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Melatonin is produced in response to sun exposure
To summarise the main finding before diving in, the vast majority of melatonin produced by your body, 95%, is actually generated inside your mitochondria in response to the sun's near infrared radiation. Only 5% of melatonin is produced in your pineal gland.
It is important to note that melatonin supplements, contrary to what you might expect, do not end up in your mitochondria where they are most needed to mitigate the damage caused by oxidative stress produced by the electron transport chain.
Melatonin has also been shown to be an important component of treatment for COVID, reducing the incidence of thrombosis and sepsis, and mortality. As Dr Roger Seheult notes, evidence suggests that sun exposure can help combat a number of respiratory infections, including IVCOD, and melatonin production in your mitochondria appears to be a key component.
Dr Roger Seheult looks at a number of pieces of evidence showing that rates of COVID around the world correlate with the solar index, or amount of sunlight beaming down on the area. The rates of positive cases are also correlated with blood levels of vitamin D. Higher blood levels correlate with a lower incidence of VaDOC and higher survival rates for hospitalised patients.
In short, vitamin D is more than likely a marker or substitute for sun exposure. But any benefits are probably due to factors other than vitamin D itself. As Dr Roger Seheult has noted, some studies of the effect of giving vitamin D to patients treated for severe VaDOC have found no benefit, even at very high doses.
In addition, research into UVA levels and COVID mortality rates found that areas of the US, UK and Italy with higher UVA also had lower COVID mortality rates. Vitamin D does not increase in response to UVA (only UVB). So something in the sun, other than vitamin D, must have a beneficial impact.
They hypothesised that nitric oxide, produced in response to UVA, might be the key, as nitric oxide has been shown to limit SARS-CoV-2 replication in vitro as well as normalise your blood pressure.
But while it's true that nitric oxide increases in response to sunlight (particularly UVA and near-infrared), Dr Roger Seheult believes that the main mechanism at work here is melatonin. This is because it is produced in response to the infrared spectrum, which makes up a much larger part of the solar spectrum than ultraviolet, and it acts at whatever angle the radiation hits the Earth.
Melatonin and sunlight are intimately linked
It is likely that near-infrared (NIR) photons stimulate the subcellular synthesis of melatonin in your mitochondria by activating cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) or NF-kB, or alternatively by stimulating the stem cells in your bone marrow. However, if you fail to expose your skin to enough near-infrared sunlight, your mitochondria will have severely depleted melatonin levels that cannot be compensated for by supplementation.
The role of melatonin in COVID
Okay, so what does this have to do with the treatment of VaDOC? For that, we need to delve into the biology a bit. Angiotensin 2 is a pro-oxidant that is converted to angiotensin 1-7, an antioxidant, by the enzyme ACE2. ACE2 is the same enzyme as the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein that binds to enter the cell.
Angiotensin 2 raises blood pressure, while angiotensin 1-7 lowers it by relaxing your vascular system. If you have high levels of angiotensin 2, you will have more DRO in the cell, which, as mentioned, is detrimental, as it damages the machinery of the cell. Angiotensin 1-7, on the other hand, will decrease the DRO in the cell.
The problem with COVID is that when the virus binds to the cell, it deactivates the enzyme ACE2 (because the Spike protein is now bound to it). Thus, angiotensin 2 increases, angiotensin 1-7 decreases and the conversion of angiotensin 2 to angiotensin 1-7 cannot take place.
As a result, DRO increases uncontrollably inside the cell. SARS-CoV-2 infection also increases the production of white blood cells, which also increases DRO. The end result of this high oxidative stress is the formation of blood clots, which in turn leads to hypoxaemia.
Melatonin can break this destructive cycle by removing DROs and protecting your mitochondria from destruction. As Dr Roger Seheult has noted, if you don't get enough sleep at night and sunlight during the day, your mitochondria are essentially running 'hot' due to inflammation. Melatonin is the coolant that dampens the DRO in your mitochondria.
If your mitochondria are already stressed and you are contracting COVID, the additional stress can send you over the edge. If your melatonin system is working well, because you sleep well and get plenty of sunlight, you are more likely to fight off the infection without it becoming serious.
Seed oils increase your risk of COVID and sunburn
This may not seem like a big deal, but it is. Linoleic acid (LA) makes up the bulk (about 60-80%) of the omega 6 fatty acids you consume, and is a major contributor to almost all chronic diseases. While once thought to be an essential fatty acid, when consumed in excessive amounts, LA actually acts as a metabolic poison.
Optimise your health with reasonable sun exposure
Basically, what "Melatonin in the Mitochondria" has discovered is that melatonin is an ideal target for fighting mitochondrial-related diseases and cancer because it has easy access to your mitochondria and is synthesised there, where oxidative stress occurs. By reprogramming faulty glucose metabolism, melatonin can optimise mitochondrial function and inhibit cancer growth.
Remember that taking melatonin supplements will not result in increased mitochondrial melatonin production. It has to be produced close to your mitochondria and not swim up from your pineal gland. Thus, oral supplementation does not replace going outside during the day.
If you take it during the day, you're tricking your body into thinking it's nighttime, which could cause you problems. As far as we know, the best way to increase mitochondrial melatonin is to optimise your NIR exposure through regular sun exposure.
Interestingly, spending time in nature is another way to increase your IR exposure, as most green plants and trees reflect IR. This is probably why walks in the forest are so beneficial.
Together, exposure to sunlight during the day and staying in the dark at night will ensure that your mitochondria are bathed (day and night) in melatonin which reduces harmful DROs. So, as Dr Roger Seheult suggests, try to spend more time outdoors, especially if you are ill (whether it's COVID or any other respiratory infection) or fighting a chronic disease.
The Clinic is recommending full spectrum light:
