Unclear
Melatonin
sleep hormone pills. Longevity & fitness.
- Verdict
- UnclearThere isn't enough human evidence to say either way.
- How sure
- Rung 2 · LimitedFew, small or conflicting human studies, or only indirect measures such as blood markers.
The rung shows how sure the science is, not how big the effect is. How to read these ratings
Cancers affected
Advanced cancers (small trials)
What the evidence shows
A 2005 analysis of 10 randomized trials (643 patients with advanced cancer) reported better one-year survival when melatonin was added to treatment. All 10 trials came from the same network of researchers, and the results haven't been independently confirmed.
What to do
Don't use it as a cancer treatment. If you take it for sleep, tell your care team.
Sources
To take it to your doctor, print this page.
Spotted an error? Tell us and we’ll check it against the sources.
Related
Every supplement we rated, or follow one cancer step by step: breast cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer and prostate cancer.