Melatonin and Your Metabolic Engine

"How This Nighttime Hormone Ties Into Fat Storage and Insulin Health"

Melatonin does more than just help you sleep. It also plays a fascinating role in how your body manages energy throughout the day. Produced by the pineal gland in response to darkness, melatonin is a chrono-biotic that essentially tells the body when to burn fat and when to store it. Over a 24-hour period, it supports metabolic health by activating the kind of fat that burns calories, which improves how effectively your body responds to insulin.

Insulin and melatonin are hormones that have what researchers call an antagonistic relationship. When melatonin levels are high at night your body temporarily becomes less sensitive to insulin. This means that if you eat late in the evening, your body is more likely to store that food as fat rather than use it for energy.  When melatonin rises at night, it signals your body to enter rest mode that reduces insulin sensitivity, so your body burns stored fat while you sleep.

Research shows that melatonin hormone encourages a shift from fat storage to fat burning, mainly through a process called "browning." This involves converting white adipose tissue (the type that stores energy) into brown adipose tissue (the type that burns calories). By activating brown fat, melatonin boosts energy expenditure and reduces fat accumulation over time. However, timing matters. If you're considering melatonin supplements for weight control, they support weight loss but only when paired with good sleep habits and mindful eating.

Does melatonin supplementation help?

Yes. Since low melatonin levels are associated with insulin resistance and weight gain, it supports how important this hormone is for maintaining long-term metabolic health. But despite its fat-burning properties, there are significant late-night risks as bedtime snacks and high melatonin levels, whether from supplements or dietary intake, signal the body to store calories as fat and often around the body’s midsection. On the other hand, even without changes in food intake, animal studies of diet-induced obesity have shown that melatonin supplementation can trigger a metabolic shift with a reduction in visceral fat and unwanted weight gain.

Protein Forward Diets Support Melatonin

Consuming healthy sources of protein supports melatonin production as protein-rich foods contain tryptophan. This amino acid is a precursor for release of serotonin that is chemically converted in the pineal gland into melatonin, especially in response to nighttime darkness. Through a two-step enzymatic process, serotonin is methylated to produce melatonin that facilitates the body’s sleep-wake cycles. While serotonin levels are generally high during the day, diurnal regulation causes melatonin conversion to peak at night.

Acting as an autocrine neurotransmitter, serotonin modulates its own conversion within the gland, which illustrates the direct relationship between your body’s neurotransmitter for happiness and its melatonin sleep hormone. This naturally causes serotonin levels to  decrease at night; and insufficient serotonin production can limit melatonin synthesis and potentially disrupt circadian rhythms that are necessary for quality sleep. Nonetheless, light detected by the retina inhibits the enzymes that transforms serotonin into melatonin.

Based on your specific hormonal needs, animal proteins may be preferred as they are complete proteins and often more digestible than plant-based version. However, there are excellent plant-based sources with high-fiber content for those on restricted dietary strategies. While most people think of turkey when talking about tryptophan, chicken breast actually provide more of the essential amino acid that’s metabolically crucial for synthesizing neurotransmitters. Dietary sources also include milk, eggs, soy, tuna, cheese, seeds and nuts.

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Melatonin helps regulate the body’s sleep-wake cycle, whereas serotonin helps regulate appetite, mood and pain. Moreover, the liver uses tryptophan to produce vitamin B3 and niacin is needed for efficient energy metabolism. Although serotonin and melatonin promote relaxation and sleep, drowsiness after Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner is more likely due to having eaten a large meal with extra carbs, and not just tryptophan. If you’re struggling to sleep, contact Metabolic Research Center Auburn today. One of our weight loss coaches will be in touch to discuss how you can get a good night’s sleep and still enjoy the weight loss benefits of a protein-first, low carb diet. After all, the quality of sleep you get isn’t just about getting through your daily grind; your gut-brain-melatonin axis is directly linked to increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, stroke, and obesity.

*NOTE: Generally speaking, melatonin supplementation should be avoided by pregnant or breastfeeding women, those with autoimmune disease, or individuals taking immunosuppressants, blood thinners, or certain blood pressure medications.