MidLife
Melatonin
The pineal gland, located inside the brain, is thought of as the body’s own light meter. Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland and it works around the clock to signal the body’s sleep/wake cycles. It may be the body’s own sleep potion – found in significantly higher levels during sleep.
Earlier research claimed that melatonin concentrations decreased as a result of aging or disease. Many advertisements targeted older people, claiming to restore the lost levels of melatonin due to aging.
However, the results from a 5-year study conducted through a grant by the National Institute of Health, contradicts these earlier claims. In this study of 34 healthy older people, nighttime melatonin levels were comparable to those of 98 younger men whose age ranged from 18 to 30. This suggests that aging does not alter melatonin levels in healthy older adults.
