Blog — MT6s

By Dr. Allison Smith, ZRT Laboratory I would like to thank everyone who joined in our webinar on the Role of Hormones in Sleep Disturbances!  There were a number of questions I wasn’t able to address due to time constraints but they were all excellent questions. I thought at least someone would be interested in a follow-up as I speak to the rest of the questions just as a little wrap-up. Q: Wouldn't it be nice to include Dried Urine Melatonin in your ZRT Comprehensive Profile, to be able to evaluate Morning Cortisol when low? Maybe it is low while Melatonin...

Melatonin is a ubiquitous little hormone that comes in an indolamine package similar to serotonin, its precursor. Thanks to its unique structure, it can travel easily through the blood stream and readily crosses the blood-brain and placental barriers. It is synthesized and used all over the body to perform a number of indispensable roles. It’s the main reason our bodies know what time it is and what it’s supposed to be doing at any given moment. It signals the transcription of genes that regulate the cell cycle, neutralize free radicals, and decrease inflammation. Its claim to fame, however, is its role in promoting sleep. Melatonin's Daily...