GSE
Benefits of MELATONIN Supplementation
MELATONIN SupplementationSupplementing with MELATONIN
is appropriate in certain situations
However, be aware that chronic
use of supplemental MELATONIN
in younger people can result in the pineal gland becoming lazy
For older people
( > 60 yrs) - daily MELATONIN
supplementation can be useful, since their pineal gland is not producing enough
.
To synchronize perturbed sleep and circadian rhythms -
sustained desynchonisation of the "Biological Clock" has a profound
impact on health and wellbeing, including suppressed immunity and increased risk
of cancer. Also, frequently accompanying these disturbances are neuropsychiatric
disorders, such as depression, schizophrenia and Alzheimer's. Desynchronisation
occurs while the body's clocks struggle to adapt to an abruptly shifted external
light/dark cycle. E.g.
Frequent
trans-meridian travel (Jet Lag). E.g. Transcontinental
flight personnel and frequent overseas fliers. Supplement
MELATONIN on the day of the flight and continue
for five days thereafter.Shift-workers.
MELATONIN
supplements may simulate the MELATONIN production
at different times that does not occur during regular sleeping hours for people
who work night shifts.
Straif, Kurt; Baan, Robert; Grosse, Yann; Secretan, BéAtrice;
Ghissassi, Fatiha El; Bouvard, VéRonique; Altieri, Andrea; Benbrahim-Tallaa, Lamia
et al (2007). "Carcinogenicity of shift-work, painting, and fire-fighting". The
Lancet Oncology 8 (12): 1065-6.
doi :10.1016/S1470-2045(07)70373-X .
PMID 19271347 .
Induces / Improves Sleep
MELATONIN Induces / Improves
Sleep
Prevent ischemic damage -
in rats, reduces tissue damage due to ischemia in brain and heart; (ischemia
is a restriction in blood supply causing a shortage of oxygen delivery to target
organs/tissues)
Against cardiovascular disease - Low nighttime MELATONIN has been reported
in patients with coronary heart disease and heart failure. Similarly, thelinkbetween
highCORTISOL andhypertension is well established.Supplementationwith
MELATONIN has been shown to increase cardiac
vagal tone, decrease circulating NOREPINEPHRINE, and reduce blood pressure.
Pandi-Perumal SR ,
Srinivasan V ,
Maestroni GJ ,
Cardinali DP ,
Poeggeler B ,
Hardeland R .
MELATONIN : Nature's most versatile
biological signal?
FEBS J. 2006 Jul;273(13):2813-38.
PubMed
Learning, memory and Alzheimer's -
first published evidence that MELATONIN may
be useful in Alzheimer's disease demonstrated that this neurotransmitter/hormone
prevents neuronal death caused by exposure to the amyloid beta protein, a neurotoxic
substance that accumulates in the brains of patients with the disorder.
Wang XC ,
Zhang J ,
Yu X ,
Han L ,
Zhou ZT ,
Zhang Y ,
Wang JZ . Prevention of isoproterenol-induced
tau hyperphosphorylation by MELATONIN
in the rat.Sheng
Li Xue Bao.
PubMed .
MELATONIN also inhibits the aggregation
of the amyloid beta protein into neurotoxic microaggregates which seem to underlie
the neurotoxicity of this protein, causing death of neurons and formation of neurofibrillary
tangles, the other neuropathological landmark of Alzheimer's disease.
Pappolla MA ,
Sos M ,
Omar RA ,
Bick RJ ,
Hickson-Bick DL ,
Reiter RJ ,
Efthimiopoulos S ,
Robakis NK .
MELATONIN prevents death of neuroblastoma
cells exposed to the Alzheimer amyloid peptide.
J Neurosci. 1997 Mar 1;17(5):1683-90.
PubMed
ADHD -
research shows that after MELATONIN
is administered to ADHD patients on
methylphenidate , the time needed to fall asleep is significantly
reduced. Furthermore, the effects of the MELATONIN
after three months showed no change from its effects after one week of use.
Tjon Pian Gi, Cecil V.; Broeren, Joris P. A.; Starreveld,
J. Sander; A. Versteegh, Florens G (2003). "MELATONIN
for treatment of sleeping disorders in children with attentiondeficit/hyperactivity
disorder: a preliminary open label study"European Journal of Pediatrics
162(7-8): 554-5.
Migraines / Headaches - several
clinical studies indicate that MELATONIN
supplementation is an effective preventative and adjunct treatment
for migraines and cluster headaches.
Treatment and Management of Cluster Headaches
The therapeutic potential of MELATONIN in migraines and other headache types.
Mood disorders -
MELATONIN has been shown to
be effective in treating seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and is being considered
for bipolar and other disorders in which circadian disturbances are involved.
Is Internal Timing Key to Mental Health ?
Depression
- research shows that depressed patients have lower levels of
MELATONIN than non-depressed patients, however,
although MELATONIN supplementationhelps correctsleep
disorders indepression,it does notimprove clinicalsymptoms of depression.
Pandi-Perumal SR ,
Srinivasan V ,
Maestroni GJ ,
Cardinali DP ,
Poeggeler B ,
Hardeland R .
MELATONIN : Nature's most versatile biological
signal?
FEBS J. 2006 Jul;273(13):2813-38.
PubMed .
High bedtime levels of
CORTISOL are also associated with depression.
Brown ES ,
Varghese FP ,
McEwen BS .Association of depression with medical illness:
does cortisol play a role?
Biol Psychiatry. 2004 Jan 1;55(1):1-9.
PubMed
MELATONIN Controls
Depression
Cancers -
A systematic review of unblended clinical trials involving a total
of 643 cancer patients using MELATONIN found
a reduced incidence of death.
MELATONIN in the treatment of cancer: a systematic
review of randomized controlled trials and meta-analysis.
Reduced MELATONIN production
has been proposed as a likely factor in the significantly higher cancer rates in
night workers and breast cancer in women.
Supplemental
MELATONIN
has been shown to slow tumor progression in a variety of
cancers - and provide subjective improvement in quality of life.
Pandi-Perumal SR ,
Srinivasan V ,
Maestroni GJ ,
Cardinali DP ,
Poeggeler B ,
Hardeland R .
MELATONIN : Nature's most versatile biological
signal?
FEBS J. 2006 Jul;273(13):2813-38.
PubMed
Gallbladder stones -
in the gallbladder, MELATONIN
converts cholesterol to bile, prevents oxidative stress and increases mobility of
gallstones from the gallbladder. It also decreases the amount of cholesterol produced
in the gallbladder by regulating the cholesterol that passes through the intestinal
wall. In guinea pigs, MELATONIN administration
restored normal function after induced cholecystitis, by reducing inflammation.
Reactive Oxygen
Species and the Hypomotility of the Gall Bladder as Targets for the Treatment of
Gallstones with MELATONIN : A
Review. Daytime MELATONIN
concentration in mammalian bile is 2-3 times higher than daytime (very
low) blood levels.
High physiological levels
of MELATONIN in the bile of
mammals
ALS (Amytrophiic Lateral Sclerosis)
In animal models, MELATONIN
has been shown to ameliorate glutamate-induced neuronal death, presumed due to its
antioxidant effects. In a clinical safety study
involving 31 ALS patients, high-dose rectal MELATONIN
(300mg/day for 2 years) was shown to be tolerated well.
Reduced oxidative damage
in ALS by high-dose enteral MELATONIN
treatment
Obesity - studies in
experimental animals show that long-term MELATONIN
supplementation in drinking water reduces body weight and abdominal fat,
without changes to diet or being more active (especially in middle-aged rats)
Daily MELATONIN administration
to middle-aged male rats suppresses body weight, intraabdominal adiposity, and plasma
leptin and insulin independent of food intake and total body fat .
A proposed mechanism is that MELATONIN promotes
the recruitment and activity of brown adipose tissue as well as enhances its activity.
, which would raise the basal metabolic rate by stimulating thermogenesis.
Significance and application of MELATONIN
in the regulation of brown adipose tissue metabolism: relation to human obesity
Protection from radiation -
animal
and
human (2nd
Ref ) studies have shown MELATONIN
to provide more efficient protection from ionizing radiation than the commonly
used drug amifostine.
Its mechanism is thought
due to the scavenging of harmful oxidants (E.g. free radicals),
considered to be responsible for ~70% of ionizing damage to body tissues, especially
the hydroxyl radical that attacks DNA, proteins, and cellular membranes.
MELATONIN has the advantage of being
broadly protective, readily available for oral supplementation, and without significant
side effects .
Tinnitus -
medical studies with adult patients show beneficial results in the
treatment of tinnitus with MELATONIN
MELATONIN
is associated with a statistically significant decrease in tinnitus intensity and
improved sleep quality in patients with chronic tinnitus -
MELATONIN is most effective in:
Men
Those without a history of depression
Those who have not undergone prior tinnitus
treatments
Those with more severe and bilateral tinnitus
Those with a history of noise exposure.
Hurtuk A, Dome C, Holloman CH, Wolfe K, Welling DB, Dodson
EE, Jacob A (July 2011). "MELATONIN : can
it stop the ringing?". Ann. Otol. Rhinol. Laryngol. 120(7): 433-40.
Pubmed
The impact
of MELATONIN on sleep was greatest among patients
with the worst sleep quality, but its impact on tinnitus was not associated with
the severity of the tinnitus
Megwalu UC, Finnell JE, Piccirillo JF (February 2006).
"The effects of MELATONIN on tinnitus and
sleep". Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 134(2): 210-3.Pubmed
MELATONIN
has been shown to be useful in the treatment of subjective tinnitus -
Patients with high THI scores and/or difficulty sleeping are most likely to
benefit from treatment with MELATONIN .
RosenbergSI, Silverstein H, Rowan PT, Olds MJ (March 1998).
"Effect of MELATONIN on tinnitus". Laryngoscope
108(3): 305-10.
Pubmed
One publication
explores the possible mechanisms of how MELATONIN works against tinnitus:
Its modulatory effect on central nervous system
- resulting in a protective mechanism against an exaggerated sympathetic drive
(sympathetic nervous system is responsible for regulating homeostatic conditions
in the body);
Its capacity to induce a more steady hemodynamic
condition - through a multifactorial and multi-organ activity, resulting in
more regular blood flow in the inner ear;
A possible action on the skeletal muscle tending
to a reduction of the muscular tone - which could relieve tinnitus of muscular
origin deriving from contraction of tensor tympani muscles (located in the upper
auditory canal) responsible for dampening sounds;
Its possible reported anti-depressive effect
- which could indirectly act on tinnitus;
A direct regulation of inner ear immunity
- as proposed in literature when melatonin was reported to be present in the
inner ear.
Retrieved
December 6, 2011. Exploring the reasons why MELATONIN can improve tinnitus ,
August 2010.
Studies
site a typical dose for positive effect on tinnitus as 3 mg MELATONIN / day -
usually taken in the evening
