Melatonin, What You Need To Know
There is a lot of buzz about melatonin and you may be confused. There are some in favor and some not.
What should you know?
First of all Melatonin (M) is inexpensive and easily available in many different strengths. I have looked at much research and found what I consider to be the “horse’s mouth” , or the OG of M. Dr Russel Reiter has been studying M in his lab and done more research than anyone I have found. He is careful not to be pushy about his views but does present a plethora of fascinating facts from his studies and leaves each of us to decide for ourselves. He is not SELLING anything, nor does he push any particular product. He is a scientist. Period. At this writing I believe he is 86 years old and speaks with the mental clarity of a 30-40 year old.
M is a hormone that is found in everything alive… plants, animals, humans, all living creatures. One fact I found particularly telling is that when under stress the organism greatly INCREASES it’s production of M. Why? M has a general protective effect in keeping the creature alive. (Right off the bat, that tells me something.)
It is most widely known as a sleep agent, but if that’s all you know about it you may not think it’s something you need. Opening the “sleep gate” is just one of the functions of this wholesome and powerful little molecule. It is produced in 2 places: the pineal gland, and then also in the cells of our bodies.
The human body’s in house production falls off with age and is generally declining at a significantly by age 45.
What would you guess is the biggest threat to the body’s M production?
It’s manufactured light(!) and more specifically the blue light which is found in ALL white lights that we would normally use after dark. Even a single quick flash of light at night turns off M production. The pineal gland will simply not secrete M if light is detected. [Side note: I have found the sleep eye mask to be a life saver when I cannot control ambient light in my sleep environment!]
Be thoughtful about random ambient light. It matters.
Why does this matter?
M (pineal melatonin) serves the purpose of creating the circadian rhythm which is a cornerstone of health in any body. A consistent dark light/ sleep/wake cycle is critical for the body’s ability to thrive. Period. End of story.
What about the cellular M? This is the kind produced by the cells in your body. Well this M has totally different and fascinating functions. The cell makes M to sustain good energy production (healthy mitochondria), scavenge free radicals (halleluiah!) In common language… we REALLY WANT OUR CELLS TO HAVE M! It is the friend of the hard working cell for sure. In fact the presence of M in the cell works in such a way as to prevent metastasis (which is the spreading of cancer to other locations.) Ummm just kind of important wouldn’t you say? Most cancer patients do not die from the original cancer…they die from the metastasis.
If you’ve stayed with me this far, you’re as nerdy as I am, so here are more mind blowing tidbits I’ve uncovered:
~When tested, the most healthy older folks had higher levels of M. Those with poorer health had lower levels of M.
~Levels of M drop steadily but gradually as age incurs. By 80 years old we have virtually none being produced. by the pineal gland.
~When tested and researched malignant cells in the body became benign while under the influence of M. (And yes, the next morning when M was not available they returned to their malignant state. This means growing tumors theoretically would grow at half the rate if exposed to a normal level of M at night every night.
~No one has ever died of M at any dosage. This cannot be said of aspirin, alcohol, antibiotics, water, or certainly any pharmaceutical drug. Diabetics are given 1000mg daily of M as a protectant for their heart mitochondria. (consider this in light of the fact that most M supplenets are in the 1-3-5 mg range! You simply cannot kill an animal or a human with M.
~At a cost of $10 per week M has shown more efficacy in reducing duration of the Covid virus than the medically accepted $3000/week RX.
~Infrared light, which penetrates up to 3-5cm in the body increases M in the cells. (Bingo and applause for the infrared and red wavelength saunas and light devices!)
Sunset gives us all those orange, red hues that signal M production.
Are there any downsides?
There is the argument that it causes us to make less internally (feedback loop problems) if we take it. Dr Reiter vehemently disagrees. But even if it did… let’s think about this logically. We know the body’s rate of production is naturally and steadily declining for sure anyway, whether you supplement or not. This is not a hormone I want personally to be low on.
Another factor to think about is that M causes the insulin to be secreted. So if you are insulin resistant (or insulin tired) already, this might be something to think about. This is a lesser known detail that I recently discovered. This secretion would only be effected while M was active (at night.)
Basically M is an extremely wholesome hormone that gives the body a lot of interesting protection from multiple angles. As we age we are truly looking for ways to support the body without a lot of side effects. I believe M to be a no brainer as a choice. But each person gets to choose for themselves
Just a bit about when, what and how much:
These are capsules. I would recommend a mouth melting/ sublingual or liquid variety.
I believe its always good to begin with a small dose to try it on yourself. 1-3mg slow release would be preferable to slow that insulin effect if that is a concern for you. After 45, most people will need more M, so this is about the age I would begin. There are M supplements that are combined with zinc and selenium for better absorption, but they are only 3mg. A dose of 20, 30, 40, 50 mg wouldn’t be out of line as age increases. I would just slowly up the amount every couple years. Check the ingredients on your M source…sometimes they add other things you may not be signing up for, usually to make it taste better. Plain straight M won’t taste like dessert. Get a melt-away tablet and let it absorb through the gums and mouth as much as possible as some is lost through the stomach.
And most of all clean up your junk light. When the sun is down our rhythms prefer darkness. Although that may not be practical, there are red length light bulbs and small booklights available, as well as amber (red-ish) blue blocking glasses.
One caveat to the glasses:
Blue light gets in the sides of regualr frames and likely defeats the the desired effect, so you would want wrapping glasses or goggle type frames.
Is all this worth the trouble?
I’m just giving my opinion here, but to me, it’s to big a win in too many categories to dismiss for the less likely problems. I have gotten my nighttime routine down to a pretty easy thing, and have gotten over the fact that my glasses aren’t all that sexy. But… i guess that’s a matter of opinion ;) Again, I love an eye mask, and find I sleep much deeper and longer with ALL light blocked.