Okay, so what could possibly be better than a yummy brownie that helps you sleep? Not much, say manufacturers of new melatonin-laced snacks who claim their confections are sweet and safe treats for the weary. What’s the hitch? Well, medical experts aren’t so sure.
Melatonin, sold over the counter as a dietary supplement, is a hormone that helps regulate sleep and appears to also influence other hormones in our body. Even though the Food and Drug Administration hasn’t approved melatonin, because dietary supplements aren’t under their jurisdiction, manufacturers of the laced treat are saying their products are a harmless way to promote sleepiness.
Each of these new sleep enhancing goodies packs about 8 milligrams of melatonin (a normal dose is 1 to 2 milligrams) and they have enticing names like Lazy Cakes, Kush Cakes and Lulla Pies. Where can you get them? Plenty of places from online to convenience stores like 7-Eleven and Circle K to smoke shops and university student bookstores. The snack costs between three to four dollars each.
Critics say that the melatonin-laced snacks are dangerous and that a parent could accidentally give it to a child since it’s tough to tell the difference between a regular treat and one that’s been enhanced.
Even if the melatonin confections are kept carefully guarded , most medical experts suggest consumers speak to their doctors before trying these products. Some drugs, including sedatives, can be altered by melatonin. In addition, according to Dr. Phil Alapat, director of the Baylor College of Medicine Sleep Clinic, said the brownies can cause “signification sedation and cognitive impairment.” Alapat spoke to a Fox News station in Houston.
There’s also research indicating that melatonin reduced glucose tolerance for people with Type 1 diabetes; some men using it have reported developing enlarged breasts. Plus, medical professionals are concerned that the chocolate taste might encourage indiscriminate noshing – and added pounds many Americans don’t need.
Arkansas has banned the drug statewide, and there’s a push in Massachusetts to do the same.
For all these reasons -- from calories you probably won’t want -- to melatonin’s possible interaction with other drugs, speak with your doctor before taking a bite out of a melatonin-enhanced snack.
Robin Westen is ThirdAge’s medical reporter. Check for her daily updates.
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