Melatonin: Truth or Lie?

1996/02/01 Agirre, Jabier - Medikua eta OEEko kidea Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Osasuna

Written by the American William Regelson (oncologist and microbiologist) and the Italian Walter Pierpaoli (immunologist and endocrinologist in the trade), a book that has just appeared in several countries has created a salsa that has revolutionized every corner. What do these two serious scientists say to provoke this kind of influence on people? On the one hand, the book collects research done with mice. So far there is no problem: these experiments can be controlled and have been duly accredited. But then extrapolations begin to take place and soon they promise us that the human being can live between 100 and 120 years, in an excellent state of health. How? Melatonin with ditxosa, of course.

What is melatonin?

In a small gland located in our brain, the epiphysis or pineal gland, a nocturnal hormone is produced, so it has also been called "sleep or night hormone". The body flows more in childhood, which decreases with the passing of the year.

Discovered in 1958 and known in 1963 as a hormone, it seems that its main function is to control the biological rhythms of our body, the sleep/eye alternation. And by the way, controlling this balance can be said to keep in perfect harmony the nervous, endocrine and immune system, regulating sleep, rest, growth, energy, etc.

As the years pass our immune system weakens, we decrease muscle mass and we lose flexibility, we sleep less, the drive or sexual desire goes out, the bones weaken, the circulatory system is slower and the blood does not raise our body. All this results in arteriosclerosis, diseases of old age, bone or heart diseases, etc.

There are substances (vitamins and drugs) that can cope with and fight these problems, and we know that a proper diet and a healthy lifestyle delay all these diseases, except for exceptions. Today, however, melatonin has been imposed on this list, which is presented as "elixir of youth" or "remedy that heals all evil".

Melatonin as medicinal

Currently, melatonin is used in people who cannot fall asleep, as it is a natural sedative without side effects. It is also very beneficial for those who make long flights by plane, as it avoids physical problems arising from the change of time in the control of biological rhythms (something very common in intercontinental flights, for example). But from there to recover youth and to have remedy for all evils there is much difference. Where or how have these illusions come from?

Doctors Regelson and Pierpaoli have been researching the consequences of this hormone in mice for some time. In 1985 a series of experiments began to analyze the influence of melatonin on old mice. Thus, mice of 19 months were taken, without any disease (19 months for a mouse are like 65 years for man, according to their calculations) and divided into two groups. The mice in the first group were added melatonin in the water at night, while those in the second group were only given water.

At first the differences between the two groups were very small, but after five months they were surprised. In mice that only drank water signs of aging began to appear: muscle loss, hair loss, cataracts, difficult digestions... That is, normal signs of aging. However, in the mouse, mixed with water, they took melatonin, the skin was thicker and brighter, they saw it well, they did not tire... in short, they were in full shape. Because of the strength and speed they showed they seemed much younger than they were and they also lived six months more than the others (and that would mean about 25 years for us, for the human being).

Continuing with these research, it was observed that the sexual activity of mice was also greatly increased, and with treatment it was discovered that old females could also make children. Based on other experiments and discoveries, our two scientists thought that the pineal gland, and the flowing hormone, melatonin, was the clock of age, so if we managed to control that clock, we could also get excellent conclusions in humans.

Once the problem is over...

The "theories" from now on are very much discussed and let's not mention the previous experiments, extrapolations to humans and conclusions drawn. But once we start with these accounts, let's move on.

According to Regelson and Pierpaoli, the epiphysis, once puberty is over, secretes less and less melatonin, which causes aging. On the other hand, from 45-50 years the pineal gland practically loses its sensitivity and so, when we turn 60, the amount of melatonin we segregated is half that we segregated at age 20. For these two researchers, if we get the body to receive the necessary melatonin (and the best way to do it is to take it by mouth), we could stop the aging process and return to our physical state of youth. The idea is very exciting, but for now it has only been shown in mice and we do not know if there are side effects.

In the problem, as in many other occasions, the importance of propaganda and advertising must be taken into account. Like the enthusiastic side, voices have been raised saying that it is not serious, that no research has been done with humans, and that what is said in the book has not been proven before. The book has been very successful in the United States and the product is sold in supermarkets, not in medicines. At the moment, it is mainly used as a vitamin supplement (and do not forget that Americans are very fond of this type of substances) and as a relaxing that can be purchased without a prescription. Be for or against, be true or moderately false,... the debate is there.