05/12/2021
Yesterday I was chatting with a patient about melatonin. She had some at home that claimed to be 10mg. We also talked about the dose and possible feedback loop/dependency of hormones... but that would be too long. ;)
Here's the thing - realize that when you buy a supplement, you do not know what is really in the capsule. You're completely trusting all countries involved, testing or lack thereof and claims with the tag *these statements have not been evaluated by the FDA (even then, do you trust everything in all government or private institutions? *hint - they're run by humans...)
Supplements can be magical when you get the right ones for you, but they can also be a complete waste and sometimes harmful. It's good to have someone who knows which ones are which!
"A 2017 study of 31 different over the counter melatonin preparations found that, when analyzed, the dosage of 71% of the products didn’t match what was stated on the label. Melatonin content varied from −83% to +478% of labeled melatonin, and 70% had a melatonin concentration that was less than 10% of what was claimed. 1 In 2015, the New York State Attorney General’s office conducted an investigation that revealed four out of five products pulled from the shelves of major retailers such as GNC, Target, Walgreens and Walmart didn’t contain any of the herbs listed on the supplement’s label. 2"3
Supplements can be anything in that pill. If they were regulated, perhaps they'd cost as much as drugs do and we'd need insurance to give the false sense of security that things are covered and safe. For now, they are free and unrestrained, which puts the responsibility on YOU.
Good thing you've got a doc who researches and watches for you!
Call if you want to go through those supplements and make sure your good intentions are not leading you into worse health. Time to purge? 503-487-6018
1 Grigg-Damberger MM, Ianakieva D. Poor Quality Control of Over-the-Counter Melatonin: What They Say Is Often Not What You Get. J Clin Sleep Med. 2017;13(2):163-165. Published 2017 Feb 15. doi:10.5664/jcsm.6434
2 https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/03/new-york-attorney-general-targets-supplements-at-major-retailers/
3 Doctors Data Article on Melatonin testing