Pineal Gland – June 5, 2002

Pineal Gland – June 5, 2002

The pineal gland is a newly discovered anatomical structure in the human body over the past 20 years, a round solid organ about 0.8 cm in diameter and weighing around 0.2 g, located in the dorsal posterior part of the diencephalon between the two cerebral hemispheres. In lower vertebrates, the pineal system serves as a sensory organ, whereas the human pineal gland does not have this function. Recent studies have confirmed that the pineal gland is an endocrine organ, secreting a hormone whose main component is acetyl-methoxytryptamine. The effects of acetyl-methoxytryptamine are twofold: ① it lowers brain neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and norepinephrine, and the decrease in these substances induces sedation and sleep; ② it inhibits the development of the pituitary gland, thyroid gland, adrenal glands, prostate, and seminal vesicles. Based on these functions, people recently refer to the N-acetyl-methoxytryptamine extract from the pineal gland as "Brain Platinum." As mentioned above, Brain Platinum has a sleep-inducing effect; it is also not suitable for minors. Brain Platinum contains melatonin, also known as "sleep-inducing substance."