Latest Facts
Medical Studies on Melatonin – Latest Facts
You want to get a fast overview on the latest research on melatonin and its multiple applications? – In this category you will find the most important studies listed separately; of course, these are also assigned to the respective subject areas.
The selection of the presented papers was made by the scientific committee of Interchron, the international forum for chronobiology, and it will be updated continuously.
Medical Studies on Melatonin – Latest Facts
The objective of the present study was to assess the toxicology of melatonin (10 mg), administered for 28 days to 40 volunteers randomly assigned to groups receiving either melatonin (N = 30) or placebo (N = 10) in a double-blind fashion.
Long-term melatonin administration does not alter pituitary-gonadal hormone secretion in normal men.
The role of melatonin in the regulation of reproduction in humans is still controversial. In the present study the effects of melatonin were examined, 6 mg given orally every day at 1700 h for 1 month in a double-blind, placebo controlled fashion, on the nocturnal secretory profiles of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone and inhibin beta in six healthy adult men.
Benzodiazepines are the most frequently used drug for the treatment of insomnia. Prolonged use of benzodiazepine therapy is not recommended. However, many patients, particularly older patients, have difficulties discontinuing therapy. Melatonin, a hormone that is produced at night by the pineal gland, promotes normal sleep in humans and augments sleep induction by benzodiazepine therapy.
At a single evening dose of 5-10 mg, melatonin (MLT), the pineal gland hormone, can exert a positive effect on the frequency of epileptic attacks in children with sleep disturbances of various etiologies.
To examine the effect of night shift on the ovarian function, 122 teachers, 67 office workers, 377 nurses, 133 factory workers and 67 barmaids were surveyed.