The pea shaped pineal gland within the brain of human beings is associated with the production of a vital night time hormone called melatonin. This hormone is believed to have a strong relationship with the sleep-wake cycle. The time of dusk signaling the onset of night triggers the synthesis of melatonin. This hormone in turn sends messages to the human body to sleep.
Since this hormone plays such a significant role in facilitating sleep, it can be effectively utilized towards treating sleep disorders. There are many foods that are known to be rich in melatonin. Consumption of these food items can aid in enhancing the levels of melatonin in the body, thereby promoting sleep. So, instead of eating drugs for purposes of inducing sleep, why not opt for a natural remedy that not only provides better sleep but also keeps your body free from the side effects of conventional medication.
If you are prone to sleep disorders; include oats, sweet corn and rice in your diet. These foods are reported to be extremely high in melatonin, which explains why people normally feel lethargic after eating rice. The melatonin present in these foods is as high as 1,000 to 1,800 picograms of melatonin per gram, wherein 1,000,000 picograms is equivalent to 1 milligram. While plenty of option is available for consuming oats in the form of oatmeal, cereals containing oats, nature bars, oatmeal cookies and oat bread; sweet corn can be consumed fresh, canned or frozen in its typical form. As for rice, you could go in for the white or brown variant.
Although in much lesser quantities but ginger and barley are also known to contain the hormone. Ginger is evaluated to be having approximately 500 picograms per gram of melatonin whereas barley has even lesser proportion of the same. Both these food items can be easily procured from any grocery store in the vicinity.
Certain fruits and vegetables are also believed to be containing melatonin. Tomato, banana and Japanese radish are individually reported to have approximately 500 picograms per gram of melatonin. However, in order to obtain the maximum benefit, one must remember to purchase fresh forms of these foods and eat them within 7 days of their purchase.
Some of the other foods falling in this category are almonds, dried roots of the pimpinella peregrina, sunflower seeds, fennel seeds, the young lemon verbena plant, the young balm mint plant) as well as green cardamom seeds.
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The hormone melatonin secreted by the pineal gland is known to regulate the circadian rhythm of the human body, which is the inner body clock controlling the sleep-wake cycle. It is this circadian rhythm that ascertains the schedule of our sleep and waking up. This rhythm is maintained with the assistance of melatonin that aids in inducing sleep.