MELATONIN: SEPARATING FACT FROM FICTION

Course overview

The most well-studied clinical use of melatonin is manipulation of the circadian clock to treat jet lag and as a sleep aid. Normal melatonin cycles are disrupted when a person is exposed to excessive light in the evening or too little light during the daytime. Shift work, traveling across multiple time zones and exposure to bright lights can disrupt melatonin cycles. Some people appear to synthesize low levels of melatonin, for which melatonin supplementation may be beneficial. Recent studies also suggest that melatonin may have antioxidant properties, influence immunity, exert neuroprotective effects and may have a beneficial effect on neurocognition in the elderly. The effects of melatonin on the cardiovascular system and anti-aging have been assessed, but the results remain disputable; for most other disorders, there is little or no evidence regarding the benefits of melatonin. The hormone is safe when consumed at low doses.