You may be familiar with someone suffering from a neurodegenerative disorder such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s. The Alzheimer’s & Dementia Journal reported that 121,000 people died from Alzheimer’s disease in 2019, and that the terrible disease cost $355 billion by 2021. In the United States, Alzheimer’s disease was the sixth leading cause for death in 2021. These neurodegenerative diseases have seen a 16% rise in incidence since the advent of Covid. Scientists have recently reported that they are working on ways to prevent these conditions and offer some hope.
Is melatonin a possible solution? Continue reading to learn what the researchers found.
What is Melatonin?
The brain naturally produces melatonin. It can also be found in small quantities in certain foods like meats, grains, and even fruits. Because high levels of melatonin are linked to sleep, it is often called the “sleephormone”. People who have trouble sleeping often take melatonin supplements. (insomnia)
The body’s melatonin levels fluctuate between day and night. The amount of melatonin produced by your body depends on how much light you are exposed to. Bright light can affect melatonin production, making it difficult to fall asleep.
What are the Benefits of Melatonin?
There are many potential functions of melatonin; some might affect neurological diseases.
- Melatonin acts as an antioxidant. Free radicals are harmful particles that can be found in the body. Melatonin helps to eliminate them. These particles can cause damage to cells and are often associated with heart disease, cancer, and other chronic diseases. Free radical damage can be prevented by melatonin.
- Anti-inflammatory properties of melatonin are known. It can help reduce inflammation in the body. Inflammation can be involved in many diseases including Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s.
- Melatonin regulates your sleep patterns. Melatonin regulates the body’s internal clock and plays a part in the sleep-wake cycle. People with insomnia or other sleep disorders have reported that melatonin supplements can improve their sleep quality and length.
- Melatonin can improve cognition and memory.
Stress hormones like cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine can also affect memory negatively. These hormones can be softened by melatonin, which may also help to improve sleep quality – something we all need. This is what people associate with melatonin and, in turn this is what Alzheimers patients lack.
Can Melatonin Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease with Melatonin?
It has been shown that the body’s melatonin levels decrease with age. Will a higher level of melatonin in the body help to reduce the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s?
Nearly half of Alzheimer’s patients don’t get enough sleep. Quality sleep is essential for memory and brain function. Melatonin promotes good quality sleep. Lack of sleep is linked to an increase in beta-amyloid plaque, which is a protein associated with the development Alzheimer’s.
Melatonin can be increased in the body to help with age-related memory loss. It may also slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. (1)
However, there is no known treatment to prevent Alzheimer’s.
How to Reduce Your Chance of Getting Alzheimer’s
This is a wakeup alarm: Half of Americans 65 years and older have some type of neurodegenerative disorder.
Do we all need to take melatonin every night, 30 minutes before going to sleep?
In a peer-reviewed article published in Revue Neurologique (1) it states that “Melatonin could be the solution we’ve been looking for.” They state that melatonin could have a therapeutic and prophylactic effect on neurological disorders, as evidenced by all the positive results from clinical and experimental trials.
This is a powerful statement, but you can decide. You might be reaping more benefits from melatonin than the supplement claims. Perhaps melatonin can be used to alleviate these horrible diseases.
