From all the health-related TV shows to medical magazine articles, who really knows the truth about melatonin? According to various doctors, scientists and physiologists, melatonin, provided naturally, is an effective and vigorous aid, very useful for health purposes. Researchers said that there are negative claims about the effects of melatonin, such as jet lag and type 2 diabetes. Medical studies also explain that the enormous benefits of melatonin outweigh these accusations, because it reduces the risk of headaches, cancer and behavioral problems linked to chronic insomnia. What exactly is melatonin and how does it work in the body? The University of Maryland Medical Center states that melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland in the brain that controls other hormones and maintains the body's circadian rhythms (UMM Melatonin). The pineal gland in the brain is responsible for producing various types of hormones, but the main one secreted is melatonin. The main task of melatonin is to regulate the night and day cycles, because when darkness occurs, more melatonin is produced in the body. As light appears throughout the day, melatonin levels decrease, signaling the body to wake up (Melatonin Medline). If one is severely exposed to extreme amounts of bright light or if the light emitted is not sufficient, the circadian rhythms controlled by melatonin are profoundly disrupted (Melatonin UMM). Generalizing this basic information regarding the function and meaning of melatonin, experiments have shown that the hormone plays an important role in the treatment of migraines and other types of headaches. middle of article...a 2009 reference suggesting you can train your body and brain to work efficiently. I rarely needed to use this book because there wasn't much information on my topic, but the facts I found throughout the book were very interesting. A very credible source that is worth reading from time to time. Weaver, Jacqueline. “Study: Melatonin is not useful for combating jet lag.” Yale University, November 10, 2000. Web. April 12, 2012. This website article mainly explains why melatonin is not helpful in combating jet lag. A study in November 2000 found that circadian rhythms were disrupted because of melatonin. Although this is a credible .edu source, I found this information to be confusing because it tells the reader that melatonin is helpful and not helpful. This was one of my counterarguments in the paper, and I had a lot to say about it too..