Sleep yourself to stronger protection against Alzheimer's disease

Christian Benedict

Just a minute... Christian Benedict, sleep researcher at Uppsala University, who in a current study identifies melatonin as a potentially important ally in the fight against Alzheimer's disease. Exactly what results are you presenting?

“An increasing number of scientific studies confirm that fixed sleep routines have a positive effect on our brain health, but also that even short sleep disturbances leave a mark on our central nervous system. There are various different theories about what makes sleep so valuable, and in our new article we review existing knowledge about melatonin, a body hormone that is released in the dark. Our conclusion is that it likely has protective properties against the development of Alzheimer's disease.”

What concrete effects can melatonin add?
“Alzheimer's disease occurs as a long and complex process including both genetic and environmental factors. This includes the formation of protein clumps in the brain – such as amyloid-beta and phosphorylated tau – that can damage nerve cells in the long term. In our overview, we see how melatonin helps to clear the brain, counteract the production of amyloid-beta and phosphorylated tau, protect the brain against uncontrolled absorption of harmful substances and counteract oxidative stress in the brain through its antioxidant capacity. In addition, melatonin improves our cognitive abilities.”

Does this mean that a tablet of melatonin a day keeps Alzheimer's away?
“Unfortunately, it is not quite that simple. Studies in mice show that promoting melatonin levels slows the formation of protein plaques. However, we do not yet know for sure how long-term melatonin treatments affect us humans, other than that it can cause certain side effects, such as reduced insulin production when consuming carbohydrates. Therefore, further research is needed, but for older people with reduced body production of melatonin, supplements in tablet form may very well be a positive ingredient for good cognitive ageing.”

Mobilsurf i sängen

Please note: Do NOT do like the man in the picture an hour before bedtime

So what is your recommendation for keeping my brain in shape?
“Optimize your body's own production of melatonin. Be physically active and expose yourself to light during the day, avoid mobile phones the hour before bedtime and find and stick to sleep routines that work for you. If you have difficulty sleeping, at least make sure you get your rest in the dark and you will give the melatonin to an extra boost. And remember: A good night’s sleep not only protect us against neurodegenerative diseases, it strengthens our mental health, increases our performance and a whole lot more.”

What reactions have you received on your article?
“Many and positive, above all it is attracting attention among researchers and physicians who are key target groups for us. The article is also continuing to spread strongly on social media, which hopefully contributes to even more people realizing the great value in taking care of their sleep.”

And what awaits next in the Sleep Laboratory?
“We are currently preparing a potential collaboration with a cancer researcher who sees promising opportunities to develop our observations on melatonin. Throughout the autumn, we will publish additional articles with a series of very exciting results, but we’ll have to get back to you on these.”

Facts

  • Christian Benedict leads a team of scientists at Uppsala University dedicated to exploring the detrimental health effects of disrupted sleep.
  • Lab Benedict’s research findings contributes to our understanding of the critical role of sleep in maintaining weight control, regulating glucose metabolism, and promoting brain health.
  • Findings are published in reputable scientific journals such as Nature Communications, Current Biology, Science Advances, Neurology, Diabetes Care, and Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.

Contact

Christian Benedict, Associate Professor
Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences
Christian.Benedict@farmbio.uu.se

text: Magnus Alsne, photo: Mikael Wallerstedt a o

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