The benefits of melatonin

MANILA, Philippines – The country’s acknowledged health, beauty and wellness icon, Cory Quirino, is one of the most-sought endorsers for natural products. She has made it a point to endorse only products with proven efficacy and safety in promoting good health, beauty and wellness. Recently, she endorsed Sleepwell, a natural remedy for sleep disorders.

According to Quirino, a sound restful sleep is the foundation of good health, beauty and wellness. “Let it begin with Sleepwell,” she advises.

A granddaughter of the late Philippine President Elpidio Quirino, she wrote a series of books titled Forever Young, a bestseller. These books provide beauty and health tips as well as her workout programs.

Quirino says she has always believed in the health benefits of melatonin, the active component of Sleepwell. Foreign and local health experts are now even seriously studying the possibility of melatonin’s potential benefit in, not only promoting a restful sleep, but extending lifespan.

In test-tube and animal experiments, researchers have found that melatonin protects cells, strengthens the immune system, slows the growth of some tumors, and protects the heart and blood vessels.

Tests with laboratory mice suggest that melatonin might also reduce the effects of aging and enhance sexual function, but scientists caution that these results are very preliminary and still not conclusive. Experts agree though that the preliminary findings are exciting and promising.

Regarding the question if melatonin can extend lifespan, in tests on both rats and mice, melatonin caused a significant 20 percent increase in their lifespan. There are, however, no human studies to support this contention, but if a similar effect is present in humans, this could translate into 10 to 14 years of additional lifespan.

Experts believe that if melatonin does allow one to live longer and healthier, it is likely due to its benefit of reducing free radical damage, stimulating an aging immune system, protecting the cardiovascular system, preserving a youthful circadian rhythm, and stimulating the production of growth hormone.

Aside from melatonin’s potential anti-aging effects, a 1995 rodent study suggests that taking small amounts of melatonin on a regular basis may prevent the age-related decline in testosterone levels, allowing men to be more active sexually in their later years.

In a research published in the prestigious Lancet journal by scientists at the Institute for Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Therapy in Salzburg, Austria, the findings suggest that melatonin also has a protective effect on the heart and blood vessels.

The scientists found that melatonin levels in the patients with coronary artery disease was five times lower than in healthy subjects. They speculated that, since melatonin reduces noradrenaline, which may inflict damage in arterial walls, the lack of melatonin in individuals with coronary heart disease fails to keep their noradrenaline levels in check.

According to Charles Cultura, marketing and sales manager of Trianon International which distributes Sleepwell capsules locally, although melatonin has been shown to be safe in past studies even if taken in big doses, women who are pregnant or nursing, and people with severe allergies or autoimmune diseases should not take it.

Women trying to conceive should also think twice about taking the hormone, since high doses (25-30 times the usual dose) can act as a contraceptive. Those with any concomitant medical condition should consult their physician first before taking melatonin.

Sleepwell is available as an over-the-counter supplement in Mercury, Watson and other leading drug stores nationwide. The recommended dose is one to two capsules one hour before bedtime nightly.