What is melatonin and how does it function?
Lena Bauer
2026-03-22
11 min. read
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Over the years, there has been a significant increase in sleep disorders such as insomnia and inefficient sleep, which affect our daily functioning. Furthermore, evolving lifestyle trends such as late-night meals or excessive consumption of high-calorie dishes can result in disturbances in the sleep cycle and overall daily rhythm, potentially leading to the development of various diseases. The hormone melatonin, responsible for regulating sleep, plays a crucial role in this context. Read the article to learn more about the mechanism of action, dosage, and side effects of melatonin.
Melatonin and its salts, whether or not containing added sugar or other sweetening matter
Melatonin is a secretory hormone, and actually an indolamin, synthesized and secreted by the esophagus at night. Additionally, melatonin is produced by the enterochromophine cells of the mucous membrane of the digestive tract. It was first isolated in 1958. Its full name is N-acetyl-methoxytryptamine, but it is more commonly referred to as the dark hormone. Its concentration in the urine at night is about 80 100 pg/ml, however, it is much lower than 10 20 pg /ml.
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