Melatonin in the Promotion of Health

by Ronald Ross Watson (Editor)

Overview

Melatonin is a powerful hormone and antioxidant with numerous effects on the metabolism and the health of humans. Available as a dietary supplement in the United States since 1993, it is one of the most popular over-the-counter alternative remedies available. Comprising contributions from researchers who have studied the role of melatonin in various disease and physiological states, Melatonin in the Promotion of Health, Second Edition provides a wide variety of expert reviews on the biology of melatonin relevant to health.

Beginning with a history of melatonin and its relation to circadian rhythms, the book examines its use in a host of applications, including:

• Gut motility and gastrointestinal diseases
• Anesthesia and surgery
• Bone health
• Breast cancer
• Cardiovascular diseases
• Diabetes
• Age-related macular degeneration and uveitis
• Melanoma, solar skin damage, and collagen synthesis
• The prevention of DNA damage
• Mental disorders, sleep, and issues related to jet lag and shift work

The data gathered from a large number of carefully controlled animal and human studies have clearly implicated melatonin in the control mechanisms of a wide variety of physiological and psychological activities, making it a potent candidate for therapeutic use in the treatment of a diverse range of diseases. This volume demonstrates that continued studies of this molecule raise the exciting prospect of providing new avenues of treating numerous diseases more effectively and with less side-effects than those found in conventional treatment modalities.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781439839799
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	08/25/2011
Pages:	584
Product dimensions:	7.10(w) x 10.00(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

Ronald R. Watson, PhD, is a member of several national and international nutrition, immunology, cancer, and alcoholism research societies. For 30 years he was funded by Wallace Research Foundation to study dietary supplements in health promotion. Dr. Watson has edited more than 35 books on nutrition, dietary supplements, and over-the-counter agents, and 53 other scientific books. He has published more than 500 research and review articles.

Table of Contents

Melatonin Time Line: From Discovery to Therapy. Melatonin and Circadian Rhythms: An Overview. Synthesis and Metabolism of Melatonin in the Skin and Retinal Pigment Epithelium. Melatonin in Prevention of Mutagenesis, Oxidation, and Other Damage to Cells. Cardiovascular Protection by Melatonin. Melatonin Effect on Reproduction. Melatonin and the Prevention of Ultraviolet Solar Skin Damage. Melatonin and Type 2 Diabetes. Melatonin, Sleep, and Immune Modulation: Role in Health and Disease.Melatonin as a Treatment for Uveitis. Role of Melatonin in Regulating Gut Motility. Melatonin and Food Safety: Investigating a Possible Role in the Seasonality of the Bacterial Pathogen Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Cattle. Melatonin in Dentistry. Melatonin as a Potential Treatment of Gastrointestinal Diseases. The Uses of Melatonin in Anesthesia and Surgery. Melatonin in Bone Health. Prevention and Treatment of Breast Cancer Using Melatonin. Molecular and Epigenetic Effects of Melatonin in Breast Cancer. Melatonin in Mental Disorders: Treatment and Prevention. Melatonin in Control of Gastric Secretion and Prevention of Gastric Mucosal Lesions. Melatonin for the Control of Reproduction in Small Ruminants. Melatonin in the Pancreatic Protection and Modulation of Pancreatic Exocrine Secretion. Life Environment and Sleep: Melatonin Production Affected by Light and Ambient Temperature in Humans. Decreased Light Transmittance Because of Aging and Melatonin. Melatonin and Treatment of Disorders Related to Jet Lag and Shift Work. Melatonin and Its Byproducts on Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Melatonin and Melanoma. Melatonin and Inflammation—The Role of the Immune–Pineal Axis and the Sympathetic Tonus. Neuroendocrinological Effects of Antidepressants: Is There a Role for Melatonin? Role of Melatonin in Collagen Synthesis. Melatonin and DNA Protection. Melatonin Modulation of Vascular Structure and Function. Melatonin and Sleep Disturbances in Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease. Melatonin and Traumatic Stress. Measurement of Melatonin in Other Body Fluids. Cell Studies with Melatonin Exposed to UV Light and Ionizing Radiation. Melatonin and Oxidation.