

“That was the first big shift for us as a family into a holistic lifestyle.”Ī few years later, one of Pratt’s four daughters, who is on the autism spectrum, was struggling at school and home. “There’s a lot of crap that’s being sold, even in natural products, that she was putting into her body were cancer-causing,” he says. Reading the ingredient list became an “aha" moment Pratt says.

But she after cancer she began to evaluate anything and everything she was eating and putting in her body.” “So you can imagine how devastating that was to hear. “My wife was 23 years old, had played college basketball and was the picture of health,” Jason Pratt says. Tara, a college athlete, had survived thyroid cancer. The Pratt family had already been through a lot. Studies show that it may be effective at reducing heartburn and GERD symptoms when used alone or with medication.When Jason Pratt co-founded JoySpring, a non-GMO natural wellness brand, with his wife Tara, they were elated to offer customers cleaner, allergen-friendly supplements. Melatonin can block stomach acid secretion and nitric oxide synthesis. One study in 36 people showed that taking melatonin alone or with omeprazole - a common GERD medication - was effective at relieving heartburn and discomfort ( 6).Īnother study compared the effects of omeprazole and a dietary supplement containing melatonin along with several amino acids, vitamins and plant compounds in 351 people with GERD.Īfter 40 days of treatment, 100% of people taking the melatonin-containing supplement reported a reduction in symptoms compared to only 65.7% of the group taking omeprazole ( 20). It also decreases the production of nitric oxide, a compound that relaxes your lower esophageal sphincter, allowing stomach acid to enter your esophagus ( 20).įor this reason, some research suggests that melatonin may be used to treat heartburn and GERD. Melatonin has been shown to block the secretion of stomach acids. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a condition caused by the backflow of stomach acid into the esophagus, resulting in symptoms like heartburn, nausea and belching ( 19). One study found that melatonin capsules may help reduce symptoms, but other research is inconclusive. Seasonal depression may be related to changes in your body’s circadian rhythm. However, other research is still inconclusive on the effects of melatonin on seasonal depression.įor instance, another review of eight studies showed that melatonin was not effective at reducing symptoms of mood disorders, including bipolar disorder, depression and SAD ( 11).įurther research is needed to determine how melatonin may impact symptoms of seasonal depression.

Some research indicates that it could be linked to changes in your circadian rhythm caused by seasonal light changes ( 10).īecause melatonin plays a role in regulating circadian rhythm, low doses are often used to decrease symptoms of seasonal depression.Īccording to one study in 68 people, alterations in circadian rhythm were shown to contribute to seasonal depression, but taking melatonin capsules daily was effective at reducing symptoms ( 5). This type of depression is related to changes in the seasons and occurs each year around the same time, with symptoms typically appearing in late fall to early winter. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also called seasonal depression, is a common condition that is estimated to affect up to 10% of the population worldwide ( 9). Could Reduce Symptoms of Seasonal Depression
