ANSES's Opinion on the risks associated with the consumption of food supplements containing melatonin

Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland during the night. Its physiological function is to provide the body, the brain in particular, with information on the nychthemeron, thus promoting sleep. Many food supplements containing melatonin have appeared on the French market. They are very popular, with an estimated 1.4 million packs per year being sold. Between the establishment of its nutrivigilance scheme and May 2017, ANSES received 90 reports of adverse effects likely to be associated with the consumption of food supplements containing melatonin. Nineteen of these reports contained enough information to be analysed for their causality. In this context, ANSES issued an internal request with a view to identifying the potential health risks, but not the possible effectiveness, of food supplements containing melatonin. This opinion is based on the adverse effects reported to ANSES and likely to be associated with the consumption of food supplements containing melatonin. 

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