According to a new study melatonin consumption helps control weight gain because it stimulates the appearance of ‘beige fat’, a type of fat cell that burns calories in vivo instead of storing them. White adipose tissue stores calories leading to weight gain whereas ‘beige fat’ (also known as ‘good or thinning fat’) helps regulate body weight control, hence its metabolic benefits. Researchers from the University of Granada Institute for Neuroscience, the Hospital Carlos III, Madrid, and the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio contributed to the study.
What is Melatonin ?
Melatonin is a natural hormone segregated by the body and its level generally increase in the dark at night. Melatonin plays several major roles in maintaining a healthy immune system: sleep regulation, powerful and unique antioxidant, and its effectiveness at raising Glutathione.
Melatonin, known chemically as N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland located at the base of the brain that helps regulate sleep and wake cycles. This hormone is a derivative of the neurotransmitter serotonin and the amino acid tryptophan. Approximately 5-25 mcg of melatonin are secreted into the blood stream of healthy young and middle-aged men at night time.
Foods Containing Melatonin
Below are melatonin-producing food sources you can eat to increase your circulating melatonin. These foods will boost your melatonin the most (in nanograms produced per gram eaten):
Tart (sour) Cherries: The best source of melatonin, which is not commonly known, a truly natural one, is found in food – tart (sour) cherries in amounts that are able to have a positive effect on health.
Mustard Seeds: The highest concentrations of melatonin is observed in white and black mustard seeds. This level of melatonin is much higher than the known physiological concentrations in the blood of many vertebrates.
Sunflower seeds: (29 nanogram) They may be annoying to open and discard, but sunflower seeds can be high in melatonin. Along with many other useful nutrients, these seeds can also be substituted for fennel seeds, green cardamom seeds, and others.
Tomatoes: The tomato is a natural source of melatonin, a chemical produced by the body during sleep. Although it is recommended to get fresh sources, tomatoes can be found in sauces, paste, and even in ketchup. They are also full of antioxidants.
Fennel: It helps “break up” fat deposits in the bloodstream to be used as energy. Using energy sources the body already has stored can reduce the cravings for food.
Corn: sweet corn contains high levels of natural melatonin. You can eat it straight from the cob, make it into a cornbread, or even as a frozen food when out of season. Other health benefits include a high level of folate and Thiamin for the heart and mind, respectively.
Rice: These foods contain between 1,000 and 1,800 picograms (1,000,000 picograms = 1 milligram) of melatonin per gram. Rice, both white and brown, is available at local grocery store.
Ginger root: Ginger has about 500 picograms per gram of melatonin. Ginger root and ground ginger are found in most local grocery and health food stores.
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The study authors concluded “administration of melatonin and intake of food containing melatonin might be a useful tool to fight obesity and the risks associated to it.” In addition to natural food sources, many health-minded individuals will want to supplement with 1 to 3 mg of melatonin each night, taken 30 minutes before retiring, to promote sound sleep, avoid unnecessary weight gain and ward off the damaging effects of oxidized blood fats that promote heart disease.