Higher Levels of Sleep Hormone could Cut Risk of Prostate Cancer: Study

Higher Levels of Sleep Hormone could Cut Risk of Prostate Cancer: StudySubmitted by Pallavi Sharma on Tue, 01/21/2014 - 08:29 

If findings of a new study are to be believed, level of a sleep hormone in human body could be a link to the risk of developing prostate cancer. The study has claimed that higher levels of melatonin, which is released in the body in the dark, could lower the risk of developing prostate cancer.
Researchers reached at the above conclusion after conducting the study on 928 Icelandic men. Sarah Markt, doctoral candidate in the department of epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health, led the study along with his team members.
Markt said, "Men who had higher levels of melatonin had a 75 percent reduced risk for developing advanced prostate cancer compared with men who had lower melatonin. The risk was especially reduced when it came to advanced disease".

The findings of the study will be discussed at an American Association for Cancer Research meeting on Sunday in San Diego.
Markt said melatonin is a sleep hormone connected with the body's circadian rhythms. She added that it has been revealed by experimental studies that melatonin inhibits the growth of prostate tumor growth. Experts have, however, said that further researches are necessary before recommending melatonin supplements to men to cut down the risk of prostate cancer.