One of the things the COVID-19 global pandemic drastically changed in many of us on an individual level is that we became hyper-focused on our health. All of a sudden more people are eating healthier and upgrading on nutrition that market aisles where fruits and vegetables are sold saw heavier foot traffic. Drugstores often see the same scenarios as different vitamins and supplements practically flew off the shelves, particularly those that help defend the immune system from sickness.
Among the supplements that saw higher demand were melatonin capsules. As tougher times plagued people with stress, sleep became harder to come by. But while melatonin supplements are popularly known and recommended to help people sleep easier and deeper, did you know that melatonin itself helps protect the immune system from illness? Read on to find out how this humble hormone carries out the very important job that is defending and taking care and of our immune health:
1. Melatonin switches on your immune system.
It’s interesting how melatonin helps you sleep while keeping your immune system awake. So how does it work? Our white blood cells, the ones that fight diseases round the clock, are sensitive to melatonin that’s produced by the body. Melatonin helps these cells get to know the foreign bodies throughout our various systems and helps teach our white blood cells how to defend us from the possibility of illness. When we get enough sleep, it allows our immune system and white blood cells to work together and make sure that threats of infection and illnesses are kept at bay.
2. Melatonin fights inflammation.
What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word “inflammation”? If you think “pamamaga,” you’re just about right. However, inflammation isn’t limited to the swelling of the skin we commonly see on the surface, nor to the irritation we feel when our throat feels scratchy. In fact, our bodies deal with inflammation–a lot of it internally–day in and day out as a way to help fix our tissues damaged by foreign bodies such as infections. Melatonin helps fight inflammation by maintaining balance between the cells that fight diseases and the cells that create natural melatonin.
3. Melatonin promotes healthy cells by balancing their energy source.
Yes, even the powerhouse of the cell needs protection. You see, the mitochondria converts and provides energy to ensure that our cells are performing well. To make sure that this process goes smoothly, our cells need to be protected from infection. Melatonin helps fight the free radicals that may cause cell damage and helps clean up the debris so that the body remains a healthy environment for cell turnover.
4. Melatonin helps the body heal when you’re sick.
The melatonin our body naturally produces doesn’t just fight everyday inflammation. It also helps manage the genes that cause the inflammation, which are also known as NLRP3 inflammasomes. Now just because NLRP3 inflammasomes play a role in causing inflammation doesn’t mean they’re bad for the body. In fact they are a crucial part of the immune system that helps make sure that our white blood cells are actually able to detect inflammation and eliminate it.
A study in 2020 also provides that the use of synthetic melatonin helps in treating extensive inflammation caused by more serious illnesses like COVID-19. According to the researchers, including melatonin in the treatment of COVID-19 patients helped prevent respiratory failures. While more research needs to be done to support their findings, melatonin–both natural and synthetic–are proving its promise in the treatment of severe diseases.
If you’re already taking melatonin, it can be reassuring that it also helps in protecting you from threats to your immune system, but did you know that there are affordable melatonin supplements in the market? Nightol is a trusted and FDA-approved melatonin supplement available at all leading pharmacies nationwide and is available for only PhP 9.00 (SRP) per capsule! Start sleeping easier and better by taking 1-2 Nightol capsules 45 minutes before bedtime and, in turn, help defend your body from inflammation and infection. Shop Nightol melatonin supplement today and get a good night’s sleep that makes you feel well-rested when you wake up!