Old Bones May Be Strengthened by Melatonin

What is Melatonin?

Melatonin is a hormone which is produced in the body. When taken from food and supplements, it can be used for various illnesses. Melatonin is often taken to adjust the body's internal clock and to ease jet lag, to adjust sleep-wake cycles in people whose daily work schedule changes and to help blind people establish a day and night cycle. This substance can also be used to treat insomnia, delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS), insomnia associated with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), insomnia due to certain high blood pressure medications called beta-blockers, and sleep problems in children with developmental disorders including autism, cerebral palsy, and intellectual disabilities. It can also be used to aid sleep after discontinuing the use of benzodiazepine drugs and to reduce the side effects of stopping smoking. Other medical conditions which can benefit from melatonin include Alzheimer's disease, ringing in the ears, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia, migraine and other headaches, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), bone loss (osteoporosis), a movement disorder called tardive dyskinesia (TD), epilepsy, as an anti-aging agent, for menopause, and for birth control. Melatonin may also be beneficial in breast cancer, brain cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, head cancer, neck cancer, and gastrointestinal cancer. Melatonin is also used for some of the side effects of cancer treatment (chemotherapy) including weight loss, nerve pain, weakness, and a lowered number of clot-forming cells (thrombocytopenia).

Melatonin functions to regulate night and day cycles or sleep-wake cycles. Darkness may make the body produce more melatonin which then signals the body to prepare for sleep. On the other hand, light decreases melatonin production and signals the body to prepare for being awake. Some people who have trouble sleeping have low levels of melatonin.

Although safe, melatonin may have some side effects such as headache, short-term feelings of depression, daytime sleepiness, dizziness, stomach cramps, and irritability. Because melatonin may cause sedation, one should not drive nor use machinery for four to five hours after taking melatonin. If you plan to take melatonin, you should first ask your doctor if it is the right supplement for you. Melatonin may be unsafe in pregnancy as well as may interfere with ovulation. Melatonin should also not be used in children because there are no studies which can prove its safety on them. Melatonin might interfere with development during adolescence because of its effect on other hormones.

Melatonin should be used with caution in patients with high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, and seizure disorders. Melatonin may elevate blood pressure and may increase blood sugar levels. It may also make symptoms of depression worse and may increase the risk of having a seizure.

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Melatonin and Old Bones

A recent study has shown that melatonin supplements may make bones stronger in old rats. This study, done by McGill researchers, focuses on the relationship between bone breakdown and buildup and circadian rhythms. It is said that the cells which break down bones, also known as osteoclasts, are more active at night while those responsible for bone formation (osteoblasts) are more active during daylight hours. Since melatonin plays a role in regulating our body clocks and can potentially help us sleep better, the researchers have theorized that a melatonin supplement would help regulate the circadian rhythms of the elderly rats, thus reducing the activity of the osteoclasts and slowing down the process of bone breakdown. The researchers found out that there was a significant increase in both bone volume and density among the rats that had received melatonin supplements. It took much more force to break the bones of rats that had taken the melatonin supplements.

To know more about recent medical breakthroughs, you may check our other articles on this site.

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