Advanced Topics In Melatonin: Women's Health
Presented by Krista Anderson Ross, ND | May 1, 2024 at 9:30 AM and 12 PM Pacific
The use of supplemental melatonin as a signal to promote and maintain sleep and a healthy circadian rhythm is well documented in the scientific literature. In women's health, melatonin is long known for its uses as a potent antioxidant in breast cancer, and for temperature lowering and sleep promotion in perimenopause and menopause. More recently, a growing body of research suggests melatonin's clinical effects are far more reaching than its chronobiotic uses.
Of note, recent findings suggest that during sleep, the pineal gland only produces about 5% of the body's total production of melatonin; the rest is produced in the mitochondria, most notably in the GI tract. Given the documented decline in melatonin levels with age and reduced levels linked to mitochondrial dysfunction and diseases of aging, melatonin supplementation has surfaced as a potent mitochondrial regulator, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory. Melatonin has demonstrated clinical utility throughout a woman's lifespan, from reproductive impacts in PCOS, endometriosis, fertility and pregnancy, to the concerns of later life such as cognition, bone health and neurological disease.
Learning Objectives:
• Review of melatonin's "master regulator" effects including its chronobiological, hormonal, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immune and mitochondrial regulating properties
• Explore the impacts of supplemental melatonin in reproduction including pregnancy, fertility, PCOS and endometriosis; as well as concerns of later life - menopause, cognition and bone health
• Consider testing options to evaluate circadian rhythmicity and melatonin levels
• Consider melatonin dosing strategies, as well as review other naturopathic treatment approaches to support healthy melatonin production
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Melatonin as Master Regulator
02:15 Light Pollution and Sleep Disruption
04:00 Melatonin’s Circadian Role
06:00 Beyond the Pineal Gland
08:15 Mitochondrial and Antioxidant Effects
10:00 Melatonin Across the Lifespan
12:00 Vitamin D and Melatonin Parallels
14:15 Gut Microbiota and Melatonin
16:00 Tryptophan Pathways and Inflammation
18:00 Mental Health and Melatonin
19:00 Melatonin’s Role in Fertility
21:00 Melatonin in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
22:15 Melatonin and PCOS
25:00 Melatonin for Endometriosis Pain
27:00 Sleep Challenges in Menopausal Women
30:00 Estrogen, Menopause, and Melatonin
32:15 Pineal Gland Calcification
34:00 Alzheimer’s and Melatonin Decline
36:00 Metabolic Links to Brain Health
38:00 Glucose Sensitivity and Receptor Variants
40:00 Cardiovascular and Bone Health Benefits
42:15 Melatonin in Cancer Treatment
43:30 Testing and Light Exposure Insights
46:00 Neurotransmitters and Nutrient Co-Factors
48:00 Supplementation Considerations
50:00 Daylight Exposure and Circadian Reset
52:00 Over-the-Counter vs. Phytomelatonin
54:00 Effective Dosing Strategies
56:30 Immediate vs. Sustained Release
59:00 Dosing Variability and Side Effects
1:01:00 Safety and Endogenous Production
1:02:30 Drug Interactions and Alcohol Effects
1:03:45 Final Thoughts and Q&A