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Ever since researchers first isolated melatonin in the ‘50s — captivated them.
The light-sensitive pineal gland makes melatonin and releases it at night in response to darkness.
It’s our body’s only light-sensitive hormone.
And it’s an antioxidant — with thoroughly demonstrated effects.
Plus, studies show that it reduces lipid peroxidation in the brain.
The researchers used human cells in a dish with added aluminum.
Then they added varying amounts of melatonin for testing.
Researchers measured the byproducts of oxidation, dialdehydes.
Without a biochem lesson, it’s hard to explain a dialdehyde.
But they include compounds like formaldehyde which have a purpose but are toxic when too high.
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And the researchers found that melatonin reduces lipid peroxidation.
In the chart, “TBARS” stands for thiobarbituric acid reactive species.
It’s a common way to measure lipid peroxidation.
The PUFA oxidation products react with TBA, and this can be measured.
Melatonin, like most antioxidants, works by scavenging free radical electrons before they can do damage.
They grab the electrons before they can react with brain lipids.
A study from Japan showed this effect clearly.
The melatonin protected mice from mercury poisoning.
Not only did all the melatonin-dosed mice survive, but they showed fewer neurological symptoms as well.
This group also showed a 60% survival rate on the 35th day, However, the treated group, concomitantly given melatonin, showed a 100% survival rate on the 35th day.
It also protects against aluminum-induced toxicity in the brain.
A process called chelation removes metals from the body, and melatonin works as part of this process.
At least two studies demonstrated this effect.
Analytical techniques prove that melatonin binds aluminum and cadmium.
The binding of aluminium by melatonin could provide insight into the role of this element in the aetiology of Alzheimer’s disease.
Melatonin also binds stray iron as well, which can generate free radicals.
Iron also causes form neurofibrillary tangles — protein tangles in the brain linked to Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.
And iron part of lipofuscin, the age pigment.
The regenerative effect of sleep is partially a detoxification effect.
Just this year, new research has helped understand the mechanisms behind this.
Researchers measured how the brain metabolized complex sugars and proteins.
They found that brain clearance rates approximately double during sleep.
And they used a fluorescent dye to measure the movement of cerebrospinal fluid, called the CSF perfusion rate.
Now, the brain does not have a lymphatic system.
It doesn’t use the same immune system as the rest of the body.
It has its own version that interacts with the spinal fluid during sleep.
Our analysis indicates that the cortical interstitial space increases by more than 60% during sleep, resulting in efficient convective clearance of Aβ and other compounds.
During waking hours, a form of adrenaline keeps the spaces between brain cells tight.
But at night, that space relaxes so that the fluids can clean the brain.
This is when melatonin helps detoxify the brain of metals, during sleep.
Researchers also noted that people with Alzheimer’s disease have one-fifth the melatonin levels in their cerebrospinal fluid.
They have also shown that Alzheimer’s patients have increased pineal gland calcification.
More pineal calcification means less melatonin produced.
Exercise helps detoxify the body by moving lymph, but it takes sleep and melatonin to detoxify the brain.
http://sci-hub.cc/http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1600-079X.1998.tb00370.x/full
Protective Effect of Melatonin on Methylmercury-Induced Mortality in Mice
http://sci-hub.cc/https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/tjem/191/4/191_4_241/_article/-char/ja/
Interaction of serotonin and melatonin with sodium, potassium, calcium, lithium and aluminum
http://sci-hub.cc/http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1034/j.1600-079x.2001.310202.x/full
Sleep Drives Metabolite Clearance from the Adult Brain
http://sci-hub.cc/http://science.sciencemag.org/content/342/6156/373.short
nice
I keep trying to take melatonin because I had breast cancer. There are many studies supporting melatonin’s effectiveness against cancer – particularly breast cancer. I keep trying to take a higher dose as many people are able to do, however, I believe it has a herxheimer (detoxifying) effect on me. I have 60 mg capsules as my doctor tried to put me on it, but it made me really sick the next day – headache and vomited. I’ve been opening these capsules and dumping out most of it, estimating that I’m taking somewhere between 10 – 20 mg. It is keeping me up all night with a wired, jittery feeling and sometimes a headache by morning. I finally fell asleep this morning at 5 a.m. I believe, because of this reaction, that I truly need melatonin. I guess maybe i’ll get some 3 mg pills and start there for a long time and work my way up again. Have you heard of this reaction?
I think it’s toxic to take this much melatonin.
Actually melatonin is not “toxic” This does seem like an unnecessarily high dosage though. Dosage in melatonin is variable for each person. People given same dosage; some had 50 times more melatonin in blood than others. See research by Reiter at University of Texas. Also Matt the recent research in last five years or so did find that the brain has a lymph system.
Liked the article. Thanks.