Research reveals that melatonin-containing sleep-aid gummies may contain much more hormones than advertised.
One brand examined had more than 300% of the melatonin advertised per serving, while the majority of brands were found to be “inaccurately labeled,” according to a study published in the JAMA Open Network on Tuesday.
Melatonin And Other Chemicals
Researchers submitted 25 melatonin gummy items to an independent lab to check for melatonin and other chemicals; the results were published Tuesday in the journal JAMA.
According to a report published in 2022 by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of calls to poison control centers reporting child Medicine intake increased by 530% between 2012 and 2021.
Data shows, a 38% increase in calls was recorded between 2019 and 2020.
Dr. Pieter Cohen, an associate professor of medicine at the Cambridge Health Alliance in Somerville, Massachusetts, who has studied incorrect supplement labeling for years and led the latest study, found that only three of the gummies contained a quantity of this drug within 10% of what was claimed on the label.
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Adverse Reactions to Melatonin in Children
As a professor of pediatrics at Seattle Children’s Hospital at the University of Washington, Dr. Cora Collette Breuner is concerned about the use of CBD (cannabidiol) in over-the-counter aids, especially gummy items, which parents may purchase to give to their children to help them sleep.
In addition to the risks associated with CBD, gummies containing doses of this drug well in excess of the 0.5 to 1 mg per night demonstrated to induce sleep in children should be avoided.
In children, melatonin consumption can cause sleepiness, headaches, irritability, and nighttime urine or bedwetting.
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), a division of the National Institutes of Health, warns that melatonin may cause adverse drug interactions and allergic responses.
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