What Is Melatonin?
Melatonin is a common ingredient in many nutritional supplements that helps people sleep better.
There are no natural melatonin compounds that exist in human bodies.
It is the supplement with the fewest side effects for sleep improvements.
99% of the melatonin on the market is chemically synthesized and purified for various dosages.
First, let’s see the uses of melatonin:
What Is Melatonin Used For?
#1. It helps you fall asleep faster and more easily.
It tricks your brain into believing it is nighttime and shifts your sleep timing.
It will put you into a quiet wakefulness that helps promote sleep.
It will help you relax and make it easier to fall asleep.
Compared to other supplements, melatonin is the most effective for treating circadian rhythm sleep disorders such as Jet lag, shift work, and delayed sleep.
#2. It reduces the chances of depression.
Studies show that better sleep will significantly reduce the chances of depression, while the majority of depressed people suffer from sleep disorders.
Studies suggest that people with insomnia have a tenfold risk of developing depression compared with those who sleep well.
#3. It is suitable for your eyes and skin.
Melatonin can also be good for your eyes and skin.
The mechanism is unclear, but it is closely related to its antioxidant properties, which neutralize oxidative damage and stimulate growth receptors.
Its antioxidant effects are more potent than glutathione, C, and E.
Some researchers believe that good skin and eyesight are due to sound sleep. Sleeping Beauty did exist.
However, researchers believe topical forms have better skin effects than oral dosages.
#4. Treat your stomach ulcers, heartburn, and headaches.
A 2011 review found it effective for relieving epigastric pain and heartburn.
Tentative evidence showed it might help reduce headaches, including cluster and hypnic headaches.
#5. Improve your Immune System.
Some studies suggest that it might help fight infectious diseases caused by viruses, such as HIV, and bacterial infections, and you can use it to treat cancer.
Why Do We Need Melatonin?
#1. It is effective and safe for better sleep in children
If you have been a parent, you know your kids may cry even when it is bedtime.
You know they are crying because they are tired and need to sleep, but they can’t find a cozy place.
You must help children who have sleep issues, such as difficulty falling asleep or waking easily, manage their sleep.
Melatonin is beneficial for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism, other developmental disabilities, or visual impairment, so they should take it regularly.
However, before even taking your kids to the doctor and considering prescribing some meds for your kids, please exclude other causes of the sleeping issues, such as noise, light, or anxiety due to school study pressures, or whether they eat or drink too much before sleep.
You can also visit the Sleep Health Foundation website for details.
Many studies have shown that short-term, low-dose melatonin is safe for children.
However, kids tend to chew more than enough melatonin gummies for sweet flavors, which puts them in danger of overdosing.
So, if you have melatonin gummies, do watch out.
Parents need to take extra care with melatonin gummies to avoid any melatonin overdose.
#2. It is also convenient for adults with sleep issues
Melatonin tabs or caps are very popular among older adults with sleep difficulties and pilots/stewards dealing with jet lag.
There are even melatonin gummies in all sorts of fruit flavors. Just choose your favorite type and start chewing.
Adults can start with 2/10 of a milligram and increase to 5 milligrams 60 minutes before bedtime.
Children should start with a smaller dose.
So, please start with the smallest dose, two-tenths of a milligram, and increase it as needed or recommended by their doctors.
Amounts can vary from 0.2 mg to 6 mg.
Doctors have found no evidence to support taking more than 6mg for better effects.
What Are The Side Effects Of Melatonin?
Though melatonin is relatively safe, we can’t ignore its possible side effects.
When used in low doses for a short time (not exceeding 3 months), it has few side effects.
According to research, its typical side effects may include sleepiness, headaches, nausea, diarrhea, and abnormal dreams.
Two systematic reviews even found that it had no adverse effects.
Its slow-release formulation is also safe for long-term use,e such as one year.
Although long-term use is not recommended, there are no safer or better options than other sleep aids.
If you have different ideas or opinions on melatonin, please comment below.
Tasimelteon vs Melatonin
Melatonin and tasimelteon, which have similar chemical structures, are used to improve sleep. Tasimelteon is also a derivative of melatonin, but they have differences.
Below is a comparison of them.
1. Different categories. (Tasimelteon is an API, and melatonin is a nutritional supplement)
Tasimelteon is an active pharmaceutical ingredient, and in 2010, the FDA granted it orphan drug status. Melatonin is a nutritional supplement.
China’s state FDA has different requirements for pharmaceutical ingredients and food supplements.
2. Melatonin is safer
Research has shown that low-dose melatonin is safe for children.
You can check the melatonin powder for more details.
3. Cost Difference. (The pure powder costs 2500 times more than melatonin)
1 g tasimelteon is worth almost 10kg of melatonin.
The cost difference is mainly caused by: 1) the production scale. 2) Synthesis steps.
Given its low demand as an active ingredient in medicines compared with melatonin, which has high demand in the market as a healthcare supplement, melatonin wins easily. Commercial production at scale has reducedmelatonin’se price to about 180 USD/kg or less.
4. Synthesis process
The shortest synthesis route has 6 steps, and the longest has 18. Longer synthesis steps mean less yield with the same amount of starting materials.
While there is a one-step synthesis method for melatonin, the longest route only has three steps. You can check the routes below:
5. Isomer and Chirality.
As you can see from their chemical structures, tasimelteon is chiral, and melatonin is not.
Isomers are also known as impurities. Due to the long synthesis steps, tasimelteon has six isomers.
Melatonin only has three impurities.
6. Stability
As you can see from its structure, tasimelteon is chemically less stable than melatonin.
Its triangular structure determines its vulnerability.
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/melatonin#sleep
- http://sleepeducation.org/treatment-therapy/melatonin/benefits-side-effects
- https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/melatonin-and-children.html
- https://www.sleep.org/articles/how-much-melatonin-to-take/
- https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/htdocs/chem_background/exsumpdf/melatonin_508.pdf
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasimelteon
- https://www.drugbank.ca/drugs/DB09071
Disclaimer:
This content is for informational purposes only and is intended for business-to-business communication within the pharmaceutical industry. It is not intended as medical advice. The manufacture, import, and use of API must comply with all applicable laws and regulations in the relevant country or region.
This blog post is informational only and does not constitute medical advice.
Always consult a healthcare professional before starting any new medication or treatment.
