Sixty capsules of melatonin, a natural hormone, United States, 1999

Bottle containing 60 x 3mg capsules of melatonin made by Now Foods, Glendale, Illinois, United States, distributed by Olympia Nutrition, United Kingdom, 1999. A natural hormone responsible for the pattern of the 'body clock' and used as an anti-ageing medicine, to aid sleep and prevent jet lag (see note).

Melatonin is a natural hormone produced in the brains of many species of animals. It is an important chemical, responsible for the regulation of the ‘body clock’. The makers of this product intended it as an aid to improve sleep or to be taken by travellers to prevent jet lag.

There are some claims that melatonin can act as an anti-ageing treatment. The product is not sold over the counter in United Kingdom and this example was purchased from Olympia Nutrition, an American company who supply supplements.