Can a Melatonin Supplement Help With Weight Loss?Can a melatonin supplement help you lose weight?
Many studies now show that, taking a melatonin supplement can not only help you conquer insomnia but can help you lose weight as well! Here’s why...
What is Melatonin?Melatonin is a hormone that promotes sleep. Normally, melatonin levels begin to rise in the evening, remain high for most of the night and then decline in the early morning hours.Because melatonin makes us sleep, this pattern of secretion helps regulate the normal sleep/wake cycle. Like most other hormones, however, melatonin secretion decreases with age. This melatonin deficiency helps explain why older adults often experience insomnia and sleep disorders, and ...
Effects of Melatonin on Weight GainSeveral studies have shown that a melatonin deficiency is associated with weight gain and that taking a melatonin supplement can stimulate weight loss.In one study, for example, middle-aged rats that were given a melatonin supplement for a 12-week period not only reduced their leptin and insulin levels to those typical of younger rats, but also experienced a significant reduction in body fat. While the mechanisms of melatonin-induced weight loss are not clear, it is speculated that melatonin may work by:
How Sleep Influences Weight
It is now quite clear that not getting enough sleep leads to weight gain.
In one study that took place over a 16-year period and included nearly 70,000 middle-aged women, researches showed that those who slept for 5 hours per night were 32% more likely to experience major weight gain (defined as an increase of 33 pounds or more)and 15% more likely to become obese than women who slept 7 hours a night. In this study the increased weight gain experienced by those who got less sleep was not due to a lower level of physical activity, nor was it due to reduced caloric intake. While some researchers speculate that sleep affects weight by causing a change in the body’s basal metabolic rate (the number of calories that the body burns at rest), insufficient sleep has also been shown to:
A study published in the British medical journal Lancet, for instance, showed that just one week of sleep deprivation was enough to decrease production of growth hormone in young healthy men.
Other Effects of Melatonin
In addition to helping conquer insomnia and weight gain, some research has suggested that taking a melatonin supplement may stop or delay the spread of cancer, and strengthen the immune system.
And, since decreased amounts of sleep are associated with high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart disease, taking melatonin may help avoid or alleviate these conditions as well.
Melatonin Side EffectsWhen used in proper dosages, melatonin appear to be safe for both short and long term use. Reported melatonin side effects include:
The Hormone Leptin and Weight Loss
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