Melatonin use increased among U.S. adults in recent years
Use of more than the recommended daily dose of 5 mg also became more common from 2009-2010 to 2017-2018, potentially raising safety concerns, according to authors of an analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data.
The reported prevalence of melatonin supplement use significantly increased among U.S. adults across all demographic groups in recent years, an analysis found.
Researchers used self-reported National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 1999-2000 through 2017-2018. In-home interview was used to collect data on dietary supplement use during the past 30 days and daily dose used when taking the supplements, and participants were required to show supplement containers. Participants younger than age 20 years (n=46,235) or without available dietary supplement data (n=58) were excluded from the current analysis. The researchers also evaluated prevalence and trends in use of greater than 5 mg of melatonin per day, as the recommended dosage typically does not exceed this amount. For this analysis, they also excluded two participants who reported melatonin use but did not report daily dose information. Results were published as a research letter on Feb. 1 by JAMA.
The analysis included data from 55,021 adults (mean age, 47.5 years; 52.0% women) who participated in 10 NHANES cycles, with the number included in each cycle ranging from 4,865 to 6,214. Interviewers verified supplement containers for 93.9% of self-reported melatonin users. Overall, the weighted prevalence of reported melatonin use increased from 0.4% (95% CI, 0.2% to 1.0%) in 1999-2000 to 2.1% (95% CI, 1.5% to 2.9%) in 2017-2018 (linear P=0.004), with an increase beginning in 2009-2010 (quadratic P<0.001). Trends were similar across sex and age groups (interaction P>0.05 for all). The reported prevalence of melatonin use of more than 5 mg/d increased from 0.08% (95% CI, 0.02% to 0.38%) in 2005-2006, the first year it was reported, to 0.28% (95% CI, 0.13% to 0.60%) in 2017-2018 (linear P=0.005).
Limitations include that data were self-reported, although supplement containers were verified in most participants, the authors noted. They added that reasons for use were not available in all survey cycles and that results of stratified analyses should be interpreted with caution due to small numbers of melatonin users in some subgroups, among other factors.
“These estimates may raise safety concerns, especially given that the actual content of melatonin in marketed supplements may be up to 478% higher than the labeled content and that evidence supporting melatonin use for sleep disturbances is weak,” the authors concluded. “The growing use of exogenous melatonin in the general population and its expanding therapeutic potential provide impetus for the acquisition of robust evidence of long-term safety of melatonin supplementation.”