IUBio

1/2 mg melatonin optimal for anti-aging?

Larry Sharp BWXF27B at prodigy.com
Sat Dec 2 01:07:14 EST 1995


jtieber at pobox.com (John Tieber) wrote:
>
>
>From the most recent (January 1996) issue of Life Extension Magazine 
(page 16):
>
>³Scientists who¹ve conducted melatonin research have emphasized in 
several
>new books that healthy people who don¹t suffer from insomnia _may_ only
>need 500 mcg [1/2 mg] of melatonin per night for optimal antiaging
>benefits.²
>
>Later reference to _The Melatonin Miracle_ suggests that the scientists
>referred to are Walter Pierpaoli, MD, PhD; and William Regelson, MD.
>
>This is the first mention I¹ve seen that 1/2 mg per night might be 
optimal
>for anti-aging. Per this, Life Extension Foundation now offers a 500 
mcg
>size (6 month+ supply:$14).
>
>I don¹t have trouble sleeping, and would rather spend about $25 per 
year
>for my 99.9% purity melatonin than what I¹m spending now.
>
>Can anyone contradict the claim that 500 mcg per night is optimal for
>anti-aging purposes? If not, I guess I¹ll have to buy the book, 
hopefully
>using some of the money I will then save by reducing my melatonin
>purchases.

Experiments with melatonin and immune response appear to be dose 
dependent up to around 10 mg. Since one of the fundamental aging clocks 
is the decline of the immune system a higher dose would seem prudent 
until lifespan vs dose experiments have been completed. I think the 1/2 
mg dose is the knee in the curve for the antioxidantproperty of melatonin.






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