Not getting enough sleep? It’s more dangerous than you thought…

If you wake up often…or don’t get enough sleep each night…it could mean your pineal gland isn’t releasing enough melatonin. If that’s the case, you could be at risk for more than just fatigue… You may be four times more likely to develop dementia.

So it’s no surprise that melatonin may help treat Alzheimer’s disease (AD)… Maybe even prevent it.

Researchers in the U.K. looked at subjects with mild to moderate AD. Each took either 2 mg of melatonin or a placebo after dinner.1

After 24 weeks, the melatonin group did significantly better on cognitive performance tests. And of course, the hormone helped improve sleep quality.2

Think about it… If melatonin can help minimize symptoms in people who already have Alzheimer’s… Imagine what it could do for you if you just want to prevent it. Remember, quality sleep is necessary for proper cognition and memory processing. It’s also key to clearing “brain waste” that can lead to AD.

But there’s a problem with the form of melatonin used in most studies…

Your body produces this hormone all on its own. So when you start taking it as a supplement… You start making less and less. After a while, your body might stop producing it all together. Then there are poor quality supplements that could be using the pineal glands of slaughterhouse cows to provide you with a “natural” dose.3 No thanks!

That’s why it’s better to eat foods that help your body make more melatonin.

Try eating a banana or some pineapple chunks as an after dinner treat. They raise your blood levels of melatonin. Or drink a glass of tart cherry juice.4 And one more thing…

If you’re in the habit of checking emails or browsing the web on your iPad while you’re in bed…don’t. This light exposure can disrupt melatonin levels. It can make falling asleep harder—or keep you from getting the restful sleep your brain needs to fight dementia.

In Good Health,

Angela Salerno
Publisher, INH Health Watch

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References:
1http://www.dovepress.com/add-on-prolonged-release-melatonin-for-cognitive-function-and-sleep-in-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-CIA
2http://www.dovepress.com/cr_data/article_fulltext/s65000/65625/img/CIA-65625-F04.jpg
3http://www.idealmedicalcare.org/blog/the-shocking-ingredient-in-natural-medicine/
4http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22038497