The role that the hormone melatonin plays in our body system cannot be overestimated. Not only it is responsible for the quality of our night sleep but it also affects our waking patterns during the day.
Melatonin is a “sleep hormone” and is produced by the pineal gland located in our brain. The pineal gland is the most important gland of our body. The so-called biological clock that regulates our circadian rhythms.
The secretion of melatonin depends on the amount of daylight. The less light, the more melatonin is released by the pineal gland to help us prepare for the night. It lowers the body temperature, slows down all metabolic activity and brings relaxation. During the sleep, melatonin helps our body to restore and refresh its powers.
Unfortunately, our modern life does not assist in the healthy running of the circadian rhythms. Prolonged exposure to artificial lights (TVs, laptops, smartphones, etc.) has a negative impact on melatonin release leading to different sleep disorders. The secretion of melatonin is also disrupted by jet lag, shift work, aging, and stress.
The vast majority of people having sleep issues decide to take synthetic melatonin as a dietary supplement or drug. Although it does resolve problems in the short-term, synthetic melatonin may have some severe side effects in long-term use. For example, it may cause drug addiction and decrease the level of natural melatonin in the body. Other symptoms may include dizziness, headache, nausea and/or agitation.
The most effective way to restore circadian rhythms is to regulate the very secretion of hormones. It is impossible to reach a healthy sleep regime without normalizing hormonal production and metabolism in the pineal gland. This is why synthetic melatonin might not be the best choice as it solves the effects of a problem and not its cause.
To eliminate the cause we need to use means that effect directly on the pineal gland and that is pineal gland peptides. Peptides are mini-proteins found in all living organisms on Earth. Due to their natural and close to natural origins, they do not have any side effects and do not cause any addiction.
Epitalon - is an improved amino acid complex that contains peptides identical to ones in the pineal gland. Epitalon was first developed by Professor V.K. Khavinson and belongs to the unique peptide group called Khavinson peptides. Its non-hormonal composition does not have a negative impact on any of the systems in the human body even after long-term use.
It has the following effects on overall health:
Although both Epitalon and Melatonin solve similar problems, they have the following key differences.
Melatonin | Epitalon |
Hormonal | Non-hormonal |
Cause addiction | Does not cause addiction |
Reduces secretion of melatonin | Does not reduce the secretion of melatonin |
May worsen mood and emotional state | Improves mood and emotional state |
May lead to chronic fatigue due to addiction | Does not lead to chronic fatigue |
Is not recommended for long-term use | may be used in long-term |