Summary
Dr Russel Reiter has been involved in melatonin research since its inception. He has been supplementing it everyday for the past 29 years. In this interview he talks about how he became interested in melatonin, what happens to our melatonin production as we age, why humans not being seasonable breeders matters for fear surrounding hormonal dysregulation and melatonin supplements, the effects of light pollution on our physiology, how to use melatonin for jet lag, how melatonin can support menopause, why someone might feel groggy taking melatonin, how to find your optimal dose of melatonin, and more! Russel Reiter's book: https://amzn.to/4a9NXHu My website: www.matt-blackburn.com Mitolife products: www.mitolife.co Mitolife Academy: https://www.youtube.
Key Points
- Melatonin as a mitochondrial antioxidant and signaling molecule
- Impact of light exposure on health and circadian rhythm
- Practical health optimization strategies discussed
- Evidence and experience-based supplement recommendations
- Holistic approach to understanding chronic health issues
Key Moments
87-year-old melatonin researcher took it for 29 years
Russell Ryder, world expert on melatonin, has taken it for 29 years and says it does not disrupt testosterone or other hormones.
"This is episode 273 of MitoLife Radio. I'm Matt Blackburn, your host, and today we have Russell Ryder on the show. I was really excited about this one. I consider him the world expert on melatonin. He's been taking it himself for 29 years. He's 87 years old."
Melatonin production drops to near zero by age 55
Melatonin production declines throughout life, reaching near zero by middle age. Supplementation becomes necessary for cellular protection.
"And like I say, I didn't start taking it for that reason, but that's when we discovered it was such a good antioxidant. So, you know, say you shouldn't supplement, you can't have adequate amounts. That's not true. You just don't produce as much as you age. And everything tells us that this is consequential in terms of deterioration of the cell. I mentioned the mitochondria being very important in the cell."
Melatonin at wrong circadian time disrupts your rhythm
Taking melatonin at the wrong time of day can disrupt your circadian rhythm. For jet lag, flying westerly reduces severity.
"If you take melatonin at the wrong circadian time, you may actually totally disrupt your circadian rhythm. It's not a soporific. It does not force you to sleep."
Melatonin dose should scale with body weight and age
Ryder has taken up to 300mg melatonin. Dose should scale with body weight since more cells means more mitochondria and more free radicals.
"Body weight. If you take a milligram per kilogram body weight, if you weigh 100 pounds versus 500 pounds, that's a very different dose. And more cells, more mitochondria, more free radicals. Obesity is an example. It's a very high free radical-related disease. And melatonin should..."
Start melatonin at 5mg and experiment upward
Five milligrams is a good minimum starting dose. Matt Blackburn personally takes 200mg nightly and recommends experimenting with higher doses.
"I think five milligrams is a good minimum, no matter what age. Obviously not medical advice, but I think that's a great place to start. And then you could increase from there if you want to experiment. I'm personally taking a lot of it. I'm taking the 50 milligram dose and I take four of those every night. So I'm actually taking 200 milligrams every night and I feel great with that amount."
