensure sufficiency of
vitamins B6, B12, folic acid and magnesium, which are cofactors in
conversion pathways
5-HTP
SUPPLEMENT MELATONIN
Taking a MELATONIN Supplement
EAT FOODS RICH IN TRYPTOPHAN AND
MELATONIN
♦ Tryptophan-rich foods:
√ Protein - turkey, chicken, fish, pheasant, partridge, cottage
cheese, eggs, nuts, milk, cheese.
√ Non-Protein - bananas, wheat germ, avocados, and the legumes (beans,
peas, pulses, soy)
♦ MELATONIN-rich foods:
√ Tart cherries: Montmorency cherries (~13 ng/g) - one cherry =~10ng,
equiv. to amount of MELATONIN in blood; Balaton cherries (~2 ng/g)
University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, research
published in "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry" in October
2001
√ Walnuts – ~3.5 ng/g (approx. 1/2 of a walnut half / 1 g i.e a walnut
half = 7 ng
MELATONIN)
University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, research published in
"Nutrition" in September 2005
√ Sunflower seeds (29 ng/g), Celery (7ng/g),
Bananas (236 pg/mg)
University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, research
published in "Nutrition Reviews" in September 2001
EXERCISE BOOSTS MELATONIN
♦ Study demonstrates that exercise boosts
MELATONIN – a study involving 7 healthy women demonstrated that 1 hour
of exercise on a stationary bicycle could double or triple
MELATONIN levels. Other studies have also demonstrated that physical
exercise can boost MELATONIN levels. However, do not exercise right
before bed, which has a stimulating effect;
DAYTIME SUNLIGHT EXPOSURE
♦ Go out in the sun – several studies confirm that natural sunlight
exposure increases
MELATONIN levels. This is not surprising, since bright light is known
to increase
SEROTONIN production, preventing depression.
Sunlight – Let there be Light!
AVOID LIGHT AT NIGHT
♦ Reduce light exposure in the evening - artificial light sources and
excessive light exposure after darkness onset in modern societies can
lower MELAONIN production by desynchronizing your biological clock,
making your body think it's still daytime;
- Use subdued lighting in the evening
- Install F.lux sofware (free) on your computer to cut down on blue
light emissions – don't forget your children's computers
- Reduce computer screen brightness
- Wear orange safety glasses at night to filter out blue light -
Blue-filtering lights can also be installed in bathrooms (for the
night-time excursions) or in the nursery / hall for nursing mothers
who necessarily must attend to their baby at night, but don't want to
stop
MELATONIN production.
- Use candlelight (read how a someone gave this a try for 30-days).
HERBS AND SUPPLEMENTS
♦ Boost body's MELATONIN production with herbs and supplements - Most
of these should be used one at a time and not be mixed with
prescription drugs. Note that these supplements are also used in
depression.
√ Valerian - 250-500mg (Start with lower dose);
√ St John's wort - 100mg before bedtime ;
√ Calcium with magnesium - 600mg calcium and 600 magnesium before
bedtime with food. (Be careful taking magnesium if you have a kidney
disease.);
√ Vitamin B6/Niacinamide (B3) – 10 mg B6 (>5-10 mg converts too much 5-HTP to
SEROTONIN before crossing blood brain barrier) and 500 mg Niacinamide
before bedtime;
√ Chamomile - as a tea, 1 cup in the evening;
√ Kava - 250 mg before bedtime (Standardized to contain 3.5% kavapyrones);
√ Pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5) - 50 mg daily; Good for relieving stress;
√ Inositol - 100mg daily; Enhances REM sleep;
√ Other herbs: skullcap, California poppy, passionflower, catnip
ENSURE VITAMINS B6, B12 AND FOLATE
(folic acid)
♦ Conversion of SEROTONIN to MELATONIN
depends on SAMe. (S-Adenosyl Methionine)
– vital for neurotransmitter metabolism,
SAMe donates methyl groups in the
SEROTONIN to MELATONIN synthesis pathway. The body makes and recycles SAMe
from the amino acid methionine, a process which requires enough
vitamin B6, B12 and folate (folic acid) to maximize production.
√ B12 - Take 125mcg - 1 mg of methylcobalamin / day if you suspect
deficiency (can be a problem for vegetarians);
√ B6 - Take no more than 10 mg/day as a supplement
√ Folic Acid
5-HTP
♦ 5HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan) - "Best
SEROTONIN Supplement" – the body converts SEROTONIN to MELATONIN, the
"Body's natural sleeping pill". Low
MELATONIN levels can prevent you from falling asleep.
- Dose: Take 100mg 5-HTP before bedtime – also ensure sufficiency of
vitamins B6, B12, folic acid and magnesium, which are cofactors in
conversion pathways
5-HTP
SUPPLEMENT MELATONIN
Taking a MELATONIN Supplement
EAT FOODS RICH IN TRYPTOPHAN AND
MELATONIN
♦ Tryptophan-rich foods:
√ Protein - turkey, chicken, fish, pheasant, partridge, cottage
cheese, eggs, nuts, milk, cheese.
√ Non-Protein - bananas, wheat germ, avocados, and the legumes (beans,
peas, pulses, soy)
♦ MELATONIN-rich foods:
√ Tart cherries: Montmorency cherries (~13 ng/g) - one cherry =~10ng,
equiv. to amount of MELATONIN in blood; Balaton cherries (~2 ng/g)
University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, research
published in "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry" in October
2001
√ Walnuts – ~3.5 ng/g (approx. 1/2 of a walnut half / 1 g i.e a walnut
half = 7 ng
MELATONIN)
University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, research published in
"Nutrition" in September 2005
√ Sunflower seeds (29 ng/g), Celery (7ng/g),
Bananas (236 pg/mg)
University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, research
published in "Nutrition Reviews" in September 2001
EXERCISE BOOSTS MELATONIN
♦ Study demonstrates that exercise boosts
MELATONIN – a study involving 7 healthy women demonstrated that 1 hour
of exercise on a stationary bicycle could double or triple
MELATONIN levels. Other studies have also demonstrated that physical
exercise can boost MELATONIN levels. However, do not exercise right
before bed, which has a stimulating effect;
DAYTIME SUNLIGHT EXPOSURE
♦ Go out in the sun – several studies confirm that natural sunlight
exposure increases
MELATONIN levels. This is not surprising, since bright light is known
to increase
SEROTONIN production, preventing depression.
Sunlight – Let there be Light!
AVOID LIGHT AT NIGHT
♦ Reduce light exposure in the evening - artificial light sources and
excessive light exposure after darkness onset in modern societies can
lower MELAONIN production by desynchronizing your biological clock,
making your body think it's still daytime;
- Use subdued lighting in the evening
- Install F.lux sofware (free) on your computer to cut down on blue
light emissions – don't forget your children's computers
- Reduce computer screen brightness
- Wear orange safety glasses at night to filter out blue light -
Blue-filtering lights can also be installed in bathrooms (for the
night-time excursions) or in the nursery / hall for nursing mothers
who necessarily must attend to their baby at night, but don't want to
stop
MELATONIN production.
- Use candlelight (read how a someone gave this a try for 30-days).
HERBS AND SUPPLEMENTS
♦ Boost body's MELATONIN production with herbs and supplements - Most
of these should be used one at a time and not be mixed with
prescription drugs. Note that these supplements are also used in
depression.
√ Valerian - 250-500mg (Start with lower dose);
√ St John's wort - 100mg before bedtime ;
√ Calcium with magnesium - 600mg calcium and 600 magnesium before
bedtime with food. (Be careful taking magnesium if you have a kidney
disease.);
√ Vitamin B6/Niacinamide (B3) – 10 mg B6 (>5-10 mg converts too much 5-HTP to
SEROTONIN before crossing blood brain barrier) and 500 mg Niacinamide
before bedtime;
√ Chamomile - as a tea, 1 cup in the evening;
√ Kava - 250 mg before bedtime (Standardized to contain 3.5% kavapyrones);
√ Pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5) - 50 mg daily; Good for relieving stress;
√ Inositol - 100mg daily; Enhances REM sleep;
√ Other herbs: skullcap, California poppy, passionflower, catnip
ENSURE VITAMINS B6, B12 AND FOLATE
(folic acid)
♦ Conversion of SEROTONIN to MELATONIN
depends on SAMe. (S-Adenosyl Methionine)
– vital for neurotransmitter metabolism,
SAMe donates methyl groups in the
SEROTONIN to MELATONIN synthesis pathway. The body makes and recycles SAMe
from the amino acid methionine, a process which requires enough
vitamin B6, B12 and folate (folic acid) to maximize production.
√ B12 - Take 125mcg - 1 mg of methylcobalamin / day if you suspect
deficiency (can be a problem for vegetarians);
√ B6 - Take no more than 10 mg/day as a supplement
√ Folic Acid
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