X-Message-Number: 4859
Date: 09 Sep 95 11:23:40 EDT
From: "Kent, Saul" <>
Subject: Deprenyl and Melatonin

	Peter Merel's questioning of the value of taking deprenyl and
melatonin requires an answer.
	Deprenyl is probably useful after age 35 because of evidence
suggesting that it may help to prevent the development of both Parkinson's
disease and Alzheimer's disease, and because these diseases are probably
forms of accelerated aging. There is also anecdotal evidence that
deprenyl boosts sex drive and increases energy levels. Moreover,
long-term daily use of low-dose deprenyl has been shown to be safe.
	If you're talking about whether deprenyl (or any other agent)
*really* slows aging and extends lifespan in humans, "the jury" is
certainly "out" and probably will be for a couple of decades...until
valid ways of measuring aging in humans on a short-term basis are
developed, or when people taking these agents start to live much longer
than expected.
	Incidentally, the notion that if you don't need to take deprenyl
until after 50, it isn't worth discussing on Cryonet, presumes that
everyone on Cryonet is under 50.  I wish that was true, but it isn't.
	With regard to melatonin, taking low doses of melatonin orally
increases serum and cellular levels of melatonin.  You probably don't
need to take melatonin for anti-aging purposes until age 35 when
endogenous levels begin to decline substantially, but there are other
good reasons to take it earlier in life. Most people take low doses of
melatonin in order to sleep better at night. It's the safest "sleeping
pill" to take. It not only helps people who have trouble sleeping, but
improves the quality of sleep for people who already sleep well. And
don't knock sleep when it comes to aging. Good sleep is essential for the
functioning of our body's intrinsic anti-aging, anti-disease (or health
maintenance processes) and melatonin is our natural sleep inducer.
	Another reason to take melatonin...at any age...is that it is the
best antioxidant ever tested. It inhibits hydroxyl radicals (the most
dangerous kind) far better than glutathione, and is the only known
antioxidant to inhibit lipid peroxidation in two ways: by blocking the
initiation of lipid peroxidation and as a lipid peroxide chain breaker.
Moreover, melatonin crosses the blood-brain barrier faster and better
than virtually any other antioxidant, which is critical because the brain
generates more free radicals than any other organ due to its massive use
of oxygen.
	Finally, melatonin is extremely safe to take. The only
contraindications are if you have an immune system cancer (such as
leukemia or lymphoma) or autoimmune disease (such as lupus or rheumatoid
arthritis). The reason for this is because melatonin boosts immune
function, which could be deterimental if your immune system is already
out of whack. 
	In addition, pregnant women and women who wish to become pregnant
should not take melatonin because melatonin has contraceptive properties,
although at far higher doses than those usually taken.
	But for everyone else, I think it's wise to take melatonin...and
inexpensive as well.

---Saul Kent


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