Welcome to this issue of Words On Wellness. This edition will focus discussion on a product called melatonin. Melatonin is currently being used as a sleep aid and to help fight the effects of the aging process. Please read on to learn more about melatonin.
All statements made have not been evaluated by the FDA. All statements are based on studies and/or research, are for informational purposes only and are not intended to diagnosis, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The nutritional supplement discussed in this newsletter is not a drug and should not be used as a drug or in lieu of drugs prescribed by your physician. Always consult with your physician before taking any pharmaceuticals and nutritional supplements.
Melatonin: Fact or Fable?
Recently, melatonin has received extensive exposure in the news
media. One report exalts melatonin as the miracle "drug" of the century while
the next presents it as an entity with unknown risks and side-effects.
The purpose of discussion regarding melatonin in this edition of Ounce of
Prevention’s Words On Wellness is to not take sides, but to present the reader with
factual information regarding melatonin and its current use. Thank you for reading Ounce
of Prevention's Words On Wellness.
Melatonin: Where
It Comes From
Melatonin is a naturally occuring hormone that is synthesized from
the neurotransmitter serotonin which in turn is synthesized from the amino acid
tryptophan. This synthesis or production occurs primarily in a gland located at the center
of the brain called the pineal gland. The pineal gland is light-activated, i.e., it is
controlled by the amount of light seen by the eyes each day. This light activation gives
rise to the belief that the pineal gland functions as the body's internal clock,
regulating functions that are time-related such as sleep and the ageing process. Melatonin
production via serotonin synthesis occurs at its peak during the dark hours around 2:00
a.m. Inversely, during daylight hours, melatonin production is low. It is for this reason
that melatonin is believed to aid in regulating our sleep cycle and help stimulate sleep.
Also, evidence exists that the pineal gland not only controls our 24 hour clock but our
"life clock", meaning that it appears to be a major controller regarding our
ageig process. As we age, several things happen to our pineal gland that result in it
producing less melatonin. Since the pineal gland is derived from nerve tissue, the gland's
cells do not replicate when damaged or lost. This loss of pineal gland cells may result
from chemical or biological injury to the gland, or for a myriad of other reasons.
Therefore, as we age, the pineal gland literally decreases in size or atrophies which has
a direct effect on the amount of melatonin it is capable of synthesizing. Additionally,
the gland itself is susceptible to the ageing processes that occur, such as calcium
deposits and a decreased blood supply due to atherosclerosis. These in conjunction with
other ageing processes interfere with the pineal gland’s melatonin-producing
activities.
Melatonin
Supplementation
The use of melatonin as a supplement to help promote sleep and retard
the ageing process stems from the fact that as we age our natural melatonin production
drastically decreases. We produce the most melatonin at about age six. By age 70 our
melatonin production is at a trickle. Supplementing our diet with melatonin brings the
blood level of melatonin back to a youthful level allowing us to sleep better and possibly
retard certain age-related processes.
Melatonin's Record
of Safety
Melatonin has been used as a sleep aid and age-retarding supplement
since approximately 1987. As of this writing, the Unitied States Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has received absolutely NO complaints in the past eight years of ANY
undesirable or serious side-effects concerning the use of melatonin. Of special interest,
about a year ago the FDA did take melatonin off the market while they investigated and
researched its safety. The FDA released it back on the market after their own
investigation revealed NO reports of adverse side-effects whatsoever concerning melatonin.
Simply put, the FDA has no reason nor grounds to keep the supplement off the market. (It's
too bad that other ingestible items cannot boast this record of safety. As an example, as
of February 1994, 6,888 cases of adverse reactions regarding the use of aspartame
(NutraSweet and Equal) have been reported to the FDA. More than 75% of all non-drug
complaints to the FDA concern aspartame. Five deaths were reported prior to 1987 as
possibl connected to the use of aspartame. Why this demonstrably unsafe product is not
banned by the FDA or at the very least featured on one of the many evening news shows is a
mystery. (Look for a future newsletter to learn more about aspartame and a SAFE
alternative to aspartame.) The average over-the-counter dose of melatonin used as a sleep
aid is currently approximately three milligrams. As much as 6,600 mg of melatonin per day
for several weeks has been taken by humans in controlled experiments with reports of NO
significant side-effects other than some residual sleepiness. No other sleep aid can boast
this level of safety. As Dr. Julian Whitaker muses in his June 1994 Health and Healing
newsletter in comparing the safety of melatonin to other over-the-counter sleep aids,
"Just imagine what would happen if you took 2,000 Sominex tablets every night for 35
days!"
Melatonin: The
Decision is Yours
The purpose of this newsletter is to provide basic information about
melatonin so that the reader may make an informed decision about using it.
In summary, melatonin is a naturally occuring hormone secreted by the body's pineal gland.
It's blood level peaks at about age six and is produced at a trickle by around age 70.
Melatonin has demonstrated its efficacy as a sleep aid, in fighting the effects of jet
lag, and appears to have an effect on the ageing process. As is the case with any newer
product, its long term effects are known only to the point of when it was first used.
Current statistics show that to date, NO adverse side-effects have been reported regarding
melatonin. Ounce of Prevention carries several strengths of melatonin, ranging from one
milligram to five milligrams in sublingual and easy to swallow tablets.
