Melatonin is a crucial hormone that promotes sleep by signaling the brain that it is nighttime. Beyond sleep, melatonin also acts as an antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory properties. This crucial hormone is produced by the pineal gland in the brain. While consuming certain fruits and vegetables can stimulate its production, melatonin supplements are also widely used by people struggling with insomnia or jet lag and are available over the counter in many countries.

How Does Melatonin Work?

Melatonin works hand-in-hand with your body’s internal clock, known as your circadian rhythm. This rhythm tells you when to sleep, wake, and even eat. Besides sleep regulation, melatonin also plays a role in managing your body temperature, blood pressure, glucose levels, and some hormones.

At night, as it gets darker, melatonin levels rise, signalling that it’s time to rest. In the morning, exposure to light lowers melatonin levels, helping you feel alert and awake. It interacts with receptors in your brain to slow down nerve activity and reduce dopamine, the hormone that keeps you awake.

7 Habits That Can Boost Melatonin Production

1. Get Morning Sunlight

Exposure to natural light early in the day helps regulate your internal clock and tells your body when to produce melatonin later. According to experts, Natural light in the morning helps regulate your internal clock and signals to your body when it’s time to produce melatonin later.

2. Limit Blue Light at Night

There is empirical evidence that screens from phones, tablets, and TVs suppress melatonin. Adjusting your phone to filter blue light or avoiding screens before bed can help.

3. Eat Melatonin-Rich Foods

Many fruits and vegetables boost melatonin production:

Tart cherries

Bananas

Oats

Walnuts

Almonds

Milk

Tomatoes

Fatty fish (like salmon)

Eggs

Grapes

4. Include Tryptophan in Your Diet

Tryptophan, found in turkey, eggs, nuts, and seeds, helps produce serotonin, which converts into melatonin. Several other nutrients, including magnesium, calcium, vitamin D, zinc and several types of vitamin B.

5. Maintain a Consistent Sleep Schedule

Going to bed and waking up at the same time daily trains your body to produce melatonin more effectively.

6. Avoid Late Meals

Finish eating at least two hours before bed to avoid disrupting your sleep with digestion-related issues. Digestion keeps your body active when it should be winding down and can lead to sleep-disturbing side effects such as heartburn and acid reflux.

7. Manage Stress

Stress raises cortisol, which interferes with melatonin. Meditation, breathwork, and warm baths can promote relaxation. Other healthy bedtime rituals include journaling, reading and listening to a podcast — whatever you need to do to let your muscles relax so that you sleep easily.

On May 15, Delhi-NCR woke up with a thick layer of smoke, many have felt the change instantly with their eyes getting dry, and facing difficulties while breathing. Photos too have come up from different parts of the capital, including the national capital region, including Noida and Gurugram that showed a thick layer of dust in the surrounding. The AQI has crossed 500 in certain places.

Air quality in Delhi deteriorated sharply overnight, with the AQI hitting 249 by 10 AM—classified as “poor”—as per SAFAR data. In several parts of Delhi-NCR, real-time AQI readings exceeded 500, falling into the “hazardous” category. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), strong dust-laden winds that began around 10 PM on Wednesday stirred up significant particulate matter, particularly PM10, triggering the sudden surge in pollution.

IMD scientist Krishna Mishra noted that by 9AM, the visibility had slightly improved to 1,500 metres with westerly winds at 10 km/hr, and said that further gradual improvement is expected as the day progresses.

Despite signs of improvement, the air quality remains hazardous—posing serious risks to children, the elderly, and people with existing respiratory issues. Even healthy individuals may experience short-term symptoms such as eye irritation, sore throat, and difficulty breathing.

Air Pollution Problem In India

Last month Health and Me reported the air pollution crisis India is facing, as it had surpassed the safety levels set by the World Health Organization (WHO).

This has posed a grave public health threat across the country. Not is it a concern for the capital city of Delhi, but for rest of the country too. The Director of WHO's Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health. Dr Maria Neira, recently also emphasized that while New Delhi gets the most media attention, especially during the winters, the problem extends far beyond its borders.

"There is a study which shows that we always focus on New Delhi when it comes to pollution, but I am afraid it is almost all of India where WHO standards on AQI are not implemented," pointed out Dr Neira.

India's air pollution is not just a seasonal or a regional problem. It is a year-round crisis that impacts vast sections of the population. As per the WHO guidelines, brief exposure to high levels of air pollutants can cause serious health problems. However, in India, several regions frequently record Air Quality Index (AQI) levels that are beyond safe limits.

Another report by University of Chicago revealed that air pollution is reducing the life expectancy of Delhi residents by 7.8 years. As per a US-based NGO report by the Health Effects Institute, there has been 30 to 50% increase in lung cancer rates associated with pollutants. A recent 2024 study also revealed that air pollution is not just linked to lung cancer but it can also cause head and neck cancer.

"Head and neck cancer is a harder link to show, and it has a much lower occurrence than lung cancers, but since they also occur as a result of smoking, similar to lung cancers, we wanted to explore any connections," said John Cramer, the study's lead researcher. "Presumably, the link to head and neck cancer comes from what we breathe to that material affecting the lining in the head and neck. We see a lot of occurrences of where carcinogens touch or pool in the body to where cancers can occur," he explained.

Tata Memorial Hospital published a study in July that revealed most people who had lung cancer in India never smoked.

On average, if you smoke a cigarette, you consume 1-2 milligram of nicotine. With nicotine, you are smoking somewhere between 7,000 to 8,000 different chemicals, which can cause cancer. These chemicals include carbon monoxide, nickel, PAHs, ammonia, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, and many more such chemicals that also constitute air pollution.

So, What Can You Do To Safeguard Yourself Against The Air Pollution Crisis?

Gurugram-based pulmonologist and a member of DocTube, Dr Vivek Nangia suggests it is best to avoid going outside. However, if you must go out, it is best to go during the noon, as pollution levels are at the lowest during that time. There are certain things you can do after you reach home to cleanse yourself from pollution.

Make sure the air purifier is turned on once you are at home. Wash your hands, and your face, and take a glass of warm water, mix some salt in it and gargle with it. This will cleanse your trachea, that helps you transport air in and out of your lungs.

Experts also suggest consuming warm fluids, like green tea, herbal teas or soup. He also recommends to eat food rich in vitamin C as it has antioxidants and can help in reducing inflammation and protect mucous membranes in the throat and sinuses.

Men are twice as likely to die from heart failure related to broken heart syndrome as compared to women, a new study has found, despite the condition being far more common amongst women. Broken heart syndrome, which is scientifically known as Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy, is a temporary heart condition that develops in response to an intense emotional or physical experience. It prompts a change in the shape of the heart as the left ventricle weakens, making it tougher for the heart muscle to pump blood, thereby triggering chest pain. During this time, the heart’s most powerful chamber starts looking like a Tako-Tsubo pot, a Japanese fishing pot used to catch octopus.

According to a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA), the mortality of men who get broken heart syndrome is as high as 11.2 per cent, and for women, it is 5.5 per cent. For the study, data of as many as 2,00,000 people over the age of 18 in the US were analysed. They were found to have been hospitalised with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy from the year 2016 to 2020. Interestingly, researchers found that while men were more at risk of death due to broken heart syndrome, it appeared to affect more women. As such, about 83 per cent of the patients hospitalised were women.

The study also found that older adults, especially those over 61 years of age, were most vulnerable. Although, adults between 46 and 60 were 2.6 to 3.25 times more likely to develop the condition than younger adults between 31 and 45. White adults had the highest incidence of the condition at 0.16%, followed by Native Americans (0.13%) and Black adults (0.07%). Several complications were observed in patients: congestive heart failure in 35.9%, atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) in 20.7%, cardiogenic shock in 6.6%, stroke in 5.3%, and cardiac arrest in 3.4%. Movahed emphasised that many of these serious complications could potentially be prevented through early treatment and monitoring.

Science Has A Quick Fix To Your Heartbreak

While romantic heartbreaks seem incurable, a new study promises an easy, painless solution for those suffering from love trauma syndrome (LTS). The research, initially published by The Guardian, involved 36 volunteers with LTS, divided into three groups. Each group used transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) headsets for 20 minutes, twice daily, over five days. The headsets delivered a mild electrical current to specific brain areas involved in emotion regulation. Participants who received active stimulation reported significant reductions in emotional distress, indicating that tDCS could effectively alleviate the profound sadness and anxiety following a breakup.

ALSO READ: Heartbreak Hurts, But A Zap Might Heal It: Study

Before you reach for another wipe, spray or “feminine fresh” gel, hit pause. Because here’s the uncomfortable truth: your vagina doesn’t need it and definitely doesn’t want it. Despite what the feminine care aisle might be selling, your vagina is not a high-maintenance diva in need of lavender-scented lotions or internal rinse rituals. It’s actually one of the most self-sufficient parts of your body. Yes, your vagina is a self-cleaning organ, designed to maintain its own delicate balance without a single pump of perfumed soap. But the booming feminine hygiene industry is banking on your doubt—and potentially compromising your health in the process.

So what’s the one thing you should never let near your lady parts? It’s douching. But it’s not the only culprit. Here’s the deep dive into why your vagina wants you to back off the products, how you might be doing more harm than good, and what science-backed swaps truly support your body’s natural balance.

Why Vaginal Soaps and Washes Are Overrated?

It’s easy to be seduced by pastel packaging and promises of feeling “extra clean.” But according to Professor Willa Huston, a women’s health microbiologist at the University of Technology Sydney, using these soaps does far more harm than good.

“The tissue in this area is much more sensitive and delicate than the skin on your arm,” she explains. “Chemicals used in scents can irritate, damage tissue, and increase the risk of infections.”

Your vulva (the external part of your genitalia) can be cleaned with warm water, and if soap is truly needed, it should be mild, unscented, and used sparingly—never internally. Because every time you over-clean or scrub your way to “freshness,” you risk wiping out the very bacteria that are there to protect you.

What is the Problem with Feminine Wipes?

Marketed as on-the-go saviors for sweaty days or post-workout freshness, feminine wipes are often anything but gentle.

“They can disrupt the natural pH and reduce beneficial bacteria,” Huston warns. These bacteria are essential for maintaining your vagina’s protective microbiome.

While they may be convenient in emergencies, they shouldn’t become part of your daily routine. If you absolutely must use them, choose pH-balanced, fragrance-free versions—and treat them like you would dry shampoo: a temporary fix, not a lifestyle.

Sprays, Deodorants, and the Shame Game

Let’s be real, your vagina shouldn’t smell like a tropical smoothie.

Using sprays and deodorants down there can cause allergic reactions, irritation, and even mask symptoms of infections like bacterial vaginosis or yeast infections.

Instead of covering up, tune in. If you notice an unusual or persistent odor, it’s your body’s way of waving a red flag. Call your doctor—don’t cover it in coconut-scented mist.

The One Thing That Absolutely Doesn’t Belong Inside You: Douching

If there’s one thing experts agree on, it’s this: never douche.

Douching flushes out the vagina’s natural defenses, increasing the risk of infections, pelvic inflammatory disease, and even fertility problems. According to multiple studies, it disturbs the pH, damages healthy bacteria, and can cause more harm than any other hygiene habit. In short, it’s a hard no.

Your vagina has its own built-in cleaning crew—there’s absolutely no need to pressure-wash it.

Link Between Talc and the Ovarian Cancer

For years, talc-based powders were sold as a solution for “staying fresh.” But mounting concerns over their possible link to ovarian cancer have changed the narrative.

The World Health Organization classifies genital use of talc as a possible carcinogen, and while research is ongoing, many gynecologists urge caution.

Skip the powders, your body’s natural moisture isn’t a problem that needs “fixing.”

When Creams Help And When They Don’t?

Not all creams are villains. For women experiencing dryness, particularly during or after menopause, certain vaginal moisturizers can offer real relief and this is key choose products specifically formulated for intimate use. Avoid anything with fragrances or harsh additives. When in doubt, consult your OB-GYN for a tailored recommendation.

Menstrual Products

Tampons, pads, and menstrual cups are safe when used correctly. But bad habits—like leaving a tampon in too long or using scented sanitary products—can irritate and even lead to infections.

Stick with unscented, breathable materials, change tampons or pads every 4–6 hours, and sanitize menstrual cups thoroughly between uses.

What Your Vagina Actually Wants?

The golden rule? Less is more.

Here’s what gynecologists recommend for healthy vulvovaginal care:

• Wash the vulva with warm water only
• Avoid internal cleaning or douching
• Wear breathable cotton underwear
• Opt for unscented, pH-balanced products only when truly needed

Seek medical advice if anything feels off—itching, burning, discharge, or odor. Remember, your natural scent is part of your body’s ecosystem. It’s not something to hide—it’s something to understand and respect.

Your vagina doesn’t need to smell like a field of roses or feel squeaky clean 24/7. It needs balance, support, and space to do what it does best: protect, regulate, and renew.

So skip the sprays, ditch the douches, and save your wipes for long flights. Trust your body—it’s smarter than any ad campaign. And if something feels off? Don’t DIY it with drugstore products. Call your doctor because the only thing that belongs near your vagina is respect for its natural intelligence and for your own wellbeing.