Melatonin is a hormone synthesized in your pineal gland and many other organs. While it is most well-known as a natural sleep regulator, it also has many other important functions.
Melatonin Is a potent antioxidant with the rare ability to enter your mitochondria, where it helps “prevent mitochondrial impairment, energy failure, and apoptosis of mitochondria damaged by oxidation,” notes a 2007 review published in Frontiers in Bioscience. It also helps recharge glutathione, and glutathione deficiency has been linked to COVID-19 severity
- Research has also found that melatonin is important in several other ways:
- It plays an important role in cancer prevention
- Is important for brain, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal health
- Boosts immune function in a variety of ways
- May improve the treatment of certain bacterial diseases, including tuberculosis
- Helps quell inflammation
- May prevent or improve autoimmune diseases, including Type 1 diabetes
- Is an important energy hormone that can influence your energy level
- Helps regulate gene expression via a series of enzymes
- Has anticonvulsant and antiexcitotoxic properties
Melatonin’s Role in COVID-19 Treatment
Melatonin has also been shown to play a role in viral infections and according to a June 2020 research paper in Life Sciences journal, it may be an important adjunct to COVID-19 treatment. According to the authors, melatonin curbs several pathological features of COVID-19, including:- Excessive oxidative stress and inflammation
- Exaggerated immune response resulting in a cytokine storm
- Acute lung injury
- Acute respiratory distress syndrome
