Masters of Health Magazine July 2022 | Page 59

The CDC report references 27,795 children who received care at a health care facility; of that number, 71.6 percent were discharged, 14.7 percent were hospitalized, and 1 percent required intensive care. That is, almost three quarters of these cases were deemed false alarms.

That two young children died is of course tragic. According to the CDC, “one ingestion involved intentional medication misuse; the reason for the other is unknown.” Again, these cases don’t point to a safety issue with melatonin. Almost anything can be dangerous when consumed in sufficient quantity—even water. The vast majority of these incidents could seemingly be avoided if parents kept supplement bottles out of reach of young children.

We know that melatonin is safe. A 2019 study looking at pediatric melatonin use says that “melatonin is considered safe across a wide range of ages when taken according to manufacturer or medical recommendations.” Additionally, the authors note that “severe adverse effects or lethal outcomes as a direct consequence of its use, even in over dosage, have not been reported.”

Consider that pharmaceutical drugs, even when properly prescribed, cause an estimated 1.9 million hospitalizations and 128,000 hospital deaths each year. Deaths outside of hospitals would add considerably to this total if recorded. If public health were truly the CDC’s concern, shouldn’t they be focusing on prescription drugs?

It is reasonable for the CDC to warn parents about keeping melatonin bottles out of reach of children to avoid these adverse events. But the implication that melatonin is in any way unsafe is wrong, plain and simple. For the media to suggest otherwise is irresponsible.

This is reminiscent of an earlier report from the Department of Health claiming that supplements send 23,000 people to emergency room every year. What was largely swept under the carpet when these findings were reported was that 20 percent of these cases were unsupervised children swallowing pills. Further, 40 percent of the cases among those 65 and older were caused by choking. Many other cases were heart palpitations from ingesting too many diet pills, sexual enhancement pills, and energy drinks.

But why let the facts stand in the way of the planned hit piece to make supplements appear like a public health catastrophe?

Unfortunately, alarmist reporting about melatonin may prevent people from using a product that can benefit their health. It helps many people, though not all, with sleep issues. Anti-cancer properties have also been reported, and it is also included in some COVID-19 protocols.

The timing of all of this is deeply suspicious. Sen. Dick Durbin and his allies are working to add new regulatory requirements for supplements. A new report from the CDC that paints a popular supplement as a public health problem can only help them pass these new restrictions. We cannot let this absurd strategy succeed.

The timing of all of this is deeply suspicious. Sen. Dick Durbin and his allies are working to add new regulatory requirements for supplements. A new report from the CDC that paints a popular supplement as a public health problem can only help them pass these new restrictions. We cannot let this absurd strategy succeed.

Action Alert!

Write to Congress and tell them to oppose mandatory product registration for supplements. Please send your message immediately.