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6 Foods High in Melatonin and Why You Need It

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

Reviewed by Christine Mikstas, RD, LD on November 14, 2022

In this Article

  • Why You Need Melatonin
  • Foods With Melatonin

Melatonin is essential for good sleep. This unique hormone is produced by the pineal gland, located in the middle of the brain, and functions with the rhythms of the sun. More melatonin is made when the sun goes down, and less when the sun comes up. Researchers say that adding melatonin to your diet may improve sleep. 

Taking melatonin supplements is a popular way to boost your body’s natural supply. They’re generally safe and not habit-forming, but they can interfere with some prescription medications, and may cause side effects such as headache, nausea, drowsiness, and dizziness.

However, supplements may not be necessary. Researchers have found that foods high in melatonin raise the level of melatonin in the blood.  

Why You Need Melatonin

A lack of sleep negatively impacts your health. It impedes learning and increases insulin resistance, which can progress to diabetes. It can also disrupt hunger hormones, meaning you may end up eating more than you normally would.

Scientists are still learning about the importance of melatonin. Although it’s best known as a sleep aid, melatonin has a range of other potential health benefits:

Sleep Restoration

There’s little evidence that melatonin is effective against chronic insomnia. But if you’re experiencing jet lag, it may help you return to a normal sleeping pattern. It can also help patients sleep before surgery. 

Better Sleep Patterns in Adults

People with delayed sleep-wake phase disorder often stay awake until early morning and sleep until around noon. Melatonin may help them maintain a more normal sleeping pattern.   

Better Sleep Patterns in Children

Melatonin may also help children with certain conditions that disrupt sleep. These include asthma, dermatitis, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Because melatonin is a hormone, children should not take it without a doctor's approval.

Brain Health in Older Adults

Melatonin levels naturally fall with age. Boosting them could help prevent brain disorders later in life. Both animal and human studies have discovered that melatonin could lower the risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease.   

Eye Health

Melatonin performs several valuable functions in the human eye. Supplementation has shown benefits for those with age-related macular degeneration. Researchers think lower melatonin levels in older adults could contribute to the disorder. 

Foods With Melatonin

No recommended dietary allowance (RDA) has been established for melatonin. When it comes to melatonin supplements, some experts recommend a dosage of around 0. 5 to 3 milligrams for sleep-related issues. Higher doses may cause daytime drowsiness.

Most food databases do not list the amount of melatonin in foods, but according to available research, these six foods are good sources of melatonin:

  1. Tart Cherries
    Tart cherry juice is one of the best-known sleep aids. Researchers have found that it increases melatonin levels in the body and enhances sleep. Keep in mind that cherry juice is high in sugar. Drinking it nightly could significantly raise your intake of calories. Eating cherries instead of drinking their juice is a healthier way of getting melatonin. 
  2. Goji Berries
    Produced by a plant native to China, goji berries have been touted for their anti-aging effects. They are also high in melatonin and may improve sleep.
  3. Eggs
    Among animal products, eggs are one of the best sources of melatonin. Eggs are also highly nutritious, offering protein and iron, among other essential nutrients.
  4. Milk
    Warm milk is a traditional remedy for insomnia, so it's no surprise that it’s high in melatonin. It could be a good option if you tolerate dairy.
  5. Fish
    Fish is a better source of melatonin than other meats. The best options are oily fish like salmon and sardines, which also provide valuable omega-3 fatty acids. 
  6. Nuts
    Most nuts have a good amount of melatonin. Pistachios and almonds are among the highest. Nuts also are an excellent source of many antioxidants, healthy omega-3 fats, and minerals.

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Did you know sleep is vital to nearly every function? It doesn’t just get you through a busy day or keep a cranky mood at bay—it supports memory, cognition, immune function, and a whole lot more. Even so, some people still don’t get enough. Melatonin not only supports restful sleep, it helps travelers adjust to different time zones and night shift workers re-regulate their sleep, according to research.*

Sleep is essential to wellness, and health needs are at a higher level than ever before, yet as much as thirty-five percent of Americans get less than the recommended seven hours of sleep a night. Source Naturals® was the first to bring melatonin to the marketplace over 20 years ago because melatonin is integral to healthy sleep. The body naturally produces this important hormone to help regulate our sleep-wake cycle, but as we age, the ability to produce optimal levels often decreases. That’s why we developed Sleep Science®, which expands our potencies, delivery forms, flavors, and formulas to meet people’s unique sleep support needs.*


Ingredients

Key ingredients: Melatonin


Warnings

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

*USE ONLY AT BEDTIME. For adult use only. Not for use by children, teenagers, women who are pregnant, may become pregnant, or breastfeeding. If you are under medical supervision, or have an autoimmune, disease, diabetes, a depressive disorder, a thyroid condition, epilepsy. leukemia, or a lymphoproliferative disorder, or are taking MAO inhibitor drugs or corticosteroids such as hydrocortisone or prednisone, consult your physician before using this product. DO not take with alcoholic beverages or when operating machinery or driving a vehicle.

About

Highlights

Gluten Free


Details

Did you know sleep is vital to nearly every function? It doesn’t just get you through a busy day or keep a cranky mood at bay—it supports memory, cognition, immune function, and a whole lot more. Even so, some people still don’t get enough. Melatonin not only supports restful sleep, it helps travelers adjust to different time zones and night shift workers re-regulate their sleep, according to research. *

Sleep is essential to wellness, and health needs are at a higher level than ever before, yet as much as thirty-five percent of Americans get less than the recommended seven hours of sleep a night. Source Naturals® was the first to bring melatonin to the marketplace over 20 years ago because melatonin is integral to healthy sleep. The body naturally produces this important hormone to help regulate our sleep-wake cycle, but as we age, the ability to produce optimal levels often decreases. That’s why we developed Sleep Science®, which expands our potencies, delivery forms, flavors, and formulas to meet people’s unique sleep support needs.*


Ingredients

Key ingredients: Melatonin


Warnings

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

*USE ONLY AT BEDTIME. For adult use only. Not for use by children, teenagers, women who are pregnant, may become pregnant, or breastfeeding. If you are under medical supervision, or have an autoimmune, disease, diabetes, a depressive disorder, a thyroid condition, epilepsy. leukemia, or a lymphoproliferative disorder, or are taking MAO inhibitor drugs or corticosteroids such as hydrocortisone or prednisone, consult your physician before using this product. DO not take with alcoholic beverages or when operating machinery or driving a vehicle.


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10 products that will help you sleep

Every person solves problems with going to sleep in different ways - someone relies on sleeping pills, while others exhaust themselves with training, drink decoctions of herbs or set up a bed according to feng shui. At the same time, there is a much easier way to fall asleep easily, naturally and with benefits for the body. It consists in the correct selection of foods rich in tryptophan, serotonin and melatonin for an evening snack. These chemicals regulate the body's internal clock, helping you fall asleep at the right time and making the night's rest deeper and more rewarding. nine0004

Cherry

This is one of the few natural products containing melatonin, a biorhythm regulating hormone. One recent study found that cherry juice concentrate was sometimes even more effective in helping you fall asleep than supplements. The only way to verify this fact is to try it for yourself.

Marmalade

Marmalade is a product that is both effective in the fight against insomnia and dangerous in terms of high sugar content. Yes, a high glycemic index stimulates the release of sleep hormones, but overeating is fraught with the opposite effect - unnecessary vigor after a while. nine0005

Walnut

In addition to the fact that walnuts themselves contain melatonin, tryptophan, an amino acid in their composition, also helps the body to produce the components necessary for falling asleep. Just chop nuts for yourself in advance so that you don’t do unnecessary physical activity at an odd hour.

Almond

Another nut, high in magnesium helps to naturally slow the heart rate, calm the nerves and relax the muscles. The best part is that it only takes a couple of nuts! nine0005

Watermelon

Although we were all told from childhood not to eat a lot of watermelon at night, there are scientifically proven advantages to eating it at this particular time. So, the sweet pulp of this large berry helps to prolong the phases of deep sleep, which has a positive effect on morning well-being. But watermelon, indeed, should not be abused, otherwise you will have to wake up at least once or twice before morning.

Tuna

If you work out in the gym in the evening, then you will not find a better snack than tuna before bed. This type of fish contains a lot of protein, which is necessary for muscle growth, and vitamin B6, which stimulates the secretion of melatonin and serotonin. In addition to tuna, halibut and salmon are also rich in this vitamin. nine0005

White Rice

This and the previous product on the list make a good dinner dish, which, however, should not end just before bedtime. This combo will back up the tuna's high-glycemic vitamin B6 boost with high-glycemic index white rice. The result is an early preparation of the brain for a night slowdown in the biorhythm.

Bread

Love to have buttered toast before bed? Great, you're on your way to Morpheus's embrace, as carb-rich bread helps you fall asleep twice as fast as usual. That's just better to replace butter with less fatty almond or just cheese. nine0005

Yoghurt

Calcium-rich yogurt, which can be added to fruit salad or muesli, for example, will also boost melatonin production in the evening. In principle, one should have expected something similar from a product made from milk, which at all times has been distinguished by its soporific properties.

Oatmeal

It turns out that oatmeal is good not only to meet a new day, but also to see it off - a nutritious meal in the evening will provide the body with the necessary amount of carbohydrates and calcium to help a baby fall asleep. It will not be superfluous to add a banana to the porridge, also rich in natural relaxants like potassium and magnesium. nine0005

Information from steaklovers.menu

7 Foods to Help You Sleep

A greasy and/or spicy dinner seasoned with alcohol or a generous helping of caffeinated drink is sure to give you a nasty sleepless night. Neurologist-somnologist of the Atlas Medical Center Elena Tsareva tells what foods (and dishes from them) will bring peace, tranquility and sweet nap.

Hercules porridge

While your surprised eyebrows are confidently creeping up, let's talk about everything in order. Melatonin, one of the main hormones needed for healthy sleep, can either be produced in the body on its own or come from outside with certain foods. According to the Society for Light Therapy and Biological Rhythms, the blood of a middle-aged person contains 5-25 micrograms of melatonin (that's 15,000 nanograms). Some products contain "doses" of melatonin comparable to this amount. Record holders for this indicator are cherries and sweet cherries, dates, walnuts, mustard seeds, oatmeal, barley, buckwheat and rice cereals, millet. Of course, rarely do any of us eat porridge for dinner, but if insomnia confidently asserts itself, why not try it? To make the effect one hundred percent, season it with nuts and dried fruits. nine0005

Nuts

Tryptophan deficiency also drastically impairs the quality of sleep. Keeping in mind that this amino acid is a precursor to the joy and pleasure hormone serotonin, we report that regular "refueling" with tryptophan - it is found in nuts (walnuts and pine nuts, cashews, peanuts, almonds), as well as in cheese, turkey, seafood and chute - will improve not only a night's rest, but also your mood.

"Mineral" products

Surely you did not think that zinc, magnesium, calcium, iron and iodine are not only elements of the periodic table, but also minerals important for sleep. We explain why. nine0007 Magnesium protects against stress, helps to relax and get rid of obsessive thoughts (often they prevent us from falling asleep quickly and calmly). Take note: Magnesium is found in green vegetables, bananas, and almonds. Zinc is also urgently needed by the body in stressful situations. Flax seeds, wheat germ, mussels are its main source products. Calcium is required for normal muscle contraction (as well as strong bones and teeth), but this is not its only important function: it also helps the formation of melatonin, the sleep hormone. Therefore, a lack of calcium can contribute not only to convulsions and tics, but also to insomnia. Therefore, we have a snack at night looking at cottage cheese or a green salad seasoned with sesame seeds. nine0005

Diet can also worsen the quality of sleep. The most harmful foods that interfere with sleep are caffeine, alcohol, and fast carbohydrates.

A sufficient amount of iron in the body will relieve discomfort in the legs before falling asleep (admit it, you also couldn’t fall asleep at least once because “there was nowhere to put them”?). The main source of iron in food is red meat. We do not urge you to eat steaks in bed, but a couple of times a week we agitate a meat feast 2-3 hours before bedtime. Another important mineral for sleep is iodine , which supports the normal function of the thyroid gland. Its cumulative effect “works” for the long term (protects against snoring and, again, from the “restless legs” syndrome), so everything is simple here - to prevent iodine deficiency, replace ordinary salt with iodized salt.

"Yellow" fruits (pineapple, banana, citrus)

A little more about melatonin. In Thailand's Khon Kaen University, a study was conducted: 30 people ate one of six fruits for one week. Before and after the experiment, each participant measured the level of 6-sulfatoxymelatonin aMT6s in the urine - an indicator that reflects the level of melatonin in the blood. It turned out that tropical fruits can influence the production of their own melatonin, with pineapple, banana and orange becoming the champions. According to the results of the study, pineapples increase the level of own melatonin by 226%, bananas - by 180%, oranges - by 47%. nine0005

Cherry

According to a University of Pennsylvania study, cherry juice is incredibly good for sleep: if you drink a glass before bed for one week, the time of the “embrace of Morpheus” increases by 34 minutes due to almost instantaneous falling asleep, and the effectiveness of sleep increases by 5-6%.

Lettuce

The well-known popular lettuce contains latucarium, a substance that has sedative properties and is similar in action to opium (do not be alarmed - its effect is many times less pronounced and not addictive, but it helps to fall asleep perfectly). nine0005

Herbal teas

Several studies have found that chamomile tea increases glycine levels, which helps relax muscles. And Australian scientists noted an improvement in the quality of sleep when drinking passion fruit tea an hour before bedtime: they associated this effect with the action of alkaloids in tea, which calm the nervous system.


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