No evidence melatonin relieves jet lag
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Melatonin is described as a natural nightcap but researchers said on Friday there is no scientific evidence that it relieves jet lag.
The hormone, which is available in over-the-counter supplements, helps regulate the body’s daily rhythms. Shift workers and air travellers take it to improve their sleep patterns.
But scientists at the University of Alberta in Edmonton Canada found it had no significant impact.
“Our results do not provide evidence that melatonin is effective in alleviating sleep disturbance in jet lag,” said Nina Buscemi, a research associate at the university, in a report published online by the British Medical Journal.
Melatonin, a naturally occurring hormone, is produced by the pineal gland in the brain. Research has shown that levels rise at night and fall in the morning.
Buscemi and her colleagues reviewed 16 trials, involving more than 500 people in all, to assess the impact of melatonin on sleep disorders caused by medical problems or lack of sleep due to working shifts or to air travel.
About 20 percent of Americans suffer from sleep problems, according to the researchers.
They said short-term use of melatonin seems to be safe but called for more studies to determine its long-term safety.
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