Cupp M J
West Virginia University School of Pharmacy, Morgantown, USA.
Am Fam Physician. 1997 Oct 1;56(5):1421-5, 1428.
Melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland, appears to help regulate the sleep-wake cycle. With further study and clinical experience, it may become an accepted therapy for insomnia. Although melatonin preparations are available without prescription in health food stores and pharmacies, their potency, purity, safety and effectiveness cannot be assured. Until large clinical trials provide further information about melatonin's efficacy, adverse effects, drug interactions and effects on various disease states, melatonin products should be used with the understanding that many questions about their safety remain unanswered.
褪黑素是一种由松果体分泌的激素，似乎有助于调节睡眠-清醒周期。随着进一步的研究和临床经验的积累，它可能会成为一种被认可的失眠治疗方法。尽管在健康食品店和药店无需处方就能买到褪黑素制剂，但其效力、纯度、安全性和有效性无法得到保证。在大规模临床试验提供关于褪黑素的疗效、不良反应、药物相互作用以及对各种疾病状态的影响的更多信息之前，使用褪黑素产品时应明白关于其安全性的许多问题仍未得到解答。
