Monday, Nov. 22, 2021
Can melatonin help treat COVID-19?
Melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep, which is made in the pineal gland but can also be taken as a supplement, has been observed to help reduce the severity of COVID-19 symptoms.
A June 2021 study found that COVID-19 patients given melatonin were discharged from the hospital sooner and returned to "baseline health" faster than those not given melatonin.
A September 2021 study found that melatonin improved symptoms and chances of survival in mice by reducing a type of pulmonary inflammation.
An October 2021 study reviewing melatonin's effects on humans found that "melatonin acts to prevent [oxygen deficiency], thereby improving COVID-19 prognosis."
Melatonin may also help prevent COVID-19 infection: A November 2020 study found that melatonin supplementation reduced the likelihood of a positive COVID-19 test by 28%, but authors noted that more studies are needed to evaluate its clinical efficacy.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- Archives of Medical Research Efficacy of a Low Dose of Melatonin as an Adjunctive Therapy in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19: A Randomized, Double-blind Clinical Trial
- Wiley Online Library Therapeutic potential of melatonin and melatonergic drugs on K18‐hACE2 mice infected with SARS‐CoV‐2
- Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry Melatonin interferes with COVID-19 at several distinct ROS-related steps
- PLOS A network medicine approach to investigation and population-based validation of disease manifestations and drug repurposing for COVID-19
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