Melaton-5

Thorne Melatonin-5 provides a pure, pharmaceutical grade melatonin extract. Melatonin administration, regardless of dosage time, exerts a hypnotic and sedative effect when given in doses of 0.3-5.0 mg. If taken before onset of endogenous melatonin secretion, even low doses can induce sleep.

Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland, an endocrine gland buried deep in the brain that regulates the rest of the endocrine system. Melatonin is responsible for regulating biological rhythms in humans. Melatonin is a powerful antioxidant and free radical scavenger. There is evidence that melatonin acts to support the immune system. As we age the natural production of melatonin tapers off.

Melatonin is thought to potentiate the affects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) via direct interaction with GABA receptors. Research indicates melatonin exerts a sleep-promoting action by accelerating sleep initiation, improving sleep maintenance, and marginally altering sleep architecture.

Thorne’s Melaton-5 supplies 5 mg of melatonin in each capsule, to accommodate a higher dosage regimen. Timing of the melatonin dosage appears to be important, with the most effective protocol being a diurnal cycle similar to the physiological rhythm of melatonin secretion (once daily dosing in the evening before bed).

Various cancer types have been shown to be responsive to oral melatonin (10-50 mg daily), including breast cancer, non-small-cell lung cancer, metastatic renal-cell carcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, and brain metastases from solid tumors. In a study of 30 patients with untreatable metastatic solid tumors, 20 mg oral melatonin daily in conjunction with low doses of the antitumor cytokines, interleukin-2 and -12, significantly increased lymphocyte proliferation and the anticancer effect of these cytokines.

Research observing the use of melatonin alone or in conjunction with chemotherapy found melatonin may be a beneficial therapeutic tool for patients with colorectal cancer, soft tissue sarcoma, or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma. A meta-analysis of 10 randomized, controlled trials demonstrated melatonin therapy for various cancers reduced the relative risk of death at one year by an average of 34 percent. These results were independent of cancer type and melatonin dosage, which ranged from 10-40 mg daily; no adverse events were reported.

In a study of 14 metastatic breast cancer patients who had not responded to initial therapy with tamoxifen, 20 mg of melatonin was administered daily in the evening along with tamoxifen. A partial response was seen in 28 percent of patients whose disease would have otherwise been expected to progress rapidly. In those who responded clinically, significant declines were also found in serum levels of the tumor growth factor IGF-1. This response was irrespective of estrogen-receptor status.