Melatonin and Vitamin D3 act synergistically

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Husband11
Husband11 Member Posts: 2,264
edited June 2014 in Complementary and Holistic Medicine and Treatment

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21091766

Display Settings: AbstractFormat SummarySummary (text)AbstractAbstract (text)MEDLINEXMLPMID ListApply Send to: J Pineal Res. 2011 Mar;50(2):150-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-079X.2010.00824.x. Epub 2010 Nov 22.Melatonin and vitamin D3 synergistically down-regulate Akt and MDM2 leading to TGFβ-1-dependent growth inhibition of breast cancer cells.Proietti S, Cucina A, D'Anselmi F, Dinicola S, Pasqualato A, Lisi E, Bizzarri M.Department of Experimental Medicine, University La Sapienza, Roma, Italy.AbstractMelatonin and vitamin D3 inhibit breast cancer cell growth and induce apoptosis, but they have never been combined as a breast cancer treatment. Therefore, we investigated whether their association could lead to an enhanced anticancer activity. In MCF-7 breast cancer cells, melatonin together with vitamin D3, induced a synergistic proliferative inhibition, with an almost complete cell growth arrest at 144 hr. Cell growth blockade is associated to an activation of the TGFβ-1 pathway, leading to increased TGFβ-1, Smad4 and phosphorylated-Smad3 levels. Concomitantly, melatonin and D3, alone or in combination, caused a significant reduction in Akt phosphorylation and MDM2 values, with a consequent increase of p53/MDM2 ratio. These effects were completely suppressed by adding a monoclonal anti-TGFβ-1 antibody to the culture medium. Taken together, these results indicate that cytostatic effects triggered by melatonin and D3 are likely related to a complex TGFβ-1-dependent mechanism, involving down-regulation of both MDM2 and Akt-phosphorylation.© 2010 The Authors. Journal of Pineal Research © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S. PMID: 21091766 [PubMed - in process]LinkOut - more resources

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  • SoCalLisa
    SoCalLisa Member Posts: 13,961
    edited April 2011

    that is very interesting, I have heard of this for a couple of years

    but never saw a study about it

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  • SoCalLisa
    SoCalLisa Member Posts: 13,961
    edited April 2011

    when I finished up my five years of hormone therapy

    tamoxifen and arimidex, I started taking the melatonin

    and vit D3, is there any information on the dosages?

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  • Husband11
    Husband11 Member Posts: 2,264
    edited April 2011

    I have no idea on dosage.  The highest dosage I've heard of was the clinical trial where they tested a few weeks of melatonin to see if it would reverse tamoxifen resistance.  20mg daily.  Bear in mind, this was for a short period of time.  I've also read of dosages in that range (21mg daily) being studied to prevent or reverse neuropathy caused by taxanes.  It did produce positive results in both of the above mentioned small trials.

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  • suzieq60
    suzieq60 Member Posts: 6,059
    edited April 2011

    Well, lucky me - by accident I am taking both. D3 as recommended by my onc and I just started melatonin as I am having trouble getting to sleep.

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  • elmcity69
    elmcity69 Member Posts: 998
    edited April 2011

    me too - 3000mg Vit D3, 2mg Melatonin. should we take them together?

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  • SoCalLisa
    SoCalLisa Member Posts: 13,961
    edited April 2011

    I do, I take them at night about a half an hour before I go to bed. I doubled the D3 Dosage

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  • lrr4993
    lrr4993 Member Posts: 937
    edited April 2011

    I have taken melatonin for years for sleep.  I usually take 1 to 3 mg.  If I took the dosages in this study, I would sleep for days!!  

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  • SoCalLisa
    SoCalLisa Member Posts: 13,961
    edited April 2011

    Me too Irr, I take only 3 mg but I had to work up to that..

    we will be traveling and changing 9 time zones so I may

    try a little more when I get there and when I return home

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  • suzieq60
    suzieq60 Member Posts: 6,059
    edited April 2011

    The only melatonin we can get here is homeopathic 6x I doubt it's as good as the real thing.

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  • Thatgirl
    Thatgirl Member Posts: 276
    edited April 2011

    @sue...can we get the real thing from a compounding pharmacy?

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  • suzieq60
    suzieq60 Member Posts: 6,059
    edited April 2011

    I don't know. I think I saw it wasn't approved by the FDA. One interesting thing I know is that in NZ you can buy 'cherry vite' tablets. Apparently cherries are high in melatonin. I haven't checked if they will send them to Australia yet.

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  • Thatgirl
    Thatgirl Member Posts: 276
    edited April 2011

    Ok just researched it and I guess " Real" melatonin has a lot of risks considering it comes from the glands of animals. That source may cause other biological disorders in humans. I wonder if this study used the OTC version?

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  • suzieq60
    suzieq60 Member Posts: 6,059
    edited April 2011

    I just wrote to the NZ company and asked if they send to Australia. We'll see what they say.

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  • Cynthia1962
    Cynthia1962 Member Posts: 1,424
    edited April 2011

    Thanks for the info Timothy!

    I take this:  Now Foods, Melatonin, Two Stage Release, 1 mg, 250 Tablets.  According to the scientist/researcher on evidencewatch.com, the special way this melatonin is made makes 1 mg the equivalent of 3 mg, so to get 20 mg, which he recommends, one would take 7.  I actually take 6 because it's easier to get down an even number and I'm small so I figure I'm getting enough.  It doesn't make me tired like regular melatonin used to.  I don't feel a thing, even when I wished I did.  It is vegetarian.  I also take Vit D at the same time. 

    Cynthia

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  • Heidihill
    Heidihill Member Posts: 5,476
    edited April 2011

    Well it would make sense that they act synergistically. One is a response to light and the other to darkness. We need both, day and night. That's why summer s my favorite time of the year. I can be outdoors all day then sleep really well at night.

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  • judyfams
    judyfams Member Posts: 148
    edited April 2011

    From my research I have found that melatonin should be taken sublingualy - put under the tongue to slowly dissolved and NOT swallowed. Has anyone else come across this too?

    Judy

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  • HantaYo
    HantaYo Member Posts: 280
    edited April 2011

    Namaste!

    SoCalLisa:  Just a note on Vit D3.  Vit D3 is fat soluble which means it needs to be taken with a meal that has fat in it. It doesn't get absorbed for the body to use without this accompaning fat.  If you are taking it just before bedtime your body probably is not able to use it.

    Karla

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  • DesignerMom
    DesignerMom Member Posts: 1,464
    edited April 2011

    timothy-  thanks for this.  I think I will up my doses.

    I don't know if they are the doses used in this study, but I believe Life Extension goes into detail on both these vitamins under their breast cancer recommendations.

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  • SoCalLisa
    SoCalLisa Member Posts: 13,961
    edited April 2011

    Karla, the Vit D3 gels seem to have two oils mixed in the gel..so I would assume the fat needed  would be right in the capsules itself...what do you think?

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  • Latte
    Latte Member Posts: 1,072
    edited April 2011

    socallisa - my md told me that even though the vitd has oil in it, i should still take it with a meal with fat (he suggested sald with olive oil dressing) to get the full benefit. I take 6000iu a week.

    judyfams - my melatonin is in powder form in a capsule, so i swallow it (i take 3mg and it really helps me to sleep)

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  • Latte
    Latte Member Posts: 1,072
    edited April 2011

    for the NZers who are having trouble buying melatonin - you can get it, but it is prescription-only for use with insomnia and jetlag. you can't get the script filled on the same day as you take it to the chemist, and your gp has to follow certain protocol to give it to you (see here http://medsafe.govt.nz/profs/riss/unapp.asp - scenario 1). It's a bit difficult, but it can be done.

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  • Husband11
    Husband11 Member Posts: 2,264
    edited April 2011

    Most, but not all melatonin, is synthetic.  The kind that is derived from cow brains could pose a small risk of spreading disease.  I contacted the manufacturor of the brand we buy, to ensure it was synthetic.  We made the mistake of once buying a Life Brand that was made from Bovine pineal tissue,but ended up throwing it out.   I "think" for sleep benefits, a time release formula works best for us.  I also "think" I observe a very rapid accomodation of the body to increasing doses, such that what was effective and or made you groggy in the morning previously, quickly wears off.

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  • DesignerMom
    DesignerMom Member Posts: 1,464
    edited April 2011

    timothy-  Wow!  That's the problem with supplements, they are not required to reveal where they get the ingredients.  I don't want to eat cow brains!  Is there a database that tells us specific vitamin ingredients??  I am not a fan of government regulation (as they don't do it very well), but how do we know these vitamins aren't just pulverized rat dung?

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  • Fighter_34
    Fighter_34 Member Posts: 834
    edited April 2011

    Interesting, however it takes awhile to get use to melatonin....

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  • AmyIsStrong
    AmyIsStrong Member Posts: 1,755
    edited April 2011

    I take 6mg melantonin (2 of the 3mg pills) before bed.  One time, i bought a time-release version and noticed a LOT of trouble getting up in the morning. So now I am careful not to get time-release and I do just fine.

    Have been taking my D3 before bed also, but based on what I've read here, I will move it to my dinnertime pills. Thanks for the heads up re taking it with fat.

    So strange how some things are rx only in different places - like I know that antibiotics are OTC in England but Rx only here. And now melatonin - ok here but Rx in Australia. I wonder how they decide on this stuff.

    And one more thing - cow brains - YUCK.

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  • Cynthia1962
    Cynthia1962 Member Posts: 1,424
    edited April 2011

    The melatonin that says it's vegetarian would be the synthetic version.  The other ones don't mention their source, but they say they are tested for purity. 

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  • luv_gardening
    luv_gardening Member Posts: 1,393
    edited April 2011

    I read on an internet chat site that Australians just ordered their melatonin online and even when customs opened the packet they didn't question it.  I ordered some yesterday from iHerb with my other supps and when I went to put the order through they had a big red note saying it was illegal to buy Chaga mushroom and I'd have to take it off the order.  No problem with the melatonin though.  One of the other items was a mix of medicinal mushrooms including chaga and that wasn't knocked back.  

    I'll let you know if it arrives in two weeks, or four if customs opens it. 

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  • luv_gardening
    luv_gardening Member Posts: 1,393
    edited April 2011

    My melatonin arrived today without any problems.  I discovered that in Australia we can import some unapproved therapeutic goods subject to certain conditions, the main ones are set out below.

    --------------------------- 

     Personal importation at a glance
    Access to unapproved therapeutic goods
    Personal importation occurs when:
    -an individual either brings a therapeutic good into Australia on their person or arranges from within Australia for a therapeutic good to be sent to them from an overseas supplier; and
    -the goods are to be used by that individual or a member of his/her immediate family and are not sold or supplied to any other person.
    -The goods can only be either for use by the importer or a member of the importer's immediate family.
    -The quantity imported can not exceed three months' supply per importation and the total quantity imported per year can not exceed 15 months' supply at the manufacturer's recommended maximum dosage.

    --------------------------- 

    Certain goods are of course forbidden, foods, steroids etc, but most will be allowed or the company should stop you from putting the order through so as not to break the law.

    Source:

    Australian Government, Therapeutic Goods Administration 

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  • DesignerMom
    DesignerMom Member Posts: 1,464
    edited April 2011

    I guess that's good news for all you Australian ladies.  Let us know if you need resources for all those "unaproved" things.  You can now join us in being our own personal research projects!

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  • luv_gardening
    luv_gardening Member Posts: 1,393
    edited April 2011

    Thanks DM.  It's a lot cheaper to order supps from the USA too, even after postal charges.

    -Sheila- 

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