Do you know that feeling? You look in the mirror in the morning and think to yourself, "Somehow my skin looks dull, and my cheeks don't seem as plump as they used to."

Most people are familiar with amino acids – as the building blocks of proteins, essential for muscles, enzymes, and signaling molecules. Awareness of their importance has grown considerably in recent years. However, what many people are less familiar with are nucleotides, a group of substances that play a role at an even more fundamental biological level.

Using smartphones, working on computers, and streaming TV series – especially right before bedtime – can interfere with the function of our pineal gland. Among other things, this small gland regulates the release of the hormone melatonin, which is normally produced in greater amounts as darkness falls in the evening.