Art (California) on 04/16/2024
That would suggest that orally received melatonin from foods in just hundreds of nanograms would not likely offer any health benefit at all, but this new study (April 2024) shows that elderly people consuming foods with melatonin available in just ng levels found significant benefits from eating such foods.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38613097/
Here is a relevant study quote :
' Multiple regression analysis showed that older adults with higher FMT consumption are more satisfied with life (FMTdinner: β = 0.107; âR2 = 0.011; p = 0.020), have a lower level of depression (FMTday: β = -0.124; âR2 = 0.015; p = 0.003), and higher scores in positive affect (FMTday: β = 0.169; âR2 = 0.016; p = 0.007; FMTdinner: β = 0.136; âR2 = 0.019; p = 0.003). Logistic regression analysis showed that older adults with higher FMT consumption are less likely to have depression (FMTday: OR, 0.614; 95% CI, 0.436-0.864; p = 0.005; FMTdinner: OR, 0.671; 95% CI, 0.476-0.945; p = 0.023), and they perform better on logical thinking tests (FMTday: OR, 2.066; 95% CI, 1.131-2.204; p = 0.013; FMTdinner: OR, 1.887; 95% CI, 1.183-2.138; p = 0.033). A greater life satisfaction as well as a decrease in the cognitive impairment and psychoemotional state of older adults is associated with a higher consumption of melatonin-containing foods. '
The above proves that I was wrong on this aspect of food-derived melatonin, and this is the first study I have seen showing that food-derived melatonin is definitely healthful for humans. I apologize to the Earth Clinic community for my misunderstanding of the value of melatonin derived from food. This study clearly illustrates that melatonin derived from food containing nanogram levels of melatonin is not only active, but it also has a very positive effect on our mental state without the side effects that some people report from the use of oral melatonin supplements. I stand corrected.
Here is a list of foods that have higher levels of melatonin in them :
1. Oily Fish such as salmon and sardines
2. Pistachios
3. Oranges and Orange Juice
4. Pineapple and Pineapple Juice
5. Tart Cherries
6. Walnuts
7. Goji Berries
8. Mushrooms
9. Corn
10. Grapes
11. Tomatoes
12. Strawberries
13. Cauliflower
14. Walnuts
15. Almonds
16. Bananas
17. Broccoli
18. Sweet Potatoes
19. Barley
20. Oats
21. Ginger
22. Cabbage
23. Blackberries
24. Rice
25. Sunflower Seeds
There are more than these, but the above are 25 common ones.
Art
Art (California) on 04/16/2022
Here is a link to the study :
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8123278/
Here is a relevant quote from the study that explains 3 more ways to get significantly increased melatonin levels without taking a melatonin supplement :
>>> ' Volunteers were given juice extracted from 1 kg of orange or pineapple or two whole bananas, containing 302, 150, and 8.9 ng phytomelatonin, respectively. The study demonstrated that the serum melatonin concentration was significantly increased after 120 min of fruit consumption. For pineapple (146 versus 48 pg/mL p = 0.002), orange (151 versus 40 pg/mL, p = 0.005), and banana (140 versus 32 pg/mL, p = 0.008), and this definitely proves that fruits are a good source of phytomelatonin. Besides, the antioxidant capacity in the serum also markedly increased, suggested by the significant increases in two indicators; ferric reducing antioxidant power assay and oxygen radical antioxidant capacity [35]. Likewise, a study conducted with young, middle-aged, and elderly participants showed that the ingestion of 200 mL of grape juice twice a day increased urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin, a major metabolite of melatonin commonly used as a biomarker, and total antioxidant capacity in the all three groups of individuals [36 ' <<<
So now we know that fresh orange and pineapple juice as well as bananas or grape juice can significantly increase melatonin levels in humans. In the case of fresh orange juice, a greater than 3x increase in the melatonin level was seen. So in total, we now have 5 ways to very significantly increase melatonin levels without the side effects reported for melatonin supplements! I'll drink to that....orange juice, that is!
Art
Betty (CA) on 01/08/2022
When I was dx with cancer I wanted onc's opinion on vitC IV's, melatonin and vitD. He got so uptight and said do not take anything but the chemo. I knew that was crazy.
For melatonin I didn't know alot at the time but read it might have anti-cancer properties/synergize chemo. Then heard a chemo nurse talking about how they needed to stop at wal mart to get some. I asked her why she was taking it thinking she would say "for sleep." Instead she told me they all take it for the anti-cancer benefit.
I hope alot more will find this site and make their own informed health decisions based on research and personal experiences found here.
Dianne (US) on 01/08/2022
