[The Epoch Times, August 25, 2022](Compiled and reported by Epoch Times reporter Wu Wei)Melatonin(Melatonin) nutritional supplements can help people get good healthsleepIt’s a good recipe, but some foods in your refrigerator and pantry may also provide the melatonin you need, a natural form of melatonin that offers health benefits with few side effects.
MelatoninDefined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a neurohormone that regulates the sleep cycle and issleepPatterns help. Light, especially blue light from cell phone screens, can affect melatonin levels in the body, says Professor Yo-El Ju, a neurologist and sleep medicine specialist at Washington University in St. Louis.
In recent years, in response to the lack of melatonin in the body, more and more people are taking melatonin supplements to improve sleep quality. According to a study published in February in JAMA, the prevalence of taking melatonin supplements rose from 0.4% in 1999-2000 to 2.1% in 2017-2018.
In addition to the melatonin already produced in the brain, you can also get a natural dose of melatonin from your daily snacks. “Melatonin is actually in food,” Ju said.
If you’re interested in supplementing with melatonin for better sleep, and you don’t want to add another supplement to your health supplement list, here are 5 foods that will give you a natural dose of melatonin.
5 Natural Foods High in Melatonin
nut:According to a study published in the January 2022 issue of the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, walnuts were found to contain significant amounts of melatonin, a hormone also found in other nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds and hearth fruit.
Fish:A small randomized trial published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine in 2014 showed that eating salmon three times a week for five months had a positive effect on sleep and daily functioning.
egg:According to a 2017 study in the journal Nutrients, adequate levels of melatonin were measured in eggs, which are higher than in meat and other animal foods.
Tart Cherry: In a small 2012 study in the European Journal of Nutrition, tart cherry juice concentrate increased melatonin levels and improved sleep quality and duration in study participants.
milk:According to a 2019 study in the journal Applied Animal Research, drinking milk at night, which is very high in melatonin, may benefit human health.
If you’re going to have a scoop of ice cream after dinner, or consider a glass of warm milk to lull yourself to sleep. You can also eat a handful or two of nuts, such as walnuts or pistachios, before bed, but choose the raw ones, as nuts from the roasting process have been shown to negatively affect melatonin levels.
While foods like salmon, eggs, and milk can be eaten throughout the day to help improve your natural sleep cycle, you need to eat them consistently for a period of time so you can see changes in your sleep quality.
Responsible editor: Lin Yan#