Melatonin has many uses for prevention and treatment against covid-19. It is included in the Front Line Covid-19 Critical Care Alliance protocols for COVID-19.
That’s because melatonin has anti-viral, anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects against COVID-19. You can read about them at Melatonin’s Multiple Actions Against COVID-19.
A new study that is still in preprint, Melatonin drugs inhibit SARS-CoV-2 entry into the brain and virus-induced damage of cerebral small vessels shows the protective effects of melatonin on the brain. [1]
The researchers from several institutions in France and Germany did mice experiments to show that two melatonin-derived drugs, agomelatine and ramelteon, prevent SARS-CoV-2 entry in the brain and its blood vessels.
The effect is a reduction of virus-induced damage to the brain and its blood vessels.
In the study K18-hACE2 mice that expresses the human ACE2 gene were used. The gene allows the mice to produce human ACE2 receptors. The mice were then infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus and then given melatonin.
Melatonin reduces SARS-CoV-2 induced inflammation
Melatonin was able to prevent the SARS-CoV-2 from using the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors to enter the blood vessels of the brain. By doing so, melatonin reduced blood vessel inflammation and damage.
Melatonin also prevented the SARS-CoV-2 to “hitchhike” on immune cells to get into the brain tissue. The modulation of immune cells prevented excess brain inflammation.
The mice’ brain also had less damage due to the preserved blood vessel integrity and decreased production of proinflammatory cytokines like the nuclear factor kappa beta or NFκB.
Overall, melatonin reduced brain inflammation during an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection.
COVID-19 affects the human brain during the acute illness. Its effects are manifested as headaches, visual changes, fatigue and loss of taste. The effects can persists in one third of the COVID cases to become Long COVID syndrome.
This study may explain melatonin’s favorable effects on COVID-19 patients
The result of this study may elucidate why African Americans who use melatonin have a 52% reduced likelihood of a positive SARS-CoV-2. [2]
Another study showed shorter hospital stay among patients who were given melatonin. [3] Hasan et al showed less blood clot formation (thrombosis) and severe infection (sepsis) among people who took melatonin compared to those who didn’t. [4]
People I know that get COVID tend to sleep a lot. I was the same too. I suppose that the body is healing itself is by secreting its own melatonin. Melatonin is secreted by the pinial gland when we sleep.
The FLCCC recommendation for melatonin is 6 mg at bedtime for prevention and 10 mg of melatonin for early treatment.
Melatonin has many other health effects.
- Wake-Up to the Health Benefits Melatonin.
- The Protective Effects of Sleep and Melatonin on the Stomach
It is safe A Study on the Safety of Melatonin Tablets and inexpensive and you don’t need a prescription.
People who don’t like taking pills may want to read The Best Food Sources of Melatonin
I hope this article didn’t make you sleepy.
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References:
- Jockers et al. Melatonin drugs inhibit SARS-CoV-2 entry into the brain and virus-induced damage of cerebral small vessels.
- Zhou Y, et al. A network medicine approach to investigation and population-based
validation of disease manifestations and drug repurposing for COVID-19. PLoS Biol
18, e3000970 (2020). - Farnoosh G, et al. Efficacy of a Low Dose of Melatonin as an Adjunctive Therapy in
Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19: A Randomized, Double-blind Clinical Trial.
Arch Med Res, (2021). - Hasan ZT, Atrakji D, Mehuaiden DAK. The Effect of Melatonin on Thrombosis,
Sepsis and Mortality Rate in COVID-19 Patients. Int J Infect Dis, (2021).
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