Melatonin as a natural treatment for Endometriosis
Research shows that melatonin may be an effective adjunctive therapy for endometriosis.
WHAT IS MELATONIN?
Melatonin is a naturally occuring hormone that is released by the pineal gland in the brain helps to regulate the sleep wake cycle. It’s often referred to as the sleep hormone because it helps promote sleep. It can also be found in other areas such as in bones, eyes, the gut and organs such as the liver and kidneys.
Melatonin is also a poweful antioxidant, analgesic (or pain reliever) and an anti-inflammatory agent.
HOW DOES MELATONIN HELP WITH ENDOMETRIOSIS?
Studies have showed that melatonin has shown benefits of pain reduction, lowered use of pain relief medications, improved sleep quality, a reduction in lesion growth and the reduction of a protein in the body called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) (1, 2, 3). BDNF drives chronic pain in a range of conditions and has been shown in increased levels in women with endometriosis (4).
Great news right? There’s still more research that needs to be done but given the good safety profile of melatonin, it’s worthwhile considering; especially if you’re struggling with getting a good night’s sleep (3).
VITAMIN A, MELATONIN AND ENDOMETRIOSIS
Low levels of retinol or vitamin A can lead to decreased melatonin levels (5). Low vitamin A may play a role in the development of endometriosis, it’s been shown to prevent the growth of endometriosis cysts and can decrease local estrogen production, which is important as estrogen can fuel endometriosis growth (3).
HOW MUCH MELATONIN DO YOU TAKE FOR ENDOMETRIOSIS?
According to the research, 10mg per day of melatonin has shown to be effective in lowering pain, reducing BDNF levels, improving sleep quality, lowering the use of pain killers as well as having anti-estrogenic effects (3).
Jumping straight in with 10mg might be too much for many people, so start off with small doses around 1-2mg and work your way up. Here in Australia melatonin is by prescription only so talk to your doctor. Alternatively it can be found online. Melatonin should be avoided or at least discussed with a health practitioner if you suffer from depression, are pregnant or have an auto-immune condition as melatonin can stimulate the immune system.
WHICH FORM OF MELATONIN TO USE?
You can use instant or slow release melatonin. Instant release can be helpful if you struggle to get to sleep, slow release will prolong the release of melatonin and could be a better option if you tend to wake throughout the night.
HOW TO INCREASE YOUR MELATONIN
Fortunately there are plenty of ways to support melatonin production. It can be done through nutrition and lifestyle:
The body loves routine: try going to bed at the same time every night
Turn down the lights an hour before bed
Diet is a factor, as melatonin depends on the availability of tryptophan, an amino acid, so eating adequate protein is important. Additionally, many vitamins and minerals are involved in the synthesis of melatonin such as iron, zinc, magnesium, B3, B6 and vitamin C.
Certain foods have higher levels of melatonin, these include fruits and vegetables, examples: tart cherries (check out the hot cherry chocolate recipe below), grapes, strawberries, pomegranate, tomatoes, capsicum and mushrooms. Wholegrains, examples being wheat, barley, oats. Also nuts and seeds (especially pistachios and mustard seeds).
HOT CHERRY CHOCOLATE
I can’t take credit for this recipe, it was learnt while studying my nutrition degree from one of my lecturers. This is food as medicine at its best! Cherry juice provides melatonin and cacao is jam packed with antioxidants.
You’ll need:
50ml of tart cherry juice
1 tbsp cacao
300ml coconut milk
A drop or two of stevia (if you need extra sweetness)
Method:
Heat the coconut milk in a saucepan, add the cacao and stir until combined. Remove from the stove top and stir through the cherry juice and serve.
REFERENCES
Acuña-Castroviejo, D., Escames, G., Venegas, C., Díaz-Casado, M. E., Lima-Cabello, E., López, L. C., … Reiter, R. J. (2014). Extrapineal melatonin: sources, regulation, and potential functions. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 71(16), 2997–3025. doi:10.1007/s00018-014-1579-2
Schwertner, A., Conceição dos Santos, C. C., Costa, G. D., Deitos, A., de Souza, A., de Souza, I. C. C., … Caumo, W. (2013). Efficacy of melatonin in the treatment of endometriosis: A phase II, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Pain, 154(6), 874–881. doi:10.1016/j.pain.2013.02.025
Anderson, G. (2019). Endometriosis Pathoetiology and Pathophysiology: Roles of Vitamin A, Estrogen, Immunity, Adipocytes, Gut Microbiome and Melatonergic Pathway on Mitochondria Regulation. Biomolecular Concepts, 10(1), 133–149. doi:10.1515/bmc-2019-0017
Ding, S., Zhu, T., Tian, Y., Xu, P., Chen, Z., Huang, X., & Zhang, X. (2017). Role of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Endometriosis Pain. Reproductive Sciences, 25(7), 1045–1057. doi:10.1177/1933719117732161
Ashton, A. J., Stoney, P. N., & McCaffery, P. J. (2015). Investigating the role of vitamin A in melatonin production in the pineal gland. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 74(OCE3). doi:10.1017/s0029665115002219