This is a vital hormone produced by the body in the pineal gland at the centre of the brain. The gland only secretes this hormone at night when it is dark and we are asleep. It helps regulate our internal clock in the body, called the circadian rhythm (day/night-summer/winter cycles). Generally as we age we produce less. Due also to the fact of the electric LED’s (switch to low kelvin more in the orange spectrum<3000K) we stay awake far longer than we should. Where once one we may have had 10 hours sleep now it may be 5-6 only. During the night our bodies replace about half a billion cells via mitosis, which are lost during the day. The melatonin cleans up all the free radicals, a by product of mitosis. It is an oncostatic agent, meaning it protects against cancer. It is five times more powerful as Vitamin C and twice as Vitamin E. The issue is that RF Radiation (pulsed microwaves) inhibit this production. Many studies have shown this fact:
EMF Reduces melatonin in People and animals, Dr Neil Cherry 2nd Sept 2002.
“Reduced melatonin leads to increased DNA strand breaks and chromosome aberrations. These in turn lead to cancer and reproductive effects.” Dr Neil Cherry
Reduced amounts of the melatonin hormone can cause:
- Sleep disturbance
- Heart complications
- Prone to disease
Women with breast cancer on average have one tenth of the normal amount. Men with prostate cancer have fifty percent less than they should have. Autistic children also have less.
So, what can we do. Firstly, recognise the issue and remove microwave emitting devices or remove / screen ourselves from the environment. Secondly, good sleep hygiene: don’t watch any blue light screens from devices (known to switch off melatonin production). Do not eat large meals or take stimulants before settling down. You can also eat more foods containing tryptophan (amino acid) which is required to synthesise the neurotransmitter serotonin (important for your mood). Serotonin is necessary for the production of the hormone melatonin.
Tryptophan containing foods: I think the key thing here is to eat a balanced diet if possible, as many foods contain this amino acid: oats, milk, salmon, chicken, turkey , cottage cheese, chocolate, dried dates, sunflower seeds, obviously lots of vegetables contain this too.
Unfortunately, we are unable to buy melatonin in the uk. It must be prescribed by your GP or MD. The interesting thing is you can take melatonin as a supplement without it decreasing your own bodies production anyway. You can purchase melatonin: for those in the UK (Europe) or US from the sites below with a discount:
Please go and read my page here on, that explains what I have heart about how melatonin is made: ‘Repairing My Circadian Rhythm’