Our lifestyle has changed a lot over the past two years. This Covid 19 epidemic has turned our daily lives upside down, even in our sleep. To successfully sleep well , we use food supplements. Many of them contain melatonin . In pharmacies or parapharmacies, but also in supermarkets and supermarkets, in organic stores or on the Internet, it is very easy to find. If below2 mg of melatonin , we do not need a prescription, above, it becomes a drug. The magazine 60 Million consumers decided to highlight the lack of information of 16 of them , having an impact on our health.
If some food supplements are sold for the most part without a prescription, they are not without consequences . “Taking melatonin, even at 1mg, is not innocent “, says Professor Hervé Vespignani, neurologist and medical director of the BioSerenity sleep centers in Nancy to the magazine. For some people, these supplements are even contraindicated. However, the instructions for use present on the boxes are not always explicit. "No product specifies that melatonin is not recommended for people with epilepsy, asthma, mood, behavior or personality disorders, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases “says 60 million consumers . They specify all the same, that a medical opinion is necessary for pregnant women, breastfeeding women and for children.
Catherine Bennetau-Pelissero, professor at the University of Bordeaux and responsible for a diploma on food supplements, tells the magazine that medical advice is necessary before taking a supplement. This avoids risks and makes the most of them at the same time. For example, melatonin should not be taken at any time. “This hormone is only effective on falling asleep if you take it 1h30 before going to bed, otherwise you will advance or delay your sleep phases " , explains Professor Vespignani. However, on the notices, the indications are imprecise. They range from “before bedtime” to "half an hour to an hour before" . The magazine also highlights,the incitement to consumption of certain supplements. The boxes usually contain more capsules than the recommended dosage for an effective cure.
The magazine studied 16 dietary supplements . Among them, some have proven to be a combination of safe sleep. Boxes of Novanuit triple action (Sanofi) or Mag’Nuit (Boiron), that clearly indicate a one-time use of fifteen days or thirty days, seems preferable. Regular and continuous consumption of melatonin could indeed put the natural secretion of this hormone to rest and could lead, after stopping, to the occurrence of new difficulties in falling asleep naturally. On the contrary, the box of Superdiet Melatonin contains 120 capsules , while the labeling indicates a maximum intake of four weeks . The magazine does not recommend Somdor + Melatonin nor Bonne Nuit Swiss Pasta. They do not distinguish schedules and dosage depending on whether you want to accompany jet lag or promote sleep. However, these are two very different things!
