Melatonin 3 mg - 180 Caps (NOW BRAND) The primary motivation for the use of melatonin as a supplement is as a natural aid to better sleep, with other incidental benefits to health and well-being due to its role as an antioxidant and its stimulation of the immune system and several components of the endocrine system.

Serving Size: 1 Capsule

Suggested Use: As a dietary supplement, take one capsule near bedtime with water. Capsule may be opened and the contents divided over several evenings if desired.

Free of: yeast, wheat, corn, soy, milk, preservatives.

Other Ingredients: White Rice Powder

Warnings: If you are under medical supervision seek the advice of your physician or health care professional prior to use. Individuals with auto-immune conditions, depressive disorders, or those taking sedatives or corticosteroid drugs, or pregnant or lactating should consult a doctor before taking this supplement.

Disclaimers: *This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.



Product Facts Servings Per Container:: 180 Serving Size:: 1 Capsule

Melatonin: * 3 mg



Medical applications Melatonin appears to have some use against circadian rhythm sleep disorders, such as jet lag and delayed sleep phase syndrome. It has been studied for the treatment of cancer, immune disorders, cardiovascular diseases, depression, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and sexual dysfunction. A study by Alfred J. Lewy and other researchers at Oregon Health & Science University found that it may ameliorate SAD and circadian misalignment,[24] but as of 2006 it is known to affect the timing of endogenous melatonin production, raising the risk that it can exacerbate both clinical depression and SAD.[25] Basic research indicates that melatonin may play a significant role in modulating the effects of drugs of abuse such as cocaine.[26]

[edit] Preventing ischemic damage Melatonin has been shown to reduce tissue damage in rats due to ischemia in both the brain[27] and the heart;[28] however, this has not been tested in humans.

[edit] Learning, memory and Alzheimers Melatonin receptors appear to be important in mechanisms of learning and memory in mice,[29] and melatonin can alter electrophysiological processes associated with memory, such as long-term potentiation (LTP). Melatonin has been shown to prevent the hyperphosphorylation of the tau protein in rats. Hyperphosphorylation of tau protein can result in the formation of neurofibrillary tangles, a pathological feature seen in Alzheimer's disease. Thus, melatonin may be effective for treating Alzheimer's Disease.[30] These same neurofibrillary tangles can be found in the hypothalamus in patients with Alzheimer's, adversely affecting their body's production of melatonin. Those Alzheimer's patients with this specific affliction often show heightened afternoon agitation, called "sundowning," which has been shown in many studies to be effectively treated with melatonin supplements in the evening.[31]

[edit] ADHD ADHD is most commonly treated with methylphenidate which may cause insomnia in approximately 54% of its users. Research shows that after melatonin is administered to the patients, the time needed to fall asleep is significantly reduced. Before the melatonin was administered, the time needed to falls asleep ranged from 15 minutes to 240 minutes. After the melatonin was administred, the time needed to fall asleep ranged from 15 minutes to 64 minutes. Furthermore, the effects of the melatonin after three months showed no change from its effects after one week of use.[32]

[edit] Fertility Recent research has concluded that melatonin supplementation in perimenopausal women produces a highly significant improvement in thyroid function and gonadotropin levels, as well as restoring fertility and menstruation and preventing the depression associated with the menopause.[33]

[edit] Headaches Several clinical studies indicate that supplementation with melatonin is an effective preventative treatment for migraines and cluster headaches.[34][35]





[edit] Depression Melatonin has been shown to be effective in treating one form of depression, Seasonal Affective Disorder. [[1]]

[edit] Other Some studies have shown that melatonin has potential for use in the treatment of various forms of cancer, HIV, and other viral diseases; however, further testing is necessary to confirm this.[36]

Histologically speaking, it is also believed that melatonin has some effects for sexual growth in higher organisms. (*Quoted from Ross Histology and Wheather's Functional Histology.)

[edit] Dietary supplement The primary motivation for the use of melatonin as a supplement is as a natural aid to better sleep, with other incidental benefits to health and well-being due to its role as an antioxidant and its stimulation of the immune system and several components of the endocrine system.

Victor Herbert, M.D., J.D., of the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, cites studies from Massachusetts Institute of Technology that say melatonin pills sold as supplements contain three to 10 times the amount needed to produce the desirable physiologic nocturnal blood melatonin level for enhancement of nighttime rest. Dosages are designed to raise melatonin levels for several hours to enhance quality of sleep, but some studies suggest that smaller doses are just as effective at improving sleep quality.[37] High dose melatonin can even be counterproductive: Lewy & al[38] provide support to the "idea that too much melatonin may spill over onto the wrong zone of the melatonin phase-response curve." In their study, 0.5 mg of melatonin was effective while 20 mg wasn't. A practical implication of these results is that effective melatonin supplementation (for sleep problems) thus becomes very accessible: it costs a fraction of what most researchers thought it might cost. Melatonin supplementation for sleep problems is available without prescription in most cases in the United States. Melatonin supplements are available as oral supplements and transdermal melatonin or "melatonin sleep patch".

Melatonin is involved in the regulation of body weight, and may be helpful in treating obesity (especially when combined with calcium).[39]

[edit] Safety Melatonin is practically nontoxic and exhibits almost no short-term side effects. However, no studies have been conducted yet to determine whether there are any long-term side effects.

Melatonin taken in combination with monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) can lead to overdose because MAOIs inhibit the breakdown of melatonin by the body. Exogenous melatonin normally does not affect the endogenous melatonin profile in the short or medium-term, merely advancing the phase of endogenous melatonin production in time.

In individuals with auto-immune disorders, there is concern that melatonin supplementation may exacerbate symptoms due to stimulation of the immune system.[40]

Melatonin causes somnolence, and therefore should not be taken within five hours before driving, operating machinery, etc. As melatonin is almost always taken at the end of the waking day, this is generally not an issue.

Individuals who experience orthostatic intolerance, a cardiovascular condition that results in reduced blood pressure and blood flow to the brain when a person stands, may experience a worsening of symptoms when taking melatonin supplements, a study at Penn State College of Medicine's Milton S. Hershey Medical Center suggests. Melatonin can exacerbate the symptoms by reducing nerve activity in those who experience the condition, the study found.[41]

Melatonin has been classified as a dietary supplement and made freely available in the USA.