Does Melatonin Help With Fatty Liver?

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Melatonin is a regulatory hormone, naturally produced by the brain in response to quiet and darkness. Melatonin helps regulate the body’s 24-hour internal call also called the circadian rhythm. Believe it or not, insomnia and sleep apnea are all strongly associated with Fatty Liver disease. Fatty Liver impacts the metabolic effects of the body. Additionally, fatty liver disease fundamentally changes the way the body produces Melatonin. This is often considered to be the reason behind insomnia and sleep apnea in people who suffer from NAFLD. Melatonin on the other hand helps improve sleep. So, does Melatonin supplement also help with Fatty Liver in some way? Let’s explore this question today.

Just as you do for any new supplement, consult with a doctor [#link] before starting Melatonin supplement.

Is It Safe To Take Melatonin

From my research, this answer is simple: short-term use within doctor-approved dosage is generally safe. Unfortunately, Melatonin is available over the counter (in the USA) which complicates things because people take it upon themselves to decide whether or not to take Melatonin. More research is currently underway to really understand the long-term effects of using Melatonin. Also, I encourage you to talk to your doctor because of possible:

Interactions with other medicines
Allergic reactions
Pre-existing conditions especially in older patients
Overdose

Would It Help To Take Melatonin With Fatty Liver?

Now that we have the warnings out of the way, let’s look at how melatonin benefits the liver.

Melatonin Regulates Circadian Rhythms

What do Circadian rhythms have to do with NAFLD? Turns out a whole lot :). Studies have shown a strong association between circadian rhythms and various liver diseases including NAFLD. It also turns out that Melatonin supplementation can help with the circadian rhythm and thus help protect against liver diseases.

Decreases Liver Enzymes

One of the first things that your doctor notices when you have fatty liver is elevated liver enzymes. Studies show that Melatonin supplementation significantly reduces liver enzymes, thus indicating that Melatonin helps with reducing Fatty Liver.

Melatonin helps with weight loss, improving liver enzymes and protecting and healing liver cells.

Melatonin Also Helps Protect Liver Cells

Melatonin has strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects reducing the free radicals in the body and protecting the liver cells from damage. Since the liver is the detoxification center of the body, where a lot of toxins are generated and flushed. Melatonin plays an important role in reducing inflammation to the liver and protecting liver cells allowing a Fatty Liver to heal better.

Melatonin Helps Reduce Weight In Fatty Liver

Last, but not least, Melatonin also regulates lipid metabolism, increases insulin sensitivity, and improves glucose metabolism. In short, it can actually help reduce weight, which is so important for improving fatty liver disease.

Conclusion

Melatonin does help with NAFLD. However, there are a few questions that you need to answer before you start with a melatonin supplement:

Do you have insomnia or sleep apnea that will be helped with Melatonin?
Are you taking any other medications that can react with melatonin and cause harm?
Have you discussed this with your doctor?

Verdict: Melatonin has a lot of benefits for people suffering from fatty liver. However, like any supplementation, check with your doctor before starting it.