High doses of melatonin and CBD have been identified in dietary supplements intended to promote sleep.
- Gummies, which are believed to aid in falling asleep, contain potentially dangerous amounts of melatonin and CBD.
- In children, their consumption can cause drowsiness, headaches, restlessness and increased bedwetting or urination in the evening.
- In the United States, ingestion of these products in children under 5 years of age has been associated with 4,097 hospitalizations, 287 admissions to intensive care units and two deaths.
They are sold without a prescription. Gummies are food supplements that contain melatonin. As a reminder, this hormone synthesized in our brain makes it easier to fall asleep. In the United States, the use of these products among young people has increased during the pandemic. “Calls received by U.S. poison control centers regarding melatonin ingestion in children under 5 increased 530% between 2012 and 2021 and were associated with 27,795 emergency room and clinic visits, 4,097 hospitalizations, 287 admissions in intensive care units and two deaths”, alerted researchers at the University of Mississippi (United States).
Sleep: the composition of 25 “gummies” scrutinized
In a recent study, scientists were interested in the composition of these dietary supplements that are supposed to help sleep. Last September, the team selected 25 products labeled as “gummies” containing melatonin from the most comprehensive database of dietary supplements sold in the United States. “We chose gummies over other products because we thought parents would choose edibles to give to their kids,” explained, to CNNPieter Cohen, author of the works.
After purchasing them, the researchers sent the products to an external laboratory for examination. In detail, the gummies “were reconstituted in methanol and an aqueous mixture of acetonitrile and methanol, then analyzed for the presence and amount of melatonin, CBD and serotonin”.
Very high doses of melatonin and CBD in “gummies”
According to the results, published in the journal JAMA Network, one product contained no melatonin but contained 31.3 mg of CBD. In gummies containing melatonin, the actual amount of this molecule ranged from 74% to 347% more than what was stated on the label. “88% of products were inaccurately labeled and 12% contained an amount of melatonin that did not exceed 10% of what was stated on the label. In gummies containing CBD, the actual amount ranged from 104% to 118% “, can we read in the searches. As for serotonin, it has not been detected in any dietary supplement.
Melatonin: what are the side effects in children?
The authors report that the administration of a small amount of melatonin (0.1 mg to 0.3 mg) in young people can increase plasma concentrations during the night. High doses of melatonin can cause drowsiness, headaches, restlessness, and increased bedwetting or urination at night. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Healththese products can affect hormonal development, “including puberty, menstrual cycles and overproduction of the hormone prolactin.”
