Dietary Sources and Bioactivities of Melatonin.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review synthesizing food sources and mechanisms without systematic review methodology.
PubMed 28387721 · doi:10.3390/nu9040367
What was done
A narrative review summarizing literature on dietary sources of melatonin (across fungi, plants, and animals), changes in human serum melatonin concentrations following consumption of melatonin-containing foods, and melatonin's documented biological activities and mechanisms.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical values or effect sizes. It notes that eggs and fish are the highest animal-derived sources, nuts have the highest content among plant foods, and mushrooms, cereals, and germinated legumes or seeds are also good sources. The review notes that dietary intake can significantly increase human serum melatonin concentrations and lists diverse bioactivities including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting, anticancer, cardiovascular-protective, anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, neuroprotective, and anti-aging properties.
Why it matters
It catalogues natural dietary sources of melatonin that may contribute to circulating melatonin levels and influence sleep and overall health.
Limits
The abstract provides no quantitative data on food melatonin concentrations, bioavailability, or clinical outcome effect sizes. As a narrative review, it lacks systematic search criteria, quality appraisal of included studies, and control for potential publication bias.
Cited by
- context Pistachios have the highest melatonin content of any food.