Melatonin: Everything You Need To Know

When most people hear “melatonin,” they picture a bottle of sleep gummies.

Take one, get drowsy.

But biologically, melatonin is far more significant.

It’s one of the oldest molecules in biology—over 3 billion years old—and it has been directing how cells manage stress since the earliest forms of life. Sleep is only a small part of its role.

Melatonin is one of your mitochondria’s primary defenses against aging, chronic disease, and cellular injury.

Melatonin is a powerful antioxidant in your mitochondria

Melatonin outperforms common antioxidants because it also activates the systems that regenerate them:

• It increases glutathione synthesis.

• It upregulates superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase.

• It improves the efficiency of the electron transport chain, reducing free radical production at the source.

And the detail most people never hear:

95% of the melatonin in your body lives inside your mitochondria.

This is where aging, inflammation, and disease begin—where energy production becomes inefficient and cells lose their ability to repair.

This is why melatonin consistently appears in research on:

• Heart disease

• Neurodegeneration

• Cancer pathways

• Viral illness and sepsis

• Diabetes and metabolic dysfunction

Where mitochondria are stressed, melatonin is involved.

Melatonin has two types

Your body makes two distinct forms:

1. Pineal melatonin — produced at night to regulate circadian rhythm.

2. Mitochondrial melatonin — produced inside your cells in response to stress and light.

Mitochondrial melatonin stays inside the cell and is used immediately.

It’s not measured in blood tests, and it does not follow day–night cycles.

One of the strongest triggers for its production is near-infrared (NIR) sunlight.

Wavelengths between ~800–1,000 nm that penetrate into tissues.

Every time your skin is exposed to natural sunlight, UVB triggers vitamin D, and NIR signals your mitochondria to produce melatonin on-site.

Modern life blocks this process:

• Indoor lighting contains almost no NIR.

• Window glass filters out NIR light.

• We cover our skin and avoid midday sun.

It’s one of the reasons mitochondrial melatonin deficiency is likely widespread.

Melatonin can fight off viral infections

Melatonin is also protective during viral infections because it:

• Reduces oxidative stress

• Modulates overactive immune responses

• Supports mitochondrial function during high inflammatory load

This is why some clinicians have used higher-dose melatonin (10 to 50 mg temporarily) in severe viral illness or post-viral inflammation.

Supplementing with melatonin

Supplementation is a tool. Not a substitute.

Before you supplement, build your foundation:

• Daytime sun exposure for mitochondrial melatonin

• Dark evenings for pineal melatonin

• A metabolically clean diet—low seed oils, whole foods, protein, and unprocessed carbs

These three must be in place if you want supplements to work.

If you choose to supplement, understand these key points:

• Melatonin production declines with age. Older people may need more.

• Supplemental melatonin can enter mitochondria and support redox balance.

• It has a strong safety profile, even at higher temporary doses.

• Most popular melatonin supplements have very innacurate doses.

Melatonin is not a sleep molecule.

It is a 3-billion-year-old survival signal that lives in your mitochondria, works with glutathione, response to sunlight and stress, and protexts your cells.

It’s one of the clearest examples of how light, environment, and cellular aging are part of the same story.

Until next time,

Kashif Khan

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These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Information on this site is provided for informational purposes only. It is not meant to substitute for medical advice from your physician or other medical professional. You should not use the information contained herein for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease or prescribing any medication. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, promptly contact your regular healthcare provider.