Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., M.D.
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 Anthony, incidentally, mentions a side benefit to plant-based nutrition: he no longer experiences jet lag. "It used to take a week to ten days to recover" from a trip to China, he reports. "Since Esselstyn's program, I have no more jet lag." I have no scientific reason to believe that my nutrition plan is actually responsible for this, but I am happy to take credit!)
In our house, my wife, Ann, is the cook, and over the past twenty years she has learned a great deal about how to concoct wonderful meals that meet the strict standards of my nutrition plan. |
Alan R. Gaby, M.D., Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., Forrest Batz, Pharm.D. Rick Chester, RPh., N.D., DipLAc. George Constantine, R.Ph., Ph.D. Linnea D. Thompson, Pharm.D., N.D.
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 CHECKLIST FOR JET LAG
Nutritional
Rating
Supplements Herbs
**ft
Melatonin (page 555)
What are the symptoms of jet lag?
Jet lag causes a combination of symptoms, including daytime sleepiness, disorientation, poor concentration, fatigue, gastrointestinal discomfort, headaches, difficulty falling asleep (page 270), and frequent waking from sleep. The symptoms can last from a day to a week or longer, depending on the person and the number of time zones crossed. |
Andreas Moritz
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 There is one basic rule that applies to the experience of jet lag: For every hour of time difference, you require one day to adjust your biological rhythms to the circadian rhythm in the particular part of the world to which you travel. After a maximum of ten days (for a 10-hour time difference), the cellular functions in your body will return to normal, provided you adhere to the natural cycles of day and night prevalent at the new location.
Many people in the developed world suffer from the side effects of an "artificial" jet lag in their lives on a daily basis. |
Bill Sardi
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 The dosage used in most studies was greater than used for jet lag, about 20 mg per day (range 10-40 mg), taken prior to bedtime. [Journal Pineal Research 39: 360-66, 2005] One mechanism by which supplemental melatonin prolongs survival is to inhibit angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels that feed tumors. [Neuro Endocrinology Letters 22: 45-47, 2001]
Examine the chart on the left on the track record of supplemental melatonin compared to other cancer treatments in regard to prolongation of survival in all types of cancers. |
Thomson Healthcare, Inc.
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 Melatonin and jet lag: confirmatory result using a simplified protocol. Biol Psychiatry; 32(8):705-711. 1992
Cuzzocrea S, Constantino G, Gitto E et al. Protective effects of melatonin in ischemic brain injury. J Pineal Res; 29(4):217-227. 2000
Dahlitz M, Alvarez B, Vignau J et al. Delayed sleep phase syndrome response to melatonin. Lancet; 337(8750): 1121-1124. 1991
Deacon S, English J & Arendt J. Acute phase-shifting effects of melatonin associated with suppression of core body temperature in humans. Neuroscience; 178(l):32-34. 1994
Dolberg OT, Hirschmann S & Grunhaus L. |
| However, two systematic reviews cited in the analysis, including a large Cochrane review, concluded that melatonin was effective in alleviating jet lag. This disparity may have been the result of an aspect overlooked in the meta-analysis—namely, measures of daytime fatigue— which was examined in the studies reporting a benefit with melatonin (Buscemi et al 2006). Another study used exogenous melatonin administration combined with exposure to light and physical exercise to hasten resynchronization after transmeridian flights (comprising 12-13 time zones). |
| In some earlier jet lag studies, melatonin was not statistically superior to placebo (Claustrat et al, 1992; Petrie et al, 1989). In particular, mood, sleep quality, and morning sleepiness were not altered significantly in one study (Claustrat et al, 1992). Effective doses of melatonin have been either 5 mg daily (at various times) for 3 days prior to the flight, then the same dose for 4 additional days, or an 8 mg dose on the day of the flight and for 3 further days. The former regimen appears more effective. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 Mike: This unit makes it portable, so it's great for treating jet lag especially.
Pederson: Exactly. We've actually developed a software program based on research done at NASA, and we put 171 cities around the world on our website. You put in your normal waking time to tell it what your body clock is set at -- your departure city, your arrival city, anywhere on the planet -- and it will tell you when to use this and for how long. And 45 minutes to an hour from the day you travel, you can reset your body clock to your new time zone. No more jet lag.
Mike: That's a great idea. |
Gabriel Cousens, M.D.
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 Some people feel that one of the causes of jet lag is that we fly too quickly through the Earth's magnetic field. Research using Schuman resonance pulsing devices to create a constant magnetic pulse in air travel has found that they decrease the incidence of jet lag. The author tries to spend a certain amount of daily time exercising barefoot on the Earth. It is a force of Nature about which we would benefit by having more knowledge. For example, recent Russian work on geomagnetic energies has shown that the growth of children varies with the geomagnetic area in which they live. |
Hyla Cass, M.D.
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 It can be used in low doses (up to 3 mg) as a supplement to aid in deeper sleep or to naturally treat insomnia or jet lag.
Melatonin is another option for preventing and treating tardive dyskinesia. In a double-blind trial, 10 mg of melatonin each night for six weeks in patients with TD reduced abnormal movements by 23.8 percent. Similar changes were seen in only 8.4 percent of the placebo (dummy pill) group.
For more information on natural approaches to mental illness, see alternativementalhealth.com, www.nutritional-healing.com.au, and other resources in the back of the book. |
Marshall Editions
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 An illness can also temporarily change your sleeping habits, and certain prescription drugs can disturb your sleep. jet lag or shift-work can disrupt the body clock, which tells you when to sleep and when to get up. Sleep patterns can be severely affected by consuming too many stimulants, such as alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine.
Another type of insomnia is called "learned insomnia." After a few sleepless nights, people can become apprehensive about going to bed because they fear they will not be able to get to sleep. |
Bottom Line Health
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| This is most common among the elderly, adolescents who have insomnia and travelers who have jet lag. Melatonin can help bring bedtime back toward 11 pm. Take melatonin—following the dosage recommendation on the label— around 6 pm or 7 pm.
•Valerian. The research on this herb is mixed. Some studies indicate that valerian can reduce stress and help more quickly.. .others have shown no benefit. It is unlikely to cause side effects at the doses recommended on labels. Higher doses have been linked to blurred vision and changes in heart rhythm. |
Kevin Trudeau
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 JET LAG
No jet lag www.nojetlag.com
57. JOINT PAIN
Consult with an alternative practitioner and for more information go to Find A Cure at www.naturalcures.com.
Hyaluronic Acid Complex with Chondroitin recently found to be more effective than glucosamine.
Whole Food Green Powder, Vitamineral Green www.livingnutritionals.com (800) 642-4113 loint and Muscle Comfort Plus, Dr. Julian Whitaker www.drwhitaker.com (800)211-6358
Alpha-flex with Omeage-5e, Alpha-flex www.alphaflex. |
Jack Challem
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 Taken as a dietary supplement, melatonin can help with sleep disorders and can speed recovery from jet lag, but the timing of supplementation is crucial.
Quick Tip
If You're Taking Meds for Your Moods, Check with Your Doctor
If you take prescription drugs for depression, anxiety, or another mood issue, work with your doctor before trying natural neuronutrients. Neuronutrients may amplify the drug's effects, and your doctor may need to reduce your medication dosage. Please do not attempt to do this by yourself.
Type of neurotransmitter. Calming.
Nutritional building blocks. |
| Melatonin
Principal use: For difficulty sleeping, restless sleep, insomnia, jet lag, and seasonal depression.
What else you should know: Melatonin, when used correctly, is one of nature's best sleep aids. It is a hormone and a neurotransmitter that regulates our circadian, or daily, body rhythm. Normally, melatonin levels increase toward evening and make us drowsy, then decrease toward morning. Too much time indoors and under artificial light, however, seems to throw off normal melatonin production. |
Thomson Healthcare, Inc.
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| Petrie K, Conaglen JV, Thompson L et al: Effect of melatonin on jet lag after long haul flights. BMJ; 298(6675):705-707. 1989
Pillar G, Shahar E, Peled N et al. Melatonin improves sleep-wake patterns in psychomotor retarded children. Pediatr Neurol; 23(3):225-228. 2000
Scheer F, Van Montfrans G, van Someren E et al. Daily nighttime melatonin reduces blood pressure in male patients with essential hypertension. Hypertension; 43(2): 192-197. 2004
Shamir E, Barak Y, Shalman I et al. Melatonin treatment for tardive dyskinesia. Arch Gen Psychiatry; 58( 11): 1049-1052. |
Bill Sardi
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| The dosage used in most studies was greater than used for jet lag, about 20 mg per day (range 10-40 mg), taken prior to bedtime. |
Thomson Healthcare, Inc.
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| Alleviation of jet lag by melatonin: preliminary results of controlled double blind trial. BMJ; 292(6529): 1170. 1986
Arendt J, Aldhous M & Wright J. Synchronisation of a disturbed sleep-wake cycle in a blind man by melatonin treatment (letter). Lancet; 1 (8588):772-773. 1988
Buscemi N, Vandermeer B, Hooton N, et al. Efficacy and safety of exogenous melatonin for secondary sleep disorders and sleep disorders accompanying sleep restriction: meta-analysis. BMJ; 332:385-393.
Capuzzo M, Zanardi B, Schiffino E et al. |
Andreas Moritz
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| Many people in the developed world suffer from the side effects of an "artificial" jet lag in their lives on a daily basis. They allow other factors such as working conditions, television or social commitments to dictate to them when they should eat, sleep and wake up, thus disrupting the body's intimate connection with nature's rhythms. This in itself may be one of the most energy-depleting influences of our time. I strongly recommend to every person who suffers from any health issue to start living in harmony with all the natural rhythms of the body, to whatever extent possible. |
| You may have experienced the phenomenon of jet lag when you traveled to faraway places that are located in different time zones. Sunrise and sunset occurred at different times and upset your biological clock for several days before the cells and organs of your body were able to adjust themselves to the new day and night cycles in that country. Before being your old self again, you might have felt hungry in the middle of the night, tired in the morning, and totally awake in the early morning hours. |
Alan R. Gaby, M.D., Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., Forrest Batz, Pharm.D. Rick Chester, RPh., N.D., DipLAc. George Constantine, R.Ph., Ph.D. Linnea D. Thompson, Pharm.D., N.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
| Melatonin is also helpful in relieving symptoms of jet lag (page 283). One double-blind trial, involving a sample of international flight crew members taking either melatonin or a placebo for three days before and five days after an international flight, found that melatonin significantly reduced symptoms of jet lag and resulted in a quicker recovery of preflight energy levels and alertness.
Less than 1 mg of melatonin has lowered pressure within the eyes of healthy people,5 but studies have not yet been published on the effects of using melatonin with people who have glaucoma (page 205). |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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| No more jet lag.
Mike: That's a great idea. You sort of pre-adjust instead of post-adjust.
Pederson: Exactly. You know, the body adjusts more slowly with age, so the rate at which it adjusts drops off dramatically at age 50. A lot of people are traveling as business people, and they get to that age where they have more responsibility at the peak of their careers -- and yet they're suffering more from jet lag. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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 It's terrific for jet lag and for any time that your sleep cycle is disrupted artificially. A good deal of research shows that melatonin is useful for insomnia, though there's some debate about which is best—regular melatonin or the timed-release kind. The immediate-release kind might be more effective for decreasing the time it takes to fall asleep, but the timed-release kind might be better for improving sleep quality and maintenance.
More Melatonin Benefits
Then there are headaches. |
| And it's great for jet lag. But the melatonin story is a lot more interesting—and complicated—than its ability to serve as a natural cure for insomnia. Melatonin may have a role in protecting you against cancer. It also supports the immune system and is one of the most powerful antioxidants we know of.
Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland, a gland in the brain that helps regulate circadian rhythm. It's actually made along the same metabolic assembly line as serotonin. Both start out as the amino acid tryptophan, which then gets converted into 5-HTP and then to serotonin. |
| Vitamin B12, for example, is very effective against aging complications, so it's listed under Pure Cures, as is melatonin for jet lag. This doesn't mean that anything listed as a Pure Cure wouldn't or couldn't be made better by combining it with other nutrients, herbs, or treatments. It's placement under Pure Cures is simply a convenience, reflecting that this particular item has some effect by itself.
Plant Cures are simply cures that come from the plant kingdom—herbal supplements as opposed to vitamins and mineral supplements. |
| We think of melatonin as something you take for jet lag, but it's actually a powerful hormone that has multiple purposes in the body, one of which is to help regulate the sleep cycle. It may also have cancer-preventive properties. One interesting line of research has discovered that blind women almost never have breast cancer. It's believed that the connection is melatonin, which is only produced when it's dark (or at least when light does not get to the eyes, as should be the case when you sleep). Blind women evidentially have more of this hormone, hence the hypothesized connection. |
Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., M.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
| Since Esselstyn's program, I have no more jet lag." I have no scientific reason to believe that my nutrition plan is actually responsible for this, but I am happy to take credit!)
In our house, my wife, Ann, is the cook, and over the past twenty years she has learned a great deal about how to concoct wonderful meals that meet the strict standards of my nutrition plan. |
Jack Challem
See book keywords and concepts |
| To reduce jet lag, start taking melatonin a day or two before you travel, about one to two hours before you would go to sleep in the new time zone.
Thyroid Drugs
Principal use: To treat depression, lack of energy, or weight gain, particularly among women between the ages of forty-five and sixty.
What else you should know: Thyroid hormone typically refers to two hormones: T3 and T4. During perimenopause, thyroid hormone levels may decrease along with estrogen levels. It's often difficult to accurately measure T3 and T4 levels because of natural shifts in hormone levels. |
Joe Graedon, M.S. and Teresa Graedon, Ph.D.
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 An extensive review of the existing studies published in the Cochrane Database concluded, "Melatonin is remarkably effective in preventing or reducing jet lag, and occasional short-term use appears to be safe. It should be recommended to adult travelers flying across five or more time zones, particularly in an easterly direction, and especially if they have experienced jet lag on previous journeys."820
Despite this good news, two reviews of melatonin's use for easing insomnia were less glowing. They concluded that melatonin does not work for sleep disorders. |
Peter J. Whitehouse and Daniel George
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 I'd flown into Japan in the morning for an international conference on Alzheimer's disease and had been racked by jet lag the whole day. That night I wanted to get a little rest. The only thing preventing me from entering my room was a malfunctioning electronic key that kept refusing me entrance. I slipped the key in and out of the reader. I jiggled the door handle. I nudged my shoulder into the door. It was all to no avail. The room remained locked.
Weary, exhausted, and grumpy from a day of travel, I marched down to the lobby and set the key on the front desk. |
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