Paul Mason: Melatonin as an antioxidant & Fatty tongue causes sleep apnea!
May 2020
Melatonin: a potent antioxidant…
the cranial circulation in the brain associated
with circadian rhythms
Studies, blinded, control groups:
melatonin 5-10mg, 2/day:
reversed fatty liver disease
Do you prescribe melatonin? Yes
The best approach is to reduce oxidative stress:
Need to stop fluctuating sugar levels by cutting:
-carbs
-liquid fats & oils (always oxidized)
If cut these out, don’t need melatonin
For patients who cannot cut out carbs & liquid fats:
“Let’s do risk mitigation, melatonin (like carnosine),
is a great supplement to take”
Isn’t it a sleep promoter?
Yes, but in most patients, morning melatonin is fine .
Very rarely, patient has problem…
but that is usually caused by
their sleep apnea
Sleep apnea: associated with visceral fat!
Used to think it was caused by fatty neck around
the airways…
it is actually the tongue!
the tongue gets fat
Sleep apnea: tongue gets fat!
MRI studies: fat in tongue before & after weight loss:
you can see the airway space clears up with weight loss
Sleep apnea:
When people fall asleep, the muscles around
the airways relax…
if tongue is fatty, it occludes (blocks) the airway
but people are not always conscious
of their waking
Airway occludes:
-blood deoxygenates
-brain arousal sympathetic trigger:
“we better open up the airway”
-a partial awakening
(can happen many times an hour)
-never getting deep sleep!
Sleep deprivation:
Huge impacts on hormones: leptin & ghrelin
essential for energy homeostasis
Cycle (difficult to break):
1. get overweight
2. hormone effects
3. cause more weight gain
This study showed that it is the tongue
that causes sleep apnea and this vicious cycle!
Paper conclusion: burn the tongue to shrink it!
Instead of losing weight to reduce
tongue fat & cut the vicious cycle
Original Youtube link: https://youtu.be/3osWpvHVO-Y