[acb-diabetics] the hormone of darkness won't come out in the light

[Patricia LaFrance-Wolf]

Melatonin is secreted into the blood by the brain's pineal gland at night
and is involved in the circadian rhythm. 


"The Hormone of Darkness" Won't Come Out in the Light


Linda von Wartburg
Jan 19, 2011 

Keeping the lights on all night might keep away the monsters under the bed,
but it also keeps away the "hormone of darkness," melatonin, according to a
new study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology
<http://www.diabeteshealth.com/browse/health-care/endocrinology/>  and
Metabolism. Melatonin, which is secreted into the blood by the brain's
pineal gland at night, is involved in the circadian rhythm. Scientists
believe that disrupting circadian rhythms can contribute to metabolic
disease. Specifically, melatonin receptor genes have been linked to type 2
<http://www.diabeteshealth.com/browse/community/type-2-issues/> diabetes
<http://www.diabeteshealth.com/> . Melatonin is also a powerful antioxidant
that may help prevent cancer.

You don't want to mess with Mother Nature when it comes to your melatonin
production, and that's exactly what you're doing if you are up all night
with the lights on, according to the study. Exposure to bright room light
during the usual hours of sleep suppressed melatonin by more than 50
percent. The study found that even exposure to bright room light in the
hours before bedtime shortened melatonin production by about 90 minutes,
compared to exposure to dim light during that time.

In their report, the authors concluded that "chronically exposing oneself to
electrical lighting in the late evening disrupts melatonin signaling and
could therefore potentially impact sleep, thermoregulation, blood pressure,
and glucose homeostasis." It seems that we were not built to have bright
light after dusk, when melatonin production is supposed to be gearing up.

 

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