From:
"Sukie Crandall"
Date: 2009-02-11 04:26:19 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Theory On Reducing Adrenal Disease
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
The production of melatonin is done by the pineal gland
when there is darkness. Natural light has nothing to do
with that, except that in natural dusk there will be less of
the blue and green components of light and more amber.
Blue wavelengths most impede the production, followed
by green wavelengths. Amber wavelengths least impede
melatonin production. If you live in a dark area that will
help, too, given your set-up.
Too little melatonin circulating is a demonstrated cause
of increased production of LH and FHS. Over-production
of LH is the very well and independently demonstrated
cause of adrenal hyperplasia (and some recent work also
links low levels of melatonin to increased rates of some
types of human testicular malignancies while other recent
work links youthful use of marijuana to a a doubled risk
rate of a particularly nasty form of that in humans;
older work links low levels of circulating melatonin in
humans with breast cancer problems and some other
hormonal malignancy considerations in humans).
So, you were close, but it's the darkness, not the light
that results in good natural melatonin levels with one
caveat: natural dusk has a better wavelength ratio than
most artificial lighting has.
If you look in the FHL separate archives you'll find quite
a number of related links ranging from the physiology
involved, to scotobiology, to night sky light level maps
from NASA.
--- In ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com, "Gary" <traveller101_ca@...> wrote:
>
> I just wanted to throw this theory out there for discussion and maybe
> even consideration of experts.
> I have had many ferrets over several decades and only 2 ever became
> adrenal and that was in older age, 5.5 years and 7 years of age.
> Their setup is such that they are free roam, restricted to a couple of
> rooms, and they choose to sleep in various spots that are totally dark,
> I remember something about excess artificial light is not good for
> them.
> I read how natural sunlight produces melatone, which is in melatonine
> and that is used to treat the symptoms of adrenal disease.
> I have a setup where when the weather is nice enough I open up a 4"
> opening that is connected to tubing out to their secure outdoor play
> area. They get plenty of natural sunlight, so, my theory is that
> insufficient natural light can contribute significantly to adrenal
> disease and then of course plenty of natural sunlight helps delay or
> prevent it.
>
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