Is Melatonin the wonder drug of anti-aging?

Is Melatonin the wonder drug of anti-aging? Melatonin is produced in the pineal gland in the brain – more at night and less during the day – and helps to maintain the body’s natural 24-hour circadian clock. It has been called the ‘wonder drug’ of anti-ageing. The pineal gland starts to produce less of this chemical as we age, at around our mid 40s.

What is the evidence for its role in ageing?

Melatonin promotes sleep and sleep is when the body restores itself. Levels of Human Growth Hormone, secreted by the pituitary gland, peak when we are asleep.

Clinical Guidelines published by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommend times melatonin supplements as a treatment for jetlag and shift work insomnia. People who live very long, healthy lives, known as superagers, often report that they enjoy long, good quality sleep at night, when restorative processes take place to repair tissue. According to a study published in May 2018 in the Journal of Pineal Research, melatonin suppresses brain cells which keep you awake and alert. ‘People has been used as a sleep drug for many years, but people didn’t know how it worked. Our research suggests recent studies have shown that if you target the melatonin MT1 receptor, you will get the most sleep with minimal side effects,’ says Mahesh Thakkar, professor and director of research at the University of Missouri School of Medicine who lead the study.

Melatonin may also help to make old bones stronger and ward off the bone thinning disease osteoporosis because the process of bone breakdown and buildup is affected by our circadian rhythms. The more sleep we get, the less active the osteoclast cells which break down our bones when we are awake at night. Osteoblasts, which are responsible for bone formation, are more active during the day. ‘As we age we sleep less well, which means that the osteoclasts are more active,’ says Faleh Tamimi, a professor in McGill’s School of Dentistry who led a study published in the May 2014 issue of Rejuvenation Research to look at how melatonin supplements could slow the process of bone breakdown.

What lowers melatonin levels?

Cigarette smoking has been linked to lower levels of melatonin because chemicals in the smoke make your liver break down melatonin more quickly. Diet can also make a difference because melatonin is synthesized from tryptophan, an essential dietary amino acid. ‘It has
been demonstrated that some nutritional factors, such as intake of vegetables and some vitamins and minerals, could modify melatonin production, according to a study published in the July 2012 issue of Food and Nutrition Research. Not getting enough folic acid, zinc and magnesium in your diet, which are all components of melatonin, could reduce circulating levels in the body.

Caffeine in coffee and many energy drinks blocks the transmission of melatonin so it can’t do its job, according to a study published in the 2012 issue of Neuropharmacology and levels can also be reduced if you are exposed to ‘blue’ light from screens late at night, which mimics natural daylight stops the pineal gland from boosting production.

Can you balance it?

Melatonin supplements have been used to boost bone formation in animal studies and can aid sleep and help to reset the circadian rhythm in people suffering from jet lag. However, melatonin content of supplements varies widely, according to a February 2017 study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. Melatonin supplements are classed as dietary supplements so not subject to same level of scrutiny of medicines. It is important therefore to ask a doctor for advice before taking melatonin.