How the Liver Processes Melatonin and Why Cirrhosis Changes It
Pharmacokinetics of melatonin in man: first pass hepatic metabolism.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
This research looked at how the body handles melatonin when taken as a pill versus an injection, and how much melatonin the body naturally makes. It found that the liver quickly breaks down most oral melatonin before it reaches the rest of the body. It also compared how much melatonin healthy people make versus people with severe liver disease.
Practical Takeaways
Understand that oral melatonin undergoes significant first-pass liver metabolism, which may explain why standard supplement doses are often higher than endogenous production levels.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
This research looked at how the body handles melatonin when taken as a pill versus an injection, and how much melatonin the body naturally makes. It found that the liver quickly breaks down most oral melatonin before it reaches the rest of the body. It also compared how much melatonin healthy people make versus people with severe liver disease.
Practical Takeaways
Understand that oral melatonin undergoes significant first-pass liver metabolism, which may explain why standard supplement doses are often higher than endogenous production levels.
Publication
Journal
The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism
Year
1985
Authors
E. Lane, H. Moss
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Claims (5)
When you take a melatonin pill, your body only absorbs about 15% of it because most of it gets broken down by your liver before it enters your bloodstream. Even so, the amount that does get absorbed can still be up to ten times more than what your body naturally makes at night.
When you swallow melatonin, your liver breaks down a large portion of it before it can enter your bloodstream. Because of this, you need to take a much larger pill to get the same amount of the hormone in your system as you would from an injection.
Your body naturally makes about 28.8 micrograms of melatonin every day when you're healthy. This normal amount helps your brain keep your sleep-wake cycle and daily rhythm on track.
People with severe liver disease make about half as much of the sleep hormone melatonin as healthy people do. This happens because a damaged liver struggles to help the body make or control this important chemical.
People with severe liver disease (cirrhosis) have trouble making and clearing melatonin, which changes how much of this sleep hormone is in their bodies. This happens because the damaged liver can't process or produce the hormone properly.