Is melatonin good for weight loss?

A small melatonin dosage of 1 mg is beneficial for weight loss. It helps the body burn belly and decreases the risk of obesity, as melatonin seems to:

  • improve insulin sensitivity
  • control appetite
  • regulate energy intake
  • increase basal metabolism
  • support the synthesis of leptin
  • improve sleep

What’s melatonin?

Melatonin is known as the sleep hormone, as it’s important for a good night’s sleep. Also, it has powerful antioxidant properties, and promotes weight loss! The human body synthesizes melatonin. Especially, at night. We can get it from diet or supplements as well.

Can melatonin help you lose weight?

Taking melatonin supplements may help you lose weight. Especially, if you’re deficient in melatonin. The body synthesizes less melatonin as we age, or if we are exposed to light at night!

Low levels of melatonin may lead to insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, low-quality sleep, and obesity.[1]

First, melatonin supports weight loss because it’s important for the proper synthesis, and action of insulin!

Furthermore, melatonin supplementation may be beneficial for the secretion of leptin. Leptin is a hormone that helps regulate energy balance and inhibit hunger.

Also, melatonin supplementation is beneficial during a hypocaloric diet for weight loss, as it seems to regulate glucose levels, regulate appetite, lower LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides in obese people.[2]

Another powerful hormone that may help you lose weight, as it regulates appetite, is serotonin.

Most noteworthy, increased melatonin intake is beneficial for weight loss, as it seems to increase brown adipose tissue! Increased brown adipose tissue leads to higher energy expenditure. Brown fat is only a tiny percentage of the total fat of the human body. Brown fat is responsible for thermogenesis.[3]

A daily melatonin intake of 3 mg for 3 months can increase the volume of brown fat tissue in people with melatonin deficiency.[4]

Brown fat has a huge impact on obesity. Scientists believe that it may be a powerful therapy for obesity and diabetes! Most noteworthy, increased brown fat tissue could prevent gaining weight back![5]

Furthermore, increased brown fat is key for insulin sensitivity. Therefore, it’s beneficial for preventing insulin resistance, which plays an important role in obesity and diabetes.[6]

Thus, high doses of melatonin from supplements may increase basal metabolism in people with low levels of melatonin!

Garlic also stimulates brown adipose tissue. So, it’s also good for weight loss.

Light at night may cause weight gain!

The human body synthesizes melatonin at night. However, our bodies fail to produce melatonin when exposed to light at night. White light at night has been linked to an increased risk of obesity and high percentage of body fat! A good night’s sleep has a huge impact on body weight.[2]

Foods high in melatonin

We can take melatonin from food. Actually, there are many foods containing melatonin. For instance, pistachios, almonds, cherries, strawberries, and even bananas contain melatonin. Better consume them at dinner for a good night’s sleep.

In fact, a cup of fruit salad before bed could help you lose weight.

Do I need melatonin supplements for weight loss?

People with melatonin deficiency could benefit from taking melatonin supplements. They may help them lose weight, burn belly fat, decrease body fat, and even increase muscle mass. In fact, melatonin before or after exercise is good for athletes!

Especially, during winter, as the body synthesizes less melatonin, causing increased appetite and weight gain.[2] Therefore, we should check our melatonin levels during that time of the year and consult our healthcare provider before taking supplements.

People have different melatonin needs. For instance, varying degrees of obesity demand different doses of melatonin. Also, the secretion of melatonin decreases with age. For example, postmenopausal women have a higher risk of melatonin deficiency! Hence, a higher risk of gaining weight.

But, how much melatonin do I need per day to burn belly fat? Most melatonin supplements contain up to 5 mg of melatonin per tablet. This is more than enough for most people. It’s considered a pretty safe dose as well. It doesn’t exceed the maximum safe dose of melatonin.

But, even a small dosage of 1 mg is enough in most cases. It could help you lose weight.

You’ll find a wide variety of melatonin supplements on iHerb.

Melatonin is necessary during diet

Besides burning fat and reducing body weight, melatonin can protect us from oxidative stress! It’s a powerful antioxidant.[7]

When we follow a calorie restrictive diet, high amounts of free radicals are produced. It may lead to oxidative stress, which is a dangerous state that can cause many diseases!

Eating foods with antioxidants, such as vegetables, herbs, and fruits, as well as foods with melatonin could substantially improve the antioxidant defense of the body!

Can melatonin supplements make me fat?

Melatonin supplements are considered pretty safe. They don’t have side effects. Certainly, they won’t make you gain weight. Actually, melatonin supplements, as part of a well-balanced, hypocaloric diet, could help you burn fat and lose weight.

Always consult your healthcare provider before taking any supplement.

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