Jimu news reporter Hu Li
The Daily Mail reported on March 14 that melatonin use in the United States increased fourfold from 2009 to 2018. A new study suggests that regular use of this drug may lead to dementia.
Screenshot of related reports
Melatonin is a popular sleep aid in the United States and is generally considered safe. The researchers found that in 2017 and 2018, about 0.3 percent of Americans consumed at least 5 milligrams of melatonin per day. The number of people using melatonin in the U.S. has soared over the years, and some experts warn that if the drug is overdose, it could have devastating consequences.
A joint team of researchers found that the number of people using melatonin in the United States quadrupled from 2009 to 2018.
Statistical table of the number of people using melatonin for 2009-2018. The Daily Mail
Because melatonin is not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, people may be taking higher doses than advertised, which means that someone is taking a lot of melatonin without their knowledge.
(Melatonin is widely believed to be effective for people with insomnia and jet lag.)
Source: The Daily Mail
"This situation may raise safety concerns," the researchers wrote, particularly that the actual amount of melatonin sold in pharmacies may be 478 percent higher than what is written on a pill bottle, and the evidence that melatonin is effective in treating sleep disorders is weak." "So the popularity of this drug has scared some health experts."
The National Institutes of Health has linked melatonin use to developing dementia and shortening lifespan, but there are no conclusive studies to prove this.
Side effects of melatonin also include drowsiness, headaches, easy agitation, and even, rarely, bedwetting.
In the United States, people's dependence on drugs is not limited to melatonin. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 93,000 people died from drug overdose in the United States in 2020, with an average of more than 250 deaths per day, a nearly 30 percent spike from 2019. More than 2 million Americans rely on or abuse opioid prescription painkillers and drugs.