Plant Melatonin vs Synthetic Melatonin
It may surprise you to learn that 98% of all the melatonin options on the market are derived from synthetic chemicals or from animal sources. It wasn’t until 1987 that melatonin was even discovered in plants, and it was only in 2007 that the first phyto-melatonin (plant melatonin) supplement was released to the world. That product was Herbatonin® - made from unique varieties of chlorella, alfalfa and rice.
How does melatonin support our health?
As a hormone, melatonin has long been recognized for the vital role it plays in supporting our body’s circadian rhythms and our sleep/wake cycle, which is intrinsically connected to nearly all aspects of our health. However, this is only a part of what melatonin does in our body, because it also supports healthy inflammation and works as a powerful antioxidant, protecting our cells, DNA, and mitochondria, as well as supporting our immune system and fighting the aging process.*
Antioxidants: What they are and why they’re so important.
Antioxidants can be found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish and meat, and they play a key role in our health by actively scavenging and fighting unstable, damaging compounds in the body known as “free radicals”. Free radicals are produced in our bodies every day. They are the natural by-product or “waste” that ensues from Plant Melatonin vs Synthetic Melatonin by Symphony Natural Health numerous essential chemical processes, such as metabolizing food into energy, cell repair after exercise or muscle strain, the absorption of oxygen from the air we breathe, and even the detoxification process required to eliminate toxins and chemicals from our bodies.
The “clean up” that antioxidants help our bodies perform is critical, because waste takes its toll. When too many free radicals build up it can result in chronic inflammation, cell and DNA damage, increased aging and disease, which is why it is so essential to get enough antioxidants each day through the combination of a healthy diet and well-balanced supplements.*
What makes melatonin different from other antioxidants?
Unlike most other antioxidants, or any molecule for that matter, melatonin has a unique ability to cross the blood-brain barrier.
The blood-brain barrier is a naturally protective border that stops toxins, pathogens and many other molecules in our blood from crossing into our brain and nervous system. The challenge is that this border is so protective that it doesn’t just stop harmful molecules from entering our brain and nervous system, it also blocks beneficial molecules as well.
But melatonin is unique. It is able to cross the blood-brain barrier because it is soluble in both water and lipids (fat), which enables it to freely pass the barrier and flow through all of the body’s tissues and vital organs.
This is a significant finding, and it is creating much excitement among scientists and the medical community, as very few molecules are able do this.
What is even more exciting is that phytomelatonin (Herbatonin®) appears to have an even greater impact as an antioxidant than synthetic melatonin. Recent research out of the Medical University of Lublin, in Europe, compared a number of sources of synthetic melatonin with plant melatonin (Herbatonin®), looking at free radical scavenging potential, antioxidant oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) comparisons, and key enzymes involved in immunity and inflammation.*
Like all of our products, the creation of Herbatonin® is controlled from seed to shelf, using a proprietary method of sustainable farming, combined with a manufacturing process that only includes water, temperature and pressure. This results in a product where the melatonin is not extracted, but naturally contained within the cells of the plant, which means that Herbatonin® is so natural that it is just like eating the plant itself – but in far more concentrated doses.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any illness or disease.
