Written by Jessica Patella, ND. 5 mg per day of melatonin before bed for 2 months improved blood pressures, cholesterol levels and antioxidant status in participants with metabolic syndrome.
Individuals with metabolic syndrome are at three times greater risk of having a heart attack, two times greater risk of death and five times greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, than those without the syndrome (1,2). With these statistics, and the fact that an estimated 25% of the population in developed countries have metabolic syndrome, it is a major public health concern (3). Recent research has shown that melatonin improves signs of metabolic syndrome in adults (1).
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of signs, of which at least three criteria have to be present to be diagnosed with the syndrome: waist circumference >102 cm in males and >88 cm in females, triglycerides >150 mg/dL, HDL cholesterol <40 gm/dL, blood pressure >130/85 mm Hg and fasting blood sugar (glucose) >110 mg/dL (1).
Past research has shown metabolic syndrome results in a state of chronic oxidative stress in the body (1). Melatonin is gaining acknowledgement as a strong antioxidant and therefore recently considered as a possible therapy for metabolic syndrome (1,4).
The recent research included 30 participants with metabolic syndrome (12 men, 18 women), who did not respond to a 3-month lifestyle modification. The control group included 33 healthy participants without metabolic syndrome (10 men, 23 women) (1). Participants with metabolic syndrome were given 5 mg per day of melatonin, 2 hours before bedtime, for 2-months (1).
The following significant changes were observed:
- Systolic blood pressure] decreased (from 132.8 +/- 9.8 to 120.5 +/-11.0 mm Hg; P<0.001).
- Diastolic blood pressure] decreased (from 81.7 +/- 8.8 to 75.0 +/-7.4 mm Hg; P<0.01).
- LDL] cholesterol or “bad” cholesterol decreased (from 149.7 +/- 26.4 to 139.9 +/-30.2 mg/dL; P<0.05).
- Activity of antioxidant enzymes also improved, showing greater antioxidant status in the body (catalase from 245.9 +/- 46.9 to 276.8 +/- 39.4 U/gHb, P <0.01; and stress markers thiobarbituric acid reactive substrates were reduced from 0.5 +/- 0.2 to 0.4 +/- 0.1 microM/gHb, p<0.01) (1).
In conclusion, 5 mg per day of melatonin before bed for 2 months improved blood pressures, cholesterol levels and antioxidant status in participants with metabolic syndrome (1). These results are encouraging, especially for people who do not respond to lifestyle modifications, although this should be considered a pilot study due to the small number of participants and the lack of a placebo group. Future research is needed to confirm results and determine if signs will continue improving for longer than 2 months (1).
Source: Koziróg, Marzena, et al. “Melatonin treatment improves blood pressure, lipid profile, and parameters of oxidative stress in patients with metabolic syndrome.” Journal of pineal research 50.3 (2011): 261-266.
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Posted June 25, 2013.
Jessica Patella, ND, is a naturopathic physician specializing in nutrition and homeopathic medicine and offers a holistic approach to health. She earned her ND from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, AZ, and is a member of the North Carolina Association of Naturopathic Physicians. Visit her website at www.awarenesswellness.com.
References:
- Kozirog M, et al. Melatonin treatment improves blood pressure, lipid profile, and parameters of oxidative stress in patients with metabolic syndrome. 2011 J Pineal Res 50: 261-266.
- Stern M, et al. Does the metabolic syndrome improve identification of individuals at risk of type 2 diabetes and a cardiovascular disease? Diabetes Care 2004; 27:2676–2681.
- Cardinali DP, et al. Melatonin May Curtail the Metabolic Syndrome: Studies on Initial and Fully Established Fructose-Induced Metabolic Syndrome in Rats. 2013 Int J Mol Sci 14: 2502-14; doi:10.3390/ijms14022502
- Reiter RJ, et al. Reducing oxidative, nitrosative stress: a newly-discovered genre for melatonin. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol 2009; 44:175– 200.
