Does Melatonin Help Heart and Metabolic Health?
Comprehensive Effects of Melatonin Supplementation on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors: A Systematic Review and Dose–Response Meta-Analysis
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Melatonin lowered fasting blood glucose by 11.63 mg/dL without causing any weight loss.
Most metabolic improvements are assumed to come from fat loss, but this shows melatonin directly influences glucose metabolism and vascular health independently of adiposity.
Practical Takeaways
If you struggle with sleep and have borderline high blood pressure or cholesterol, consider adding 2-5mg of melatonin before bed alongside your current diet and exercise plan.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Melatonin lowered fasting blood glucose by 11.63 mg/dL without causing any weight loss.
Most metabolic improvements are assumed to come from fat loss, but this shows melatonin directly influences glucose metabolism and vascular health independently of adiposity.
Practical Takeaways
If you struggle with sleep and have borderline high blood pressure or cholesterol, consider adding 2-5mg of melatonin before bed alongside your current diet and exercise plan.
Publication
Journal
Nutrients
Year
2025
Authors
Shooka Mohammadi, D. Ashtary-Larky, Mahsa Erfanian-Salim, Navid Alaghemand, M. Yousefi, Pouyan Sanjari Pirayvatlou, Mohammadreza Mirkarimi, S. A. Mavi, Ilnaz Alavi, Yeganeh Ettehad, Milad Mehrbod, Omid Asbaghi, Katsuhiko Suzuki, R. Reiter
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Claims (7)
Taking melatonin supplements might slightly lower your top blood pressure number by about 2 points. However, how much it actually helps depends on your starting blood pressure and other personal health factors, so the real-world benefit isn't the same for everyone.
Taking melatonin supplements may lower your blood pressure, blood sugar, and bad cholesterol, while also reducing inflammation and boosting your body's natural antioxidants.
Taking melatonin supplements appears to lower markers of inflammation in the body, such as CRP and IL-6. This reduction in inflammation might help protect the heart, especially for people who already have ongoing, low-level inflammation.
Taking melatonin supplements might help improve your cholesterol levels by lowering the 'bad' types and raising the 'good' type. These small changes could potentially benefit your heart health, though it doesn't seem to affect triglycerides.
Taking melatonin supplements seems to lower fasting blood sugar levels in adults by about 11.6 mg/dL on average. This effect is strongest in people whose blood sugar is already normal or only slightly high, but researchers caution that the current evidence isn't strong enough to rely on melatonin as a main treatment for blood sugar control.