Have you ever bought a product that you had no idea would help you lose weight but, once you started using it, you couldn’t stop? That’s kind of how melatonin feels. I always assumed that it was used to treat sleep disorders. However, I had no idea that it could be so versatile. In fact, it’s been studied for so many different uses that it’s almost hard to know where to start. Here’s a short list of melatonin’s health benefits, which may help you lose weight.
Helps You Fall Asleep Easier
I know that’s what I need when I’m struggling to fall asleep. Whether it’s stress, anxiety, or another sleep disorder, melatonin helps me relax and unwind so that I can get some zzz’s.
Suppresses Appetite
Like a lot of other foods, carbohydrates increase your appetite. However, the hormone leptin, which is produced by your gut, plays a key role in your body’s natural appetite suppression. When you’re sleeping well, the hormone leptin is secreted at a higher level which results in better appetite suppression. When you’re awake, it’s harder for your body to produce this hormone which leads to uncontrollable hunger. Melatonin helps your body produce more leptin which results in better appetite suppression. So, in a way, melatonin helps you stay skinny by making you sleep more and preventing you from eating too much.
Prevents Free Radical Damage
Free radicals are unstable molecules which could potentially lead to serious health problems. However, your body produces them as a byproduct of normal metabolism which means that you have to eat them to stay healthy. As you might expect, your body doesn’t do anything to protect you from free radicals, it just tries to keep them under control. In this case, melatonin helps by shielding your body’s cells from damage caused by free radicals. When you have more free radicals than your cells can handle, it leads to cell damage and premature ageing. So, in a way, melatonin helps you stay young by preventing your cells from being damaged by free radicals.
Has Anti-Inflammatory And Anti-Atherosclerotic Properties
While in humans, inflammation plays a major role in almost all diseases, it also helps your body’s own healing process. In particular, your pancreas produces enzymes which lead to inflammation when they’re not working properly. However, when they are, it means that your body is trying to rid itself of toxins which can lead to weight loss. In addition to helping you stay healthy, melatonin also has anti-inflammatory and anti-atherosclerotic properties. In studies, it’s been proven to reduce the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and brain inflammation which is associated with multiple sclerosis. Thanks to its anti-inflammatory and anti-atherosclerotic properties, melatonin could be a viable treatment for many chronic diseases which lead to weight loss.
Protects Your Skin
Although you can’t see it, your skin is the largest organ in your body. It’s also one of the most complicated ones. Your body produces more than 400 different kinds of proteins within your skin which help it remain wrinkle-free and glowing. In addition to helping your skin remain youthful, it also helps protect it from the harmful UV rays which cause skin cancer. In this way, melatonin helps you stay skinny by protecting your skin from cancer as well as giving you a younger-looking complexion.
Has Anti-Aging Effects
In addition to helping you stay younger, melatonin also has anti-aging effects. There are studies which show that it can increase the body’s natural levels of vitamin A which helps your skin regenerate and remain strong. In addition, it can reduce oxidative stress which leads to better skin condition. Overall, melatonin helps your skin maintain its elasticity and prevent premature ageing. So, in a way, it helps you stay skinny by preventing you from getting wrinkles and other signs of ageing.
Helps You Detox
Your brain processes information relating to toxins and poisons which can be accumulated through your diet or lifestyle. Certain diseases which cause weight loss are also associated with an increased ability to detoxify your body. In this way, melatonin helps you stay skinny by increasing your body’s ability to eliminate toxins. In addition, it has been proven to increase the body’s natural levels of selenium, an element which helps protect your heart and skin from toxins as well as viruses and cancer.
When choosing a sleep aid, you want to be sure that you’re getting something that will actually help you relax and rest easily. Since melatonin is a natural product, there’s no need to worry about side effects like those which accompany the consumption of pharmaceutical sleep aids. However, you should still exercise caution if you’re taking it at night since the hormone can interfere with the body’s normal sleep cycle which may lead to sleep deprivation. In this way, melatonin helps you stay skinny by increasing your body’s ability to relax and restore while at the same time helping you sleep better.