Is melatonin more harmful than helpful?

Better sleep without addiction to sleeping pills: that's what melatonin supplements promise. However, research shows that this comes with risks. Almost all supplements failed in a recent product test. Washington (dpa) – Sleep aids containing melatonin are booming, but new research points to an association between longer-term use and a risk of heart failure. According to an analysis presented at an American Heart Association congress in New Orleans, there is no causal link, and yet there is reason for concern about the use of melatonin and a need for further investigation. "Melatonin supplements may not be as harmless as commonly assumed. If our study is confirmed, this could affect how doctors counsel patients about sleep aids," said Ekenedilichukwu Nnadi, lead author of the study. The study, published in November, reported that participants in the melatonin group were nearly twice as likely to die from any cause than those in the non-melatonin group. “Melatonin supplements are widely thought of as a safe and ‘natural’ option to support better sleep, so it was striking to see such consistent and significant increases in serious health outcomes, even after balancing for many other risk factors,” Nnadi said. Before the study's publication, product testers in Germany analysed 19 over-the-counter melatonin sprays available in Europe and found that the benefit may be very small yet potentially risky. Sixteen of the products tested by Öko-Test magazine were rated “poor” or “inadequate”, with only three earning a “sufficient” rating, in findings published in October. Melatonin is a hormone produced by the body to regulate the sleep-wake cycle. As a medicine, it is prescribed for people over 55 with problems falling and staying asleep, or for children with specific conditions, albeit for a limited time only. Food supplements in Europe, meanwhile, can be marketed with a daily dose of up to 1 milligram without being classed as a medicinal product. Limited benefit for healthy users A scientific opinion commissioned by Öko-Test found that the benefit for healthy users is small, with time to fall asleep reduced by an average of only seven minutes. At the same time, health experts have warned of possible side effects such as drowsiness, reduced alertness or unsteadiness, even with short-term use and doses below 1 milligram. Long-term risks, for example for children or people at risk of diabetes, have not yet been the subject of enough research. On the European market, more than half of the sprays tested contained melatonin amounts that deviated significantly from their labels. In the view of some control authorities, this means certain products cross the line into being medicinal products. In addition, many providers fail to include important warnings, for example for risk groups such as children, pregnant women or people with autoimmune diseases, or they include them only incompletely. Throwing your body clock out of rhythm Doctors have also warned about the casual use of melatonin products for children, as these can disrupt an otherwise stable internal clock and influence other endogenous hormones. n their ratings of 19 melatonin sprays from drugstores, the testers awarded only three a rating of “sufficient”, while 12 were “poor” and four “inadequate”. Overall, the testers did not recommend the sprays. If you have trouble sleeping, it's best not to immediately try melatonin, the testers wrote. Instead, "check your own sleep hygiene." That includes regular sleep times, dark bedrooms and avoiding screens before bed. Melatonin sprays should also only be used after medical consultation and at most for a short period. The following information is not intended for publication dpa/tmn lue yyzz n1 av

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