Melatonin is a hormone created by the brain that regulates night and day cycles or sleep-wake cycles. Insufficient melatonin production can necessitate prescription melatonin drugs for oral administration.
What are the Uses of Melatonin Tablets?
The benefits of melatonin are varied but its most important characteristic is to aid sleep. Melatonin for sleeplessness, therefore, is the most common reason for medical prescription.
Melatonin tablets’ uses depend on an individual’s health condition. Apart from sleep regulation, the hormone also impacts the body’s immune functioning while acting as an antioxidant. Melatonin hormone benefits extend to cover areas of eye health, blood pressure, stress levels, and acid reflux.
The most prominent benefits of melatonin supplements lie not merely in their ability to induce sleep but in having fewer side effects than most sleep-inducing drugs, along with imparting other melatonin tablet benefits on which research is ongoing.
A detailed outline of melatonin dietary supplement benefits is given below:
- Treatment for Sleep Disorders: Melatonin may be most commonly taken as an aid to inducing sleep but it is effective in also treating certain other sleep conditions. A range of sleep disorders can make a person be put on a melatonin prescription. These include circadian rhythm sleep disorder, shift-work sleep disorder as well as normal sleep disorders in children. Apart from such medical conditions, melatonin tablet benefits are also helpful for jet-lagged people, thus serving as a treatment for a temporary condition termed circadian dysrhythmia.
- Eases anxiety: The benefits of melatonin pills in easing anxiety might not be very profound but they are fairly effective. The pills are particularly helpful in providing relief from anxiety ahead of medical procedures. Melatonin also has the added benefit of not being addictive as compared to similar other sedatives. Among children, the administration of melatonin before anaesthetic surgeries can considerably help ease the waking-up process.
- Keeps eyes healthy: One of the less commonly proclaimed health benefits of melatonin is its significant impact on eye health. Studies have found that melatonin supplements reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) as well as glaucoma, while also slowing down their advancement. This possibly stems from the hormone’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and its potential to prevent cell or mitochondrial damage.
- Helps the GI tract: Despite melatonin being touted as a hormone produced largely by the brain, it is also produced in ample quantities by the gastrointestinal tract through its enterochromaffin cells and gut microbiota. This melatonin, however, is not available for use by other parts of the body. This means that the benefits of melatonin produced in the GI Tract are exclusively enjoyed by the gut. Melatonin has also been found helpful in treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome, a functional gastrointestinal disorder.
- Possible reflux treatment: The gut-benefitting properties of melatonin extend to cover a particular medical condition related to the oesophagus. One of the benefits of melatonin supplements is that it significantly helps people dealing with acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) by alleviating heartburn.
- Relieves pain: Some instances of bodily pain attributable to certain neuropathic conditions can be alleviated, including this feature as part of the portfolio of melatonin tablet uses. Inflammatory pain too sees a reduction in intensity following melatonin administration.
- Antidepressant effects: Melatonin exerts a significant influence on mood. It is known to regulate cortisol levels, making it a probable agent of mood regulation. Clinical trials on the health benefits of melatonin reveal its impact on depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder, thus highlighting its potential as a mood stabiliser. This is because melatonin is derived from serotonin, which is also known as the happiness hormone. Both serotonin and melatonin are indoleamines and have been found to positively impact human health.
- Aids cancer therapy: The potential of melatonin in cancer therapy and even prevention is one of its most exemplary benefits. It inhibits the growth of tumours, thus helping improve the survival chances of cancer patients. Hence, the benefits of melatonin supplements encompass the domain of chemotherapy where it helps reduce the incidence of certain side effects.
The advantages of melatonin however, can be reversed from inappropriate usage. When taken during the day, it can lead to daytime drowsiness. Likewise, when taken in more than stipulated amounts for a long period, the benefits of melatonin pills may be outweighed by the disadvantages.
Conclusion
Melatonin supplements are one of the most beneficial aids to human health. So is having a sound health insurance plan that provides comprehensive coverage for a wide range of medical issues and associated costs.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult your general physician or another certified medical professional for any questions regarding a medical condition. Relying on any information provided in this blog is solely at your own risk, and ICICI Lombard is not responsible for any effects or consequences resulting from the use of the information shared.