A recent review, published in issue 11, 2024, of Current Medicinal Chemistry, sheds light on the potential benefits of melatonin supplementation in combating SARS-CoV-2. The paper “Sleep, Dietary Melatonin Supplementation, and COVID-19” explores the relationship between sleep, stress, and immunity, offering insights into using melatonin as a therapeutic agent (Gasmi et al., 2024).

The paper’s lead author, Dr. Amin Gasmi, PhD, President of Société Francophone de Nutrithérapie et de Nutrigénétique Appliquée (SOFNNA) in France, collaborated with Dr. Geir Bjørklund, MD, Founder and President of the Council for Nutritional and Environmental Medicine (CONEM), who supervised the study. The paper’s authors are from France, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, and Norway.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted global mental health, with stress and anxiety levels soaring amid lockdowns and uncertainty,” says Dr. Bjørklund. “Recognizing the crucial role of sleep in maintaining immune function, our literature study investigated the potential of melatonin supplementation in alleviating stress-related sleep disturbances and bolstering immunity against COVID-19” (Gasmi et al., 2024).

Stress exacerbated by the pandemic disrupts sleep patterns and compromises immune function, rendering individuals more susceptible to infections like COVID-19. Melatonin, known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, emerges as a promising intervention to mitigate these effects. The administration of melatonin not only protects against viral pathogens but accelerates clinical recovery (Gasmi et al., 2024).

Dr. Bjørklund emphasizes the significance of melatonin in enhancing clinical outcomes for COVID-19 patients. He states, “Melatonin, with its multifaceted benefits including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, holds promise as a valuable adjunctive therapy in the fight against COVID-19. Our review underscores the importance of considering melatonin supplementation as part of a comprehensive approach to managing the pandemic.”

The paper underscores the critical link between sleep, immunity, and COVID-19 outcomes. Melatonin supplementation emerges as a potential strategy to mitigate stress-induced sleep disturbances and enhance immune resilience against the virus. With its proven safety profile and efficacy in reducing ICU admissions and mortality rates, melatonin represents a promising avenue for improving clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients (Gasmi et al., 2024).

As research in this field continues to evolve, further high-quality trials are warranted to elucidate the full therapeutic potential of melatonin in combating coronaviruses. Nevertheless, the current findings highlight melatonin as a compelling candidate for inclusion in therapeutic regimens to combat COVID-19.

Vital Press

Reference

Gasmi A, Semenova Y, Noor S, Benahmed AG, Bjørklund G. Sleep, dietary melatonin supplementation, and COVID-19. Curr Med Chem 2024; 31(11): 1298–1314. doi: 10.2174/0929867330666230224093849.