Melatonin: Antioxidant For Health & Fertility While you may have heard of melatonin as a naturally produced antioxidant within your body for the purpose of sleep regulation, this hormone has many other uses and comes in numerous other forms! Melatonin, produced by the pineal gland has the main use of controlling your “internal clock.” Not only does this imply that it rules your sleep-wake cycle, but the amount produced at different times of the day can yield mixed feelings. For instance, the amount released can change depending on how much light someone is exposed to. Melatonin is most commonly used to treat symptoms of seasonal affective disorder, winter depression, jet lag, insomnia, people with irregular work cycles, cluster headaches, anxiety, etc. In addition to melatonin’s widely known sleep benefits, various studies have shown melatonin to be a powerful defender of your immune system, specifically by how strongly it resists inflammation. This makes sense since it is a common belief that people heal more quickly with copious amounts of sleep. In cases of healing, melatonin’s role as an antioxidant frees up glutathione so it can provide food for the immune system and toxin removal. Melatonin also plays a significant part in the realm of fertility: In women, melatonin helps to control the timing and release of female reproductive hormones, meaning the different stages such as follicular & luteal cycle phases. Melatonin has also been studied and shown to significantly boost pregnancy rates! Returning back to melatonin’s various benefits with the immune system, this can correlate to enhanced fertility among males. A higher melatonin concentration has the ability to improve sperm quality, both in motility and morphology. While typically found in the form of a supplement such as liquid or pill, melatonin is present in an assortment of foods! Oddly enough, one of the highest concentrations of melatonin in a food source is tart cherry juice concentrate with 17,535ng/100g. This in no way indicates this to be the only food with melatonin. It is also found in an abundance of fruits, vegetables, grains and roots. Call Today For An Appointment: (561) 459-0528