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Magnesium and melatonin are both popular supplements, especially among people looking to get more shuteye, but can combining them improve your sleep? Some research indicates that taking magnesium and melatonin together could improve sleep quality, though stronger, larger studies are needed to confirm the effect.
Studies on using magnesium and melatonin together are limited, but some evidence suggests it could benefit sleep in certain individuals.
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As per Health, one study focusing on women with polycystic ovary syndrome found that taking both magnesium and melatonin improved sleep quality. Another study reported that people with sleep difficulties who used a combined magnesium-melatonin supplement for four weeks noticed modest improvements in how well they slept.
The exact reason why the two work together is not completely understood, but magnesium and melatonin may influence each other in a way that supports sleep.
“Magnesium does have an effect on melatonin levels,” said Marie van der Merwe, PhD, coordinator of the applied physiology and nutrition doctoral program at the University of Memphis, speaking to Health. “The amount of magnesium you have can influence how well your body produces melatonin.”
You don’t necessarily need to take the two supplements at the same time to benefit, van der Merwe noted. It’s fine to take magnesium in the morning and melatonin before bed.
The takeaway: There could be a link between magnesium and better sleep, but more research is needed to be sure.
Magnesium is a vital mineral that supports nerve and muscle function, regulates blood pressure and blood sugar, and contributes to the formation of bone, protein, and DNA. As per Mayo Clinic, it is also commonly taken to help with sleep, but it is not without risks.
Some studies suggest magnesium may help sleep by:
Improving sleep quality: Ensuring adequate magnesium through diet or supplements may help people with deficiencies sleep better and ease anxiety.
Reducing muscle tension: Magnesium can help relax muscles and relieve tension, which can make it easier to fall asleep.
Research on magnesium for sleep is limited. Supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA for safety or effectiveness and carry potential risks:
Delayed effect: It may take several weeks before magnesium supplements noticeably improve sleep.5
Side effects: High doses can cause diarrhea, nausea, and stomach cramps.7
Drug interactions: Magnesium can interfere with some medications, reducing their effect or increasing side effects. Talk to a doctor before starting any new supplement.7
Melatonin is a well-known sleep aid, though it’s actually a hormone your body naturally produces to regulate sleep-wake cycles.⁸ “Melatonin is in charge of running the [internal] clock, and it really is important for regulating your circadian rhythms,” van der Merwe said.
Works quickly when needed: Unlike magnesium, melatonin can act soon after taking it, making it useful for occasional sleepless nights.
May help you fall asleep faster: Studies show that a 2-milligram dose of melatonin helped some people fall asleep about nine minutes sooner than placebo.
Supports sleep timing: Melatonin can help shift workers, travelers with jet lag, or those with irregular sleep schedules align their sleep patterns.
Melatonin can help with some sleep difficulties but won’t fix all sleep disorders, van der Merwe said. Like magnesium, melatonin isn’t FDA-regulated:
Long-term effects unclear: There’s limited data on the safety of long-term melatonin use.
Medication interactions: Melatonin may interact with antibiotics, antidepressants, and birth control.
Caution for certain groups: It’s generally not recommended for children or people with dementia, and should be used carefully by those with seizures or on blood thinners.
It’s wise to speak with a healthcare professional before starting any new supplements, alone or in combination.
Van der Merwe emphasized that sleep problems can stem from issues that supplements alone won’t fix. Conditions like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and depression can affect sleep.
If you want to try one or both supplements, a doctor can help determine the best timing for magnesium, melatonin, or a combined product.
“Melatonin [should] increase at night,” van der Merwe explained, so it is crucial to take it at the right time. Taking it in the morning can disrupt your internal clock.
Even though sleep-support supplements like magnesium and melatonin have grown in popularity, it’s important to consult a professional to see if they will help in your situation.
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According to the Indian Council of Medical Research - National Cancer Registry Programme (ICMR-NCRP), India reports about 220,000 new cases every year, and the common treatment procedure for this disease is chemotherapy, which comes with profound fatigue, hair loss, nausea, compromised immunity, and nerve damage.
The University College London led the Optima trial, which studied over 4000 patients with the disease in different parts of the world, and a low score on the genomic test could be mediated with only hormone therapy.
The trial’s chief investigator and a professor of breast oncology at UCL, Professor Rob Stein, explains that the study used tumour biology to guide decisions instead of relying on traditional clinical procedures.
The research had 4,429 women participants above the age of 40 years with hormone-positive breast cancer. These patients were then divided into two groups based on the genomic test results by the researchers, and one group with a higher risk was given chemotherapy along with hormone therapy, while the others were only treated with hormone therapy.
Breast cancer refers to the uncontrolled growth of the cells that are found along the inner lining of breast tissue. This out-of-control growth of cells leads to the formation of tumours. The tumour can be “invasive”, meaning that it spreads to the nearby tissues outside the breast, or “in situ”, where the tumour does not spread outside the breast region.
Usually, the “in situ” type of tumour is non-cancerous and non-life-threatening. However, in the case of invasive tumours, the cancerous cell mass can spread to the lymph nodes and further metastasise, that is, spread to other body parts. About 80% times the breast cancer cases are invasive. Hence, upon noticing symptoms like lumps, changes in breast shape, or abnormal nipple discharge, you must promptly consult a doctor.
While both men and women can develop it, in 99% of cases of breast cancer, women are seen to be affected by it. Only 0.5 to 1% of men are affected due to this condition. Furthermore, the condition is mostly prevalent in women aged 50 or older.
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After the advent of Ozempic-like drugs, the treatment of obesity has completely changed. Millions of people throughout the world use the medication either for obesity or diabetes. Although there were always concerns among medical professionals that the medication not only reduces fat but also lean muscle, which in turn leads to health loss, as muscle is very important to long-term health.
Now, a new study presented at the European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS) Congress 2026 claims that this vital minus point of the drug, causing lean fat loss, can be mended by pairing it with exercise. The study suggests that combining the drug with exercise can lead to better fat loss, while the muscle will also stay protected. Though the study was done on animals, further research on humans is required.
The researchers studied mice with obesity, insulin resistance, fatty liver disease, and atherosclerosis. The animals were divided into groups and given semaglutide. After 14 weeks, it was found that the drug alone reduced fat by 31 percent but also caused muscle loss, while when the medication was given with exercise, it caused fat loss by 45 percent, and lean mass loss was minimal.
The first thing to remember here is that Ozempic is a brand-name medicine that contains semaglutide as its active ingredient. Semglutide is the synthetic version of GLP-1, a natural hormone produced in the intestines that regulates blood sugar, appetite, and digestion. Now, every time you eat, your body produces various hormones, including GLP-1. These are called post-nutrition hormones and help you absorb the energy you just consumed.
GLP-1 travels to your pancreas, prompting it to produce insulin. It also travels to the hypothalamus in your brain, which gives you the feeling of being full or satiated. Ozempic imitates this hormone, thereby silencing the food chatter in the brain. Interestingly, for some people this food chatter is really quiet ( people with low appetite), and for others it is an outburst (people who generally binge eat). So with Ozempic, silencing this self-talk in the brain, people tend to lose their appetite and eventually weight.
However, it is important to note that losing weight includes not just fat but muscle as well. Losing too much muscle can lead to reduced strength and a shorter life span. Notably, records show that most people who start taking them stop them at 12 weeks; therefore, it is important for some but not for others.
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Ice cream is a sweet and delicious dessert loved and enjoyed by millions every day, and summers without this soothing treat are unimaginable, but some get a sharp stabbing pain after they have it. This headache is brain freeze, and it can reveal a lot about your health condition.
Amaal Starling, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, in the US, says, "Ice cream headache is very, very common." She added, "It's harmless, it comes, and it goes."
Scientists refer to brain freeze or ice cream headache as a cold-stimulus headache. According to the researchers, the reason for this condition is "rapid cooling at the roof of the mouth, or even in the very back of the throat". This cooling causes the blood vessels to shrink quickly after they return to their normal state. Which is the source of pain?
The research indicates that brain freeze seems to run in families. Though it also gets affected by your non-ice cream headaches, as people with migraines tend to feel far worse pain in brain freeze than others.
Stress Headaches
Stress headaches, also known as tension headaches, usually feel like a tight band squeezing your head. They are commonly caused by long working hours, lack of sleep, dehydration, or anxiety. However, these headaches generally go away with simple fixes, like rest, water, and relaxation techniques like yoga or meditation.
Migraines
Migraines often cause throbbing pain on one side of the head, along with nausea, vomiting, or sensitivity to light and sound. Some people also experience visual disturbances known as ‘auras’, flashes of light or zigzag patterns, before the headache even begins. They can last for hours or even days and may seriously impact the quality of life. Unlike stress headaches, migraines often need specific medication and lifestyle management.
Not every headache is about stress or migraines. Sometimes, a headache is a warning siren for something far more dangerous. Headaches can also indicate conditions such as high blood pressure, brain infections, stroke, or tumours. The red flags to look out for include:
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