The Content of Dietary Melatonin in 119 Food Items and Its Relationship With Chronic Diseases: Results of the CUME+ Study

TL;DR

This study estimates melatonin content in 119 foods and finds that higher dietary melatonin intake is linked to lower obesity and depression risks, but not other chronic diseases.

Contribution

The study provides the first comprehensive melatonin content database for 119 foods and identifies novel inverse associations with obesity and depression.

Findings

Higher dietary melatonin intake is inversely associated with obesity risk.

A nonlinear inverse association is observed between melatonin intake and depression.

Melatonin intake shows no consistent link with hypertension, diabetes, or sleep duration.

Abstract

Dietary melatonin, naturally occurring in plant‐ and animal‐based foods, has been linked to beneficial effects on sleep, mood and metabolic health. Although evidence suggests that food‐derived melatonin may elevate circulating levels, few studies have assessed its intake through habitual diets or explored associations with chronic disease outcomes in adults.

We conducted a cross‐sectional analysis within an open cohort of university graduates (baseline data). Dietary intake was evaluated using a validated 144‐item Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), and melatonin intake was estimated based on published concentrations. Sleep duration was also assessed through the questionnaire. Associations between dietary melatonin and selected health outcomes, including depression, obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, dyslipidemia, obstructive sleep apnoea and sleep duration, were examined across quintiles of intake using logistic regression and Poisson regression models with robust variance, adjusted for potential confounders.

Melatonin content was assigned to 82.6% of the FFQ items, with concentrations ranging from 0 to 169.9 ng/g. Among 8320 participants, most were women (67.7%), with a mean age of 35.9 ± 9.6 years; 48.1% were single. Mean dietary melatonin intake was 25554.7 ± 13876.2 ng/day. In multivariate models, obesity was inversely associated with melatonin intake in Q2 (IRR 0.81, 95%CI 0.69–0.96); Q3 (IRR 0.72, 95%CI 0.60–0.86) and Q4 (IRR 0.79, 95%CI 0.67–0.94). Depression was inversely associated in Q3 (IRR 0.79, 95%CI 0.67–0.93) and Q4 (IRR 0.79, 95%CI 0.67–0.94), suggesting a nonlinear dose–response pattern.

Dietary melatonin intake was inversely associated with obesity and depression, with a non‐linear dose–response pattern observed for depression. No significant associations were found with other chronic conditions or sleep duration. Longitudinal and experimental studies are needed to confirm these findings and clarify underlying mechanisms.

Melatonin content estimated in 119 food items from validated FFQ.Mean dietary intake of melatonin reaches ~25500 ng/day among 8320 adults.Coffee, beans/lentils and rice are the main contributors to the melatonin intake.Higher melatonin intake is inversely associated with obesity risk.There is a nonlinear inverse association between dietary melatonin and depression.Dietary melatonin no present consistent associations with hypertension, diabetes or sleep duration.

Melatonin content estimated in 119 food items from validated FFQ.

Mean dietary intake of melatonin reaches ~25500 ng/day among 8320 adults.

Coffee, beans/lentils and rice are the main contributors to the melatonin intake.

Higher melatonin intake is inversely associated with obesity risk.

There is a nonlinear inverse association between dietary melatonin and depression.

Dietary melatonin no present consistent associations with hypertension, diabetes or sleep duration.

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