Medically reviewed by
Dacelin St Martin, MD
Triple board-certified in Sleep Medicine,
Internal Medicine, and Pediatrics.
Why Melatonin for COVID-19 Treatment? | Why Melatonin is Effective
Introduction
COVID-19 knows no boundaries. Countries are scrambling to enforce guidelines to mitigate the virus’s nasty spread.
Researchers are diligently conducting studies to find vaccines and medications to treat and ward off COVID-19, and have identified melatonin as an option.
Popularly known as the sleep hormone, melatonin has ignited the interest of researchers.
Studies show the medicinal properties and therapeutic value of melatonin, leading us to believe that melatonin could be one of the answers in solving the covid-19 puzzle.
Read on to find out more about the research surrounding melatonin and COVID-19.
Why Melatonin for COVID-19 Treatment?
Through the “big data” approach, researchers at the Cleveland Clinic identified that melatonin could have the potential to relieve the symptoms of COVID-19.
Their study suggests that melatonin could protect against COVID-19 by improving the body’s tolerance against the virus.[1]
While this study has provided significant insights into melatonin’s possible role in flattening the curve, further evidence is needed to confirm whether melatonin can be a beneficial treatment.
Let’s look at the various medicinal properties of melatonin that could be effective in managing COVID-19.
Why Melatonin is Effective
1) Antioxidant Effect
How Melatonin Works in Our Body:
Melatonin is revered for its natural antioxidant properties, and it’s actually produced naturally by the body. The pineal gland in the brain secretes melatonin in varying amounts at different times of the day and night to help us sleep.[2] [3] However, melatonin is more than just a sleep hormone as it also acts as an antioxidant, helping to defend the body against infection.
Melatonin protects the tissues and organs against damage by toxins and free radicals, helping to prevent severe COVID-19 complications.
It might protect the lungs and air passages against damage caused by free radicals and help patients recover faster after having contracted this infection.[4]
Melatonin may also counteract the multi‐organ dysfunction syndrome in patients with severe infections, like COVID-19, by acting as a natural antioxidant.
2) Anti-Inflammatory Action
The benefits of using melatonin for the management of COVID-19 could be linked to its anti-inflammatory properties.
The coronavirus is known to cause inflammation in the lung tissues. Inflammasomes trigger the inflammatory changes in the lungs and air passages, and pro-inflammatory substances, like cytokines, are released by the immune cells.[5]
Research studies show that melatonin might block these inflammasomes and prevent cytokine storms to some extent, thereby limiting tissue damage caused by COVID-19.
A cytokine storm refers to the influx of pro-inflammatory substances called cytokines by the immune cells that leads to serious damage to the tissues.
This effect would help reduce the severity of the symptoms and slow down or inhibit the immuno-pathology of COVID-19 infection, especially after the infection’s active phase is over.[6] [7]
3) Anti-Viral Properties
Research studies reveal that melatonin may act as a natural anti-viral agent. It may reduce the virality of SARS-CoV-2 and protect the patient against the full-blown clinical symptoms of COVID-19.[8]
4) Protects Against Myocardial Injury
Myocardial injury is one of the complications of COVID-19 linked to a higher risk of mortality. Myocardial injury refers to the damage to the middle layer of the walls of the heart made of muscles called the myocardium.
Melatonin’s cardioprotective properties could help minimize damage to the heart muscles and help patients avoid myocardial injuries.[9]
It may also enhance the heart’s functions and enable optimum blood flow to all body organs, including the lungs and the brain. This effect might improve the overall wellness of the patient and reduce the chances of developing severe consequences.
5) Controls CD147 Activities
Research studies have revealed that the CD147 protein mediates melatonin’s potential protective effects in COVID-19 patients.
CD147 is a glycoprotein responsible for the cytokine storm that occurs in the lungs following the viral invasion. The use of melatonin supplements reduces damage to the tissues by blocking the activities of CD147. This effect would reduce the lungs’ inflammatory changes and relieve symptoms, such as cough and breathing difficulties.
The CD147 suppressing and immunomodulatory effects of melatonin may also stimulate the immune cells to fight the virus more efficiently and enable patients to recover faster.[10]
6) Chronic Conditions & Melatonin
Clinical research reveals that obesity and diabetes are the most common comorbidities, or conditions, associated with a higher risk of mortality in COVID-19 patients.
This infection affects patients with chronic metabolic disorders, like diabetes mellitus, obesity, and hypertension more severely. Patients with these comorbidities also have compromised immunity and reduced levels of endogenous antioxidants.
Melatonin could be a potential adjuvant to slow down the infection and improve patients’ outcomes with these comorbidities.
The antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and anti-inflammatory actions of melatonin could limit the extent of tissue damage caused by COVID-19 in these patients and protect them against more severe complications, including death.[11]
7) Improves General Wellbeing
Including melatonin in the treatment of COVID-19 is recommended for critically ill patients as the hormone has been proven to support overall wellness.
It might improve the outcomes by reducing vascular permeability, stress, and anxiety. It can also induce sedation and improve sleep quality.
The benefits of melatonin might boost immunity, improve the patient’s overall health, and support complete recovery.[12]
8) Protects Seniors
Seniors and those with compromised immunity should pro-actively take melatonin to ward off infection.
Melatonin levels tend to decline considerably with advancing age, which can be associated with oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunctions.
Melatonin supplements might play a key role in inhibiting oxidative stress in seniors, restoring the body’s natural ability to fight this infection.[13]
Conclusion
These research studies have shown that melatonin can be a promising agent in treating and preventing COVID-19.
The preventative and therapeutic value of the body’s hormone, melatonin, can help patients avoid the life-threatening complications caused by this infection.
It might also support faster recovery by reducing inflammation and free-radical damage.
However, further research is needed before melatonin can be included in the treatment protocol for COVID-19 patients.
References:
- Cleveland Clinic. (2020, November 9). Researchers use ‘big data’ approach to identify melatonin as possible COVID-19 treatment. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 30, 2020 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/11/201109152223.htm
- Tordjman, S., Chokron, S., Delorme, R., Charrier, A., Bellissant, E., Jaafari, N., & Fougerou, C. (2017). Melatonin: Pharmacology, Functions and Therapeutic Benefits. Current neuropharmacology, 15(3), 434–443. https://doi.org/10.2174/1570159X14666161228122115
- Costello, R. B., Lentino, C. V., Boyd, C. C., O’Connell, M. L., Crawford, C. C., Sprengel, M. L., & Deuster, P. A. (2014). The effectiveness of melatonin for promoting healthy sleep: a rapid evidence assessment of the literature. Nutrition journal, 13, 106. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-13-106
- Acuña-Castroviejo, D., Escames, G., Figueira, J. C., de la Oliva, P., Borobia, A. M., & Acuña-Fernández, C. (2020). Clinical trial to test the efficacy of melatonin in COVID-19. Journal of pineal research, 69(3), e12683. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpi.12683
- Shneider, A., Kudriavtsev, A., & Vakhrusheva, A. (2020). Can melatonin reduce the severity of COVID-19 pandemic?. International reviews of immunology, 39(4), 153–162. https://doi.org/10.1080/08830185.2020.1756284
- Sehirli, A. O., Sayiner, S., & Serakinci, N. (2020). Role of melatonin in the treatment of COVID-19; as an adjuvant through cluster differentiation 147 (CD147). Molecular biology reports, 47(10), 8229–8233. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-020-05830-8
- Zhang, R., Wang, X., Ni, L., Di, X., Ma, B., Niu, S., Liu, C., & Reiter, R. J. (2020). COVID-19: Melatonin as a potential adjuvant treatment. Life sciences, 250, 117583. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lfs.2020.117583
- Bahrampour Juybari, K., Pourhanifeh, M. H., Hosseinzadeh, A., Hemati, K., & Mehrzadi, S. (2020). Melatonin potentials against viral infections including COVID-19: Current evidence and new findings. Virus research, 287, 198108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.virusres.2020.198108
- Zhang, R., Wang, X., Ni, L., Di, X., Ma, B., Niu, S., Liu, C., & Reiter, R. J. (2020). COVID-19: Melatonin as a potential adjuvant treatment. Life sciences, 250, 117583. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lfs.2020.117583
- Sehirli, A. O., Sayiner, S., & Serakinci, N. (2020). Role of melatonin in the treatment of COVID-19; as an adjuvant through cluster differentiation 147 (CD147). Molecular biology reports, 47(10), 8229–8233. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-020-05830-8
- El-Missiry, M. A., El-Missiry, Z., & Othman, A. I. (2020). Melatonin is a potential adjuvant to improve clinical outcomes in individuals with obesity and diabetes with coexistence of Covid-19. European journal of pharmacology, 882, 173329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejphar.2020.173329
- Kleszczyński, K., Slominski, A. T., Steinbrink, K., & Reiter, R. J. (2020). Clinical Trials for Use of Melatonin to Fight against COVID-19 Are Urgently Needed. Nutrients, 12(9), 2561. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12092561
- Öztürk, G., Akbulut, K. G., & Güney, Ş. (2020). Melatonin, aging, and COVID-19: Could melatonin be beneficial for COVID-19 treatment in the elderly?. Turkish journal of medical sciences, 50(6), 1504–1512. https://doi.org/10.3906/sag-2005-356
