Melatonin is known by many for its ability to help you relax and go to sleep. A new study shows that melatonin may also be beneficial for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) – a debilitating neurological disorder.
The root cause of MS is unknown, but we do know that it causes the body to attack its own neurons by destroying their fatty, protective layer known as the myelin sheath. This layer is what enables cell-to-cell communication, and without it, MS patients can lose their vision, balance and coordination. People with MS can also suffer from impaired thinking and memory.
A study by Raúl Carrea at the Institute for Neurological Research in Buenos Aires looked at how melatonin worked within MS patients. He took 139 MS patients throughout the year and found that patients’ relapse rates were 32% lower in the fall and winter – when melatonin levels are naturally a little higher due to there being less sunlight.
The researchers hypothesize that the melatonin leads to an increase in T regulatory cells – which help keep immune cells in check, as well activating a protein that blocks the production of harmful T cells. Although the studies don’t show how melatonin encourages T cells to protect the myelin sheath, neurologist Mauricio Farez feels that the research is promising. Farez says, “It’s a neat study and great data, but we still need to do a lot of work.”
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