Is Melatonin the Anti-Aging Wonder? Melatonin is produced in the pineal gland in the brain and is more abundant at night and less abundant during the day, helping to maintain the body’s natural 24-hour circadian clock. Melatonin has been called the anti-aging “wonder drug.” As we age, starting in our mid-40s, the amount of this chemical produced by the pineal gland begins to decline.
What is the evidence for its role in aging?
Melatonin promotes sleep, and sleep is when the body restores itself. Human growth hormone levels, secreted by the pituitary gland, peak during sleep.
Clinical guidelines published by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommend melatonin supplements as a treatment for insomnia caused by jet lag or shift work. People who live extremely long and healthy lives are called superagers, and they often report enjoying long, good quality sleep at night, when the repair processes that repair tissues take place. According to a study published in the Journal of Pineal Research in May 2018, melatonin suppresses brain cells that keep you awake. “It has been used as a sleep medication for many years, but its mechanism of action was unknown. Our study shows that recent studies seem to show that targeting the melatonin MT1 receptor can maximize sleep with minimal side effects,” said Mahesh Thakkar, professor and director of research at the University of Missouri School of Medicine, who led the study.
Melatonin may also help strengthen old bones and prevent osteoporosis, a bone-weakening disease, because the processes of bone breakdown and formation are influenced by circadian rhythms. The more sleep you get, the less active the osteoclasts are, which break down bone while you’re awake at night. Osteoblasts, the cells responsible for bone formation, are more active during the day. “As we age, we sleep less and we have more osteoclast activity,” says Faleh Tamimi, a professor at McGill University’s School of Dentistry who led a study on how melatonin supplements can slow the bone breakdown process, published in the May 2014 issue of Rejuvenation Research.
What lowers melatonin levels?
Smoking is said to be associated with lower melatonin levels because chemicals in smoke cause the liver to break down melatonin more quickly. Diet also plays a role, as melatonin is synthesized from the essential amino acid tryptophan.
A study published in Food and Nutrition Research in July 2012 demonstrated that several nutritional factors, such as the consumption of vegetables and vitamins and minerals, can alter melatonin production. Not getting enough of the components of melatonin, folate, zinc and magnesium, in your diet can lead to reduced circulating levels in your body.
Caffeine, found in coffee and many energy drinks, blocks melatonin signaling and prevents it from doing its job, according to a 2012 study in the journal Neuropharmacology. Exposure to “blue” light late at night, which mimics natural light emitted by screens, can also lower melatonin levels and inhibit the pineal gland’s ability to stimulate melatonin production.
Can you balance it?
Melatonin supplements have been used to promote bone formation in animal studies, aid sleep, and help reset circadian rhythms in people who suffer from jet lag. But the melatonin content of supplements varies widely, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine in February 2017. Because melatonin supplements are classified as dietary supplements, they are not subject to the same level of scrutiny as medicines. Therefore, it is important to consult with your doctor before taking melatonin.
