by Art Solbrig December 16, 2020
I was moved to write this article after reading and responding to EC member Sheila's post about how she and her husband are currently fighting Covid-19. He has had 3 previous strokes, while Sheila has had a mini-stroke, commonly referred to as Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA).
Here is her post for reference: https://answers.earthclinic.com/melatonin-safe-for-covid-after-stroke.html
As you can see below, the length of this article would have been a lot for a post reply, in addition to my initial response to her regarding Covid-19! Still, I wanted Sheila and her husband to be aware of this information hoping that it may help them and many others in the EC community around the world improve their current health in terms of stroke prevention and stroke treatment. ...
by Art Solbrig December 16, 2020
I was moved to write this article after reading and responding to EC member Sheila's post about how she and her husband are currently fighting Covid-19. He has had 3 previous strokes, while Sheila has had a mini-stroke, commonly referred to as Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA).
Here is her post for reference: https://answers.earthclinic.com/melatonin-safe-for-covid-after-stroke.html
As you can see below, the length of this article would have been a lot for a post reply, in addition to my initial response to her regarding Covid-19! Still, I wanted Sheila and her husband to be aware of this information hoping that it may help them and many others in the EC community around the world improve their current health in terms of stroke prevention and stroke treatment.
Previously I've written about some of the health benefits of melatonin, and that list is growing. To add to the list, I would like to discuss melatonin's potential to help prevent stroke and help those who may have already had a stroke with their recovery process and avoiding another one. There are many studies regarding this vital subject, and it is important because I think many people who have suffered a stroke feel that the chance for recovery is nil, but melatonin offers hope in this process for improved recovery as well as prevention.
After reading the links below, I think you will agree that there is hope for a better recovery post-stroke, as well as preventing a stroke from ever occurring in the first place or limiting the damage level that would typically arise without melatonin's protective activities already in play. Melatonin is not the only tool to reach that goal, but it is an important one!
Some families seem to be genetically inclined toward strokes, as discussed in the following link, so in that case, this article may offer hope in terms of warding off that genetic factor or even for people who have not been living the healthiest lifestyle for years who may be more prone to have a stroke.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2600010/
The colder months of winter and spring are considered "stroke season," but this varies depending on what report you read. However, more than an average number of strokes occur in this time frame, so getting prepared as is practical may be a good health idea.
Strokes are also more likely to occur between 8:00 am and 12:00 pm, and even the day of the week plays into the stroke scenario. Even gender and ethnicity can play a part.
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/01.str.26.8.1343
Multiple factors can cause or contribute to different types of strokes. Obviously, uncontrolled high blood pressure can be a significant contributing factor as can age, genetics, ethnicity, gender, diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, previously having had a stroke or mini-stroke(TIA), and obesity are common contributors, but there are others.
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/stroke
https://www.cdc.gov/stroke/types_of_stroke.htm
Melatonin is a very interesting molecule, and when it comes to strokes, melatonin should definitely be included as a significant component of any prevention or treatment plan because of its many health effects on humans and animals. Melatonin is highly protective of the brain and major organs such as the heart, lungs,
kidneys, liver, skin, and eyes. Below I will link to studies and articles that will explain how melatonin can work in a very positive way to manipulate the body through multiple pathways to improve individuals' health status at high risk for a stroke. Also, to possibly prevent a stroke from ever occurring or repair some of the damage caused by a stroke.
The following study highlights many of the methods of action of melatonin that can help prevent an ischemic stroke, a stroke that occurs from a blockage in the artery that supplies oxygen-rich blood to the brain. This study aims at the anti-inflammatory activity of melatonin in terms of stroke prevention.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6887673/
These next studies discuss how melatonin can offer protection and possibly reparative actions after a hemorrhagic stroke. As mentioned above in "different types of strokes," this is the type where an artery in the brain leaks blood or ruptures, allowing the blood to spill into the brain, which puts excessive pressure on brain cells which damages these brain cells as opposed to an ischemic stroke(the most common type @ 87% of strokes) where a blockage in the artery that supplies blood to the brain becomes clogged preventing the oxygen-rich blood from reaching the brain.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28132129/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5632938/
The following studies discuss how melatonin can be of potential use before and after ischemic stroke. Again, ischemic stroke represents 87% of stroke cases, so these are essential studies in more closely illustrating the value of melatonin as a prophylactic treatment and a therapeutic treatment for stroke. These studies highlight melatonin's ability to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), readily enter all tissues of the body, enter into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), exert all of its direct and indirect potent antioxidant abilities, effectively reduce elevated inflammatory levels, activate the Nrf2/KEAP1/ARE pathway which will also increase the total antioxidant capacity (TAC), protect brain cells, protect neurons, protect mitochondria against damage and death caused by excessive oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis or programmed cell death, inhibit neuroinflammation, among much other health-promoting methods of action that melatonin utilizes in areas of the brain affected by stroke.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2020.01220/full
https://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/medical/issues/sag-20-50-si-2/sag-50-si-2-9-2008-32.pdf
https://www.europeanreview.org/article/20211
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31697951/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31445031/
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1179069519827300
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6073988/
In the following studies, the discussion turns toward how melatonin can affect some of its protective activities in stroke through its highly potent antioxidative actions. It is worth noting that excess oxidative stress, as indicated in patients before and after a stroke, can cause elevated inflammatory levels. These high inflammatory levels can cause further elevated oxidative stress levels in a continuous cycle, damaging the brain cells, neurons, and mitochondria. In long term high dose and very high dose studies, melatonin ("HDM" and "VHDM") in humans and animals melatonin has shown the ability to return elevated oxidative stress levels and elevated inflammatory levels back to healthy control patient status, and this is a critical aspect about HDM as healthy control levels are what we want for good health in all areas of the body.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3727/096368915X689749
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27500468/
In the following study, the ability of melatonin to actively work as a therapeutic against stroke-related dementia.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7463751/
The following abstract discusses the role of melatonin in obesity as it relates to stroke. It mentions how obesity can be an aggravating factor in stroke and how melatonin can affect both disease states' protective effects via its potent anti-inflammatory effects.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33135223/
The following study highlights melatonin's role in improving cognitive impairment caused by stroke and some of melatonin's methods of action for utility in this purpose.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30245469/
The following two studies describe melatonin's application as a brain protectant against ischemic stroke injury via endoplasmic reticulum stress inhibition.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5979830/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28178380/
There are plenty more studies about the benefits that melatonin can offer in terms of prevention and or treatment of stroke, but I am interested in highlighting this potential more so that people can understand the value of melatonin for this purpose and discuss it with their doctors to see if melatonin is something that may be compatible with their current regimens as a prophylactic or as a treatment in the case of someone who has already had a stroke or for people who fall into the "high-risk categories for stroke."
Sadly, despite all the studies, very few doctors and neurologists recommend melatonin to their patients for this purpose as doctors seem to lean toward the prescription medications, which really haven't shown the same kind of effects that melatonin has for this purpose.
Sometimes, we have to be our own best advocate when it comes to ourselves. My personal approach is that I take melatonin, firstly because of its excellent safety profile, which shows that, compared to prescription meds, you are more likely to get other health benefits from the use of melatonin as opposed to potentially serious side effects associated with some of the prescription medications used for stroke treatment. Blood thinners do not seem to be the answer to the problem, though they do help. Secondly, since melatonin mainly appears to confer health benefits well beyond just helping to prevent or treat stroke, I would like to put myself in a position to take advantage of those potential health benefits that melatonin has shown the ability to provide in multiple areas of human and animal health.
I have been taking HDM for years and as of the past 2 1/2 months, have been at 106 mg of three different types of melatonin every night in pursuit of better sleep, health and as a prophylactic against such things as stroke, heart disease, age-related macular degeneration, excess inflammation, excess oxidative stress, liver damage, kidney damage, osteoporosis, memory decline, lung issues, skin issues, among many others as suggested by hundreds of studies on the many health benefits associated with melatonin.
I am not a doctor, so I can not recommend that anyone do what I am doing or give advice on dosing. I can only explain as best as I can what I am doing and explain why I am doing it.
The bottom line for this post is that I share the message of what studies show about melatonin's ability to improve health outcomes when it comes to stroke prevention and treatment.
You can find melatonin at most pharmacies, health food stores, grocery stores, and of course, online. Below are links to highly rated products on Amazon:
High Dose Melatonin by Perfect Vitamin Products - 60 mg. 60 capsules
NOW Supplements, Melatonin, 10 mg, 100 Veg Capsules
Natrol Fast Dissolve - 10 mg - 100 Count - $12.99
Puritan's Pride Melatonin 10 mg 120 Capsules (3-Pack)- $23.00
Great idea to buy melatonin in bulk, but you'll need to buy a milligram scale to measure it out properly (see link below). Melatonin powder has a bitter taste so it would be easiest to take it mixed in something like yogurt.
BulkSupplements Melatonin Powder (1 Kilogram) - $24
Got a question for Art about melatonin for Stroke Recovery and Prevention? Please submit it here.
