Many books have been written about it, and yet it is familiar to only a few people. Even doctors know surprisingly little about it. We are talking about melatonin.

Imagine that there is an endogenous hormone that not only retards ageing, but even biologically rejuvenates people. And if that's not enough, this hormone prevents harmful diseases like cancer, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, cataracts and Alzheimer's. And if this does not quite bring ultimate satisfaction, it controls our biological rhythm and gives us energy to accomplish our daily tasks during the day and it gives us a restful, deep sleep at night...

It can only be melatonin, an endogenous hormone that is produced in the pineal gland in the brain (brain stem).

It is certain that such a thing would be assigned to the realm of myths and fairy tales, if - yes, if not for the many sensational works, studies and pieces of research by well-known doctors and scientists all over the world, which attribute amazing properties to melatonin in terms of life extension, prevention and cure, even of 'incurable' diseases.

The scientists Dr. William Regelson and Walter Pierpaoli were the first to prove the importance of the pineal gland for our lifespan in animal experiments. For this purpose, the pineal glands of younger mice were transplanted to older mice – and vice versa – and the lifespans of both groups were compared.

The younger mice with the older pineal gland lived to an average age of just 510 days, while the older mice which had the younger pineal gland implanted were able to reach double that age - an average of 1020 days!

However, in order to be able to attribute this amazing effect exclusively to melatonin, Dr. Regelson decided to start a control experiment by administering a normal diet to one group of mice and the same diet with melatonin to another group.

While the mice fed exclusively on a normal diet died at the usual age of 24-25 months, the 'melatonin mice' lived six months longer, which equates to a 30 % life extension and the equivalent of an additional human lifetime of 25-30 years! What’s more: In contrast to the control group, the mice fed with melatonin were energetic and healthy until their death! They began to rejuvenate until they adopted the behaviour and appearance of young mice.

It was a milestone in the study of biological ageing, which has since given the pineal gland a very important, if not crucial, role in controlling ageing processes.

Furthermore, it is a testament to the fact that the receptivity and processing of a melatonin dietary supplement, which have frequently been doubted by critics, work beyond doubt!

'Hmm' – you might say – '... it's possible to accept this as an indication that melatonin is the key to youth, but what about the fabled health that melatonin is also supposed to promote?'.

In this context, it is interesting to note that the mice fed with melatonin in the aforementioned animal study all remained healthy and died cancer-free until their death, while the majority of the mice without melatonin succumbed to cancer!

Of course, one cannot transfer results of studies in animal experiments to humans entirely, but in the vast majority of cases they show tendencies that also apply to humans.

The two scientists Prof. Regelson and Walter Pierpaoli have said:

'The wonderful thing about melatonin is that it can prolong your life and maintain your health and vitality. The truly wonderful thing about melatonin is the great impact that it will have on our generation and future generations.

We are embarking on a shared adventure and are the first generation to have the power to avoid the diseases and weaknesses that are typical of 'normal' ageing. For the first time, we have the power to preserve our youthfulness and to remain strong and alert throughout our lives.

For the first time, not only can we avoid the physical decline associated with ageing, but we are able to delay and even reverse the ageing process. This is the real wonder of melatonin'.

On the following pages, you will learn why the findings of the research team gained in animal experiments are transferable to humans and are meaningful for us. We will offer evidence for this through further research and knowledge of the human being.

Melatonin – an endogenous hormone under the microscope

Where and under what conditions is it produced?

Melatonin is an endogenous hormone that is produced in the pineal gland in the brain. Its production is cyclical, namely when the brain receives a signal via the retina of the eye in the dark for the production of melatonin.

This signal is first directed to the hypothalamus (diencephalon) and then to the pineal gland. With diminishing light intensity, the pineal gland, which is responsible for our biorhythm, begins to produce melatonin.

The melatonin is not stored anywhere in the meantime, but passes into the blood immediately. There, it influences the sympathetic nervous system, slows down the heartbeat and digestive processes, and lowers blood pressure and body temperature. The melatonin level is 10 times as high in the dark as during the day, as the body is prepared for sleep.

This process is stopped when light falls on the retina of our eye and this is relayed as a signal to the pineal gland via the route described. The production of melatonin stops and the production of serotonin starts – we wake up alert, and there are almost no traces of melatonin left in the body – until the next cycle, which starts at dusk.

What makes melatonin particularly interesting for us humans?

We mainly owe our knowledge about the pineal gland and its function to the two scientists Prof. Dr. William Regelson and Dr. Walter Pierpaoli, who, after more than three decades of research, succeeded in deciphering the pineal gland for what it is:

the control centre of all regulators in our organism!

Obviously, it is the pineal gland that manages our complete endocrine gland system, which is responsible for the production of all hormones in the body which in turn fulfil important functions in our body. All essential bodily functions, such as heartbeat, blood pressure, body temperature or kidney function, are controlled and regulated by hormones.

As a 'buffer hormone', melatonin does not just regulate a single organ, but indirectly regulates the work of many important organs by regulating and adjusting the other hormone levels.

The influence of the pineal gland is governed by the following functions:

-                      the sleep-wake rhythm,

-                      the immune system,

-                      reproduction,

-                      stressor control,

-                      body temperature control,

-                      kidney function,

-                      the destruction of attacking free radicals.

-         energy production in the cells by the thyroid hormone T3 and T4

-                      and the protection of the DNA within the body cells.

The pineal gland is thus the regulator of all other glands, the control centre; the melatonin produced by it is, in turn, the control unit for our hormones.

The tasks of the control unit are to increase the activity of certain hormones as needed, while raising the others, and vice versa.

In terms of homeostasis, melatonin tries to maintain a balance, actively intervene where necessary, and to allow neither too high nor too low levels of hormones. As we age, the hormone levels of major organs change decisively, because the 'pineal gland control centre' itself ages and can no longer cope with producing melatonin.

If you now add melatonin to the body from the outside, the function of the pineal gland is strengthened. What's more, it will be rebuilt and, in the medium term, will be able to assume control tasks to the same extent as when it was young and released sufficient melatonin.

Melatonin does a lot more; among other things, it is an important assistant to the immune system in that it discovers and destroys attackers and pathogens. Dr. Walter Pierpaoli and Prof. William Regelson argue that the immune system collapses in old age because the pineal gland, due to its own ageing, can no longer sufficiently fulfil its function, namely the release of, among other things, melatonin.

They believe that an additional intake of melatonin can take our immune system back to its youth; it would make us more resilient and healthier.[1] Furthermore, melatonin is considered one of the strongest known antioxidants that fights free radicals with 50 times the effectiveness of vitamin C.

In their research, Pierpaoli and Regelson also found that a normal level of melatonin also ensures that the immune system can instantly and accurately detect and destroy 'hostile vectors' and pathogens.

As one of the most effective antioxidants, melatonin also causes the destruction of free radicals that are known to cause cancer cells.

Specific oncological studies have also shown that melatonin can enhance the anti-cancer effects of certain drugs in chemotherapeutic cancer treatment and reduce their sometimes dangerous side effects to an acceptable level.

However, the most important contribution of Pierpaoli and Regelson seems to be the realisation that the pineal gland controls the ageing process with the help of melatonin and represents the actual 'age clock' long sought by science – or at least one of them.

As already mentioned, melatonin has demonstrated a life-prolonging effect in animal experiments. In addition, it has demonstrated efficacy against cardiovascular diseases, impotence, cancer, sleep disorders, and many other conditions in human and animal clinical trials.

Now all this would not be so interesting if this body's own hormone was not also available in capsule form – after all, it is not every day that you get the chance to have a pineal gland transplant...

The pineal gland – an important life clock

Among other things, the pineal gland determines our rhythm of life. In the animal kingdom, these rhythms are particularly easy to observe; in the spring, the pineal gland awakens lustful feelings that lead to mating. Towards the autumn, it gives the signal to migratory birds that it is time to start their journey to the warm south. Other animals have signals to look for a winter home, and then in spring to wake them from their hibernation.

In humans, the pineal gland helps to maintain seasonal hormone levels; among other things, it regulates our growth and development from childhood to adulthood.

Melatonin, produced in the pineal gland of the mother, is supplied to the unborn child via the placenta and helps to control the sleep-wake cycle. Immediately after birth, the toddler benefits from melatonin, which is passed on through breast milk.

Later, the pineal gland in the brain takes over the body's own production of melatonin supply. Here, melatonin, as in adults, is made from the amino acid 'tryptophan'.

The pineal gland produces the most melatonin in childhood; this level drops during puberty.

According to the magazine 'Focus', melatonin reaches its highest concentration at the age of eight with about 125 picograms per ml of blood. The first major decrease in melatonin is experienced at 16 years of age during puberty (approximately 87 picograms/ml of blood). At 45, we only produce half as much melatonin as we did in childhood (about 50 picograms/ml of blood), and at 80, the pineal gland barely produces any melatonin at all (25 picograms/ml).

In parallel to this, ageing starts to become clearly noticeable at the age of 45 ; at the same time, it has a negative effect on us, leads to physiological degeneration and makes us susceptible to numerous diseases. This is not surprising, because ultimately the level of performance expected from the pineal gland is extremely high.

All signs of age of all our organs are in fact due to ageing and thus the function of the pineal gland, according to the thesis of Prof. William Regelson and Walter Pierpaoli. After 30 years of research, the two share the conviction that you can stop the ageing clock, yes, even turn it back – and we could live to 120 years or older.[2]

In x-ray examinations of older people, the degeneration of the pineal gland appears visually in the form of calcium deposits. These calcium deposits, as a sign of ageing of the pineal gland, lead to a steady decline of melatonin with the associated cell ageing and loss of organ function.

Furthermore, ageing causes pineal shrinkage and loss of pinealocytes, the cells responsible for melatonin production.

At the same time, the retina of our eye, which transmits the light signals to the pineal gland, ages as well, meaning that the signal transmission is always unreliable – a vicious cycle of ageing.

In the next section 'Melatonin effect', you will learn more facts about this highly interesting topic.

Melatonin, its effect – how does it work and what does it work against?

Declared useless just a few decades ago by researchers and physicians as the 'appendix of the brain', the last few years have revealed completely new, plausible connections between ageing and diseases that make the pineal gland an important control unit for our entire organism.

With the ageing of the pineal gland and thus the reduced production of melatonin, people age as a whole.

During ageing, a person becomes more susceptible to all sorts of diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer or impotence.

This brought some scientists in the field of ageing onto the scene, who suspected that all these unpleasant phenomena were interrelated and must have a common cause; the ageing of the pineal gland, meaning that a functional deficiency and the inability to deliver enough melatonin could be the reason!

Melatonin – production and release

Melatonin is supplied by the mother to the unborn child via the placenta and helps to control the sleep-wake cycle. Immediately after birth, the toddler benefits from melatonin, which is passed on through breast milk. Later, the pineal gland in the brain takes over the body's own production of melatonin supply.

Melatonin reaches its highest level during childhood and drops off during puberty.

During ageing, the melatonin level decreases continuously, and the decline is stark between the ages of 45 and 50. At the age of 60, the pineal gland produces only half of the melatonin that it produces at the age of 20. At the age of 70, the production of melatonin is barely measurable.

In parallel to this, ageing starts to become clearly noticeable at the age of 45 at the same time, it has a negative effect on us, leads to physiological degeneration and makes us susceptible to numerous diseases.

In order to better understand the effect of melatonin, it is advisable to look at its overall effect and to selectively focus on the targeted effect on diseases thereafter.

Melatonin, the general effect

Melatonin is an extremely important, indeed vital, substance as a messenger and regulator of many interlocking, important processes that take place in our organism:

-       it affects the thymus gland and boosts

-       the function of the immune system.

-       It controls the ageing processes.

-       It is one of the most important antioxidants.

-       It controls sleep and regeneration.    

-       It is a veritable de-stressing hormone.

-       It lifts our emotions.

-       It controls our autoimmune reactions.

-       It controls potency and libido.

Certain diseases do not appear until old age, a phenomenon which is attributed to ageing and thus to the diminution of the function of the pineal gland, which is responsible for the production and release of melatonin.

A young, functioning pineal gland reliably protects us from cell damage and dysfunction via the general mode of action mentioned above, controls our emotional state and protects us from possible illnesses.

From the age of about 45, the function of the pineal gland decreases dramatically, which leads to the production of melatonin declining by up to 50 %; above the age of 70, melatonin production reaches barely measurable lows. Diseases such as cancer, heart attacks and others increase with age; this is also attributed to the ageing of the pineal gland and thus to the loss of melatonin.

An impaired melatonin level is particularly noticeable in tumour patients, which leads to unusual melatonin levels and is the result of a malfunctioning pineal gland.

Melatonin,  key to eternal youth and health?

 

Many books have been written about it, and yet it is familiar to only a few people. Even doctors know surprisingly little about it. We are talking about melatonin.

Imagine that there is an endogenous hormone that not only retards ageing, but even biologically rejuvenates people. And if that's not enough, this hormone prevents harmful diseases like cancer, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, cataracts and Alzheimer's. And if this does not quite bring ultimate satisfaction, it controls our biological rhythm and gives us energy to accomplish our daily tasks during the day and it gives us a restful, deep sleep at night...

It can only be melatonin, an endogenous hormone that is produced in the pineal gland in the brain (brain stem).

It is certain that such a thing would be assigned to the realm of myths and fairy tales, if - yes, if not for the many sensational works, studies and pieces of research by well-known doctors and scientists all over the world, which attribute amazing properties to melatonin in terms of life extension, prevention and cure, even of 'incurable' diseases.

The scientists Dr. William Regelson and Walter Pierpaoli were the first to prove the importance of the pineal gland for our lifespan in animal experiments. For this purpose, the pineal glands of younger mice were transplanted to older mice – and vice versa – and the lifespans of both groups were compared.

The younger mice with the older pineal gland lived to an average age of just 510 days, while the older mice which had the younger pineal gland implanted were able to reach double that age - an average of 1020 days!

However, in order to be able to attribute this amazing effect exclusively to melatonin, Dr. Regelson decided to start a control experiment by administering a normal diet to one group of mice and the same diet with melatonin to another group.

While the mice fed exclusively on a normal diet died at the usual age of 24-25 months, the 'melatonin mice' lived six months longer, which equates to a 30 % life extension and the equivalent of an additional human lifetime of 25-30 years! What’s more: In contrast to the control group, the mice fed with melatonin were energetic and healthy until their death! They began to rejuvenate until they adopted the behaviour and appearance of young mice.

It was a milestone in the study of biological ageing, which has since given the pineal gland a very important, if not crucial, role in controlling ageing processes.

Furthermore, it is a testament to the fact that the receptivity and processing of a melatonin dietary supplement, which have frequently been doubted by critics, work beyond doubt!

'Hmm' – you might say – '... it's possible to accept this as an indication that melatonin is the key to youth, but what about the fabled health that melatonin is also supposed to promote?'.

In this context, it is interesting to note that the mice fed with melatonin in the aforementioned animal study all remained healthy and died cancer-free until their death, while the majority of the mice without melatonin succumbed to cancer!

Of course, one cannot transfer results of studies in animal experiments to humans entirely, but in the vast majority of cases they show tendencies that also apply to humans.

The two scientists Prof. Regelson and Walter Pierpaoli have said:

'The wonderful thing about melatonin is that it can prolong your life and maintain your health and vitality. The truly wonderful thing about melatonin is the great impact that it will have on our generation and future generations.

We are embarking on a shared adventure and are the first generation to have the power to avoid the diseases and weaknesses that are typical of 'normal' ageing. For the first time, we have the power to preserve our youthfulness and to remain strong and alert throughout our lives.

For the first time, not only can we avoid the physical decline associated with ageing, but we are able to delay and even reverse the ageing process. This is the real wonder of melatonin'.

On the following pages, you will learn why the findings of the research team gained in animal experiments are transferable to humans and are meaningful for us. We will offer evidence for this through further research and knowledge of the human being.

Melatonin – an endogenous hormone under the microscope

Where and under what conditions is it produced?

Melatonin is an endogenous hormone that is produced in the pineal gland in the brain. Its production is cyclical, namely when the brain receives a signal via the retina of the eye in the dark for the production of melatonin.

This signal is first directed to the hypothalamus (diencephalon) and then to the pineal gland. With diminishing light intensity, the pineal gland, which is responsible for our biorhythm, begins to produce melatonin.

The melatonin is not stored anywhere in the meantime, but passes into the blood immediately. There, it influences the sympathetic nervous system, slows down the heartbeat and digestive processes, and lowers blood pressure and body temperature. The melatonin level is 10 times as high in the dark as during the day, as the body is prepared for sleep.

This process is stopped when light falls on the retina of our eye and this is relayed as a signal to the pineal gland via the route described. The production of melatonin stops and the production of serotonin starts – we wake up alert, and there are almost no traces of melatonin left in the body – until the next cycle, which starts at dusk.

What makes melatonin particularly interesting for us humans?

We mainly owe our knowledge about the pineal gland and its function to the two scientists Prof. Dr. William Regelson and Dr. Walter Pierpaoli, who, after more than three decades of research, succeeded in deciphering the pineal gland for what it is:

the control centre of all regulators in our organism!

Obviously, it is the pineal gland that manages our complete endocrine gland system, which is responsible for the production of all hormones in the body which in turn fulfil important functions in our body. All essential bodily functions, such as heartbeat, blood pressure, body temperature or kidney function, are controlled and regulated by hormones.

As a 'buffer hormone', melatonin does not just regulate a single organ, but indirectly regulates the work of many important organs by regulating and adjusting the other hormone levels.

The influence of the pineal gland is governed by the following functions:

-                      the sleep-wake rhythm,

-                      the immune system,

-                      reproduction,

-                      stressor control,

-                      body temperature control,

-                      kidney function,

-                      the destruction of attacking free radicals.

-         energy production in the cells by the thyroid hormone T3 and T4

-                      and the protection of the DNA within the body cells.

The pineal gland is thus the regulator of all other glands, the control centre; the melatonin produced by it is, in turn, the control unit for our hormones.

The tasks of the control unit are to increase the activity of certain hormones as needed, while raising the others, and vice versa.

In terms of homeostasis, melatonin tries to maintain a balance, actively intervene where necessary, and to allow neither too high nor too low levels of hormones. As we age, the hormone levels of major organs change decisively, because the 'pineal gland control centre' itself ages and can no longer cope with producing melatonin.

If you now add melatonin to the body from the outside, the function of the pineal gland is strengthened. What's more, it will be rebuilt and, in the medium term, will be able to assume control tasks to the same extent as when it was young and released sufficient melatonin.

Melatonin does a lot more; among other things, it is an important assistant to the immune system in that it discovers and destroys attackers and pathogens. Dr. Walter Pierpaoli and Prof. William Regelson argue that the immune system collapses in old age because the pineal gland, due to its own ageing, can no longer sufficiently fulfil its function, namely the release of, among other things, melatonin.

They believe that an additional intake of melatonin can take our immune system back to its youth; it would make us more resilient and healthier.[1] Furthermore, melatonin is considered one of the strongest known antioxidants that fights free radicals with 50 times the effectiveness of vitamin C.

In their research, Pierpaoli and Regelson also found that a normal level of melatonin also ensures that the immune system can instantly and accurately detect and destroy 'hostile vectors' and pathogens.

As one of the most effective antioxidants, melatonin also causes the destruction of free radicals that are known to cause cancer cells.

Specific oncological studies have also shown that melatonin can enhance the anti-cancer effects of certain drugs in chemotherapeutic cancer treatment and reduce their sometimes dangerous side effects to an acceptable level.

However, the most important contribution of Pierpaoli and Regelson seems to be the realisation that the pineal gland controls the ageing process with the help of melatonin and represents the actual 'age clock' long sought by science – or at least one of them.

As already mentioned, melatonin has demonstrated a life-prolonging effect in animal experiments. In addition, it has demonstrated efficacy against cardiovascular diseases, impotence, cancer, sleep disorders, and many other conditions in human and animal clinical trials.

Now all this would not be so interesting if this body's own hormone was not also available in capsule form – after all, it is not every day that you get the chance to have a pineal gland transplant...

The pineal gland – an important life clock

Among other things, the pineal gland determines our rhythm of life. In the animal kingdom, these rhythms are particularly easy to observe; in the spring, the pineal gland awakens lustful feelings that lead to mating. Towards the autumn, it gives the signal to migratory birds that it is time to start their journey to the warm south. Other animals have signals to look for a winter home, and then in spring to wake them from their hibernation.

In humans, the pineal gland helps to maintain seasonal hormone levels; among other things, it regulates our growth and development from childhood to adulthood.

Melatonin, produced in the pineal gland of the mother, is supplied to the unborn child via the placenta and helps to control the sleep-wake cycle. Immediately after birth, the toddler benefits from melatonin, which is passed on through breast milk.

Later, the pineal gland in the brain takes over the body's own production of melatonin supply. Here, melatonin, as in adults, is made from the amino acid 'tryptophan'.

The pineal gland produces the most melatonin in childhood; this level drops during puberty.

According to the magazine 'Focus', melatonin reaches its highest concentration at the age of eight with about 125 picograms per ml of blood. The first major decrease in melatonin is experienced at 16 years of age during puberty (approximately 87 picograms/ml of blood). At 45, we only produce half as much melatonin as we did in childhood (about 50 picograms/ml of blood), and at 80, the pineal gland barely produces any melatonin at all (25 picograms/ml).

In parallel to this, ageing starts to become clearly noticeable at the age of 45 ; at the same time, it has a negative effect on us, leads to physiological degeneration and makes us susceptible to numerous diseases. This is not surprising, because ultimately the level of performance expected from the pineal gland is extremely high.

All signs of age of all our organs are in fact due to ageing and thus the function of the pineal gland, according to the thesis of Prof. William Regelson and Walter Pierpaoli. After 30 years of research, the two share the conviction that you can stop the ageing clock, yes, even turn it back – and we could live to 120 years or older.[2]

In x-ray examinations of older people, the degeneration of the pineal gland appears visually in the form of calcium deposits. These calcium deposits, as a sign of ageing of the pineal gland, lead to a steady decline of melatonin with the associated cell ageing and loss of organ function.

Furthermore, ageing causes pineal shrinkage and loss of pinealocytes, the cells responsible for melatonin production.

At the same time, the retina of our eye, which transmits the light signals to the pineal gland, ages as well, meaning that the signal transmission is always unreliable – a vicious cycle of ageing.

In the next section 'Melatonin effect', you will learn more facts about this highly interesting topic.

Melatonin, its effect – how does it work and what does it work against?

Declared useless just a few decades ago by researchers and physicians as the 'appendix of the brain', the last few years have revealed completely new, plausible connections between ageing and diseases that make the pineal gland an important control unit for our entire organism.

With the ageing of the pineal gland and thus the reduced production of melatonin, people age as a whole.

During ageing, a person becomes more susceptible to all sorts of diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer or impotence.

This brought some scientists in the field of ageing onto the scene, who suspected that all these unpleasant phenomena were interrelated and must have a common cause; the ageing of the pineal gland, meaning that a functional deficiency and the inability to deliver enough melatonin could be the reason!

Melatonin – production and release

Melatonin is supplied by the mother to the unborn child via the placenta and helps to control the sleep-wake cycle. Immediately after birth, the toddler benefits from melatonin, which is passed on through breast milk. Later, the pineal gland in the brain takes over the body's own production of melatonin supply.

Melatonin reaches its highest level during childhood and drops off during puberty.

During ageing, the melatonin level decreases continuously, and the decline is stark between the ages of 45 and 50. At the age of 60, the pineal gland produces only half of the melatonin that it produces at the age of 20. At the age of 70, the production of melatonin is barely measurable.

In parallel to this, ageing starts to become clearly noticeable at the age of 45 at the same time, it has a negative effect on us, leads to physiological degeneration and makes us susceptible to numerous diseases.

In order to better understand the effect of melatonin, it is advisable to look at its overall effect and to selectively focus on the targeted effect on diseases thereafter.

Melatonin, the general effect

Melatonin is an extremely important, indeed vital, substance as a messenger and regulator of many interlocking, important processes that take place in our organism:

-       it affects the thymus gland and boosts

-       the function of the immune system.

-       It controls the ageing processes.

-       It is one of the most important antioxidants.

-       It controls sleep and regeneration.    

-       It is a veritable de-stressing hormone.

-       It lifts our emotions.

-       It controls our autoimmune reactions.

-       It controls potency and libido.

Certain diseases do not appear until old age, a phenomenon which is attributed to ageing and thus to the diminution of the function of the pineal gland, which is responsible for the production and release of melatonin.

A young, functioning pineal gland reliably protects us from cell damage and dysfunction via the general mode of action mentioned above, controls our emotional state and protects us from possible illnesses.

From the age of about 45, the function of the pineal gland decreases dramatically, which leads to the production of melatonin declining by up to 50 %; above the age of 70, melatonin production reaches barely measurable lows. Diseases such as cancer, heart attacks and others increase with age; this is also attributed to the ageing of the pineal gland and thus to the loss of melatonin.

An impaired melatonin level is particularly noticeable in tumour patients, which leads to unusual melatonin levels and is the result of a malfunctioning pineal gland.