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Melatonin in Walnuts Protective Against Cancer and Heart Disease

Nutrition Facts has found research from the Health Science Center shows that walnuts contain melatonin, a hormone that protects cells against damage. Russel Reiter,PhD professor at the Health Science Center says," Our studies demonstrates that walnuts contain melatonin, that it is absorbed when it eaten, and that it improves our ability to resist oxidative stress caused by toxic molecules called free radicals". Diseases of aging like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and cataracts have a free radical component, Reiter says. Melatonin destroys free radicals before they can cause harm, and it has been shown to inhibit certain types of cancer. Reiter says that adding melatonin to the diet of newborn rats that are susceptible to cataracts prevents cataracts from forming. "In walnuts it's not only the melatonin that is healthy, but the other ingredients. It's really the composite of the nut that makes it healthy, not one ingredient", Reiter says. Melatonin nutritional supplements are more famous as a sleep aid. As we get older our nighttime melatonin levels wane, affecting regular sleep patterns. It's known that free radical damage increases as we age, while melatonin decreases with age.
Source: HCS News