Substrate ·evidence-based
interventions / Melatonin / inflammation

Does Melatonin help inflammation? (Grade B evidence)

For inflammation, Melatonin carries Grade B evidence: probably helps, moderate certainty, especially in adults; effect size may shrink with better trials. Dose range varies across trials.

Exact question reviewed

Population
adults
Intervention
Melatonin · varies across trials
Comparator
not reported
Outcome
inflammation
Time horizon
not reported

Bottom line. For inflammation, Melatonin carries Grade B evidence: probably helps, moderate certainty, especially in adults; effect size may shrink with better trials. Dose range varies across trials. [1 RCT]

Direction
benefit
Magnitude
Meta-analysis of 31 clinical trials (1517 participants): melatonin significantly reduced inflammatory markers IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF versus placebo, but had no significant effect on C-reactive protein (CRP). After correcting for publication bias, effects on IL-1, IL-6, and IL-8 remained significant — a real anti-inflammatory signal on cytokines specifically, not on CRP.
Grade
B
Certainty
moderate
Clinical meaning
small but potentially useful
Who it applies to
adults
Dose / form studied
varies across trials
Safety
uncertain_with_ssri
The one limitation
Claim-specific limitation details are not available in this public record.

Reviewed · Evidence last changed · Claim clm_ec_b12-mel-inflammation v0

⚠ Safety in context

Grade
B
what does the grade mean?
Certainty
moderate
what does certainty mean?

Grade B / moderate: probably helps, and new studies are unlikely to reverse this — but could shrink the effect size.

Who it works for

Best-studied in adults. Recorded studied dose: varies across trials.

Evidence

StudyDesignRoleCite
Anti-inflammatory effects of melatonin: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials.peer-reviewedsupportsPMID:33581247

Why this grade

Reasoning trace

The current record stores Grade B at moderate certainty and links 1 publishable source. A claim-specific domain-by-domain grading rationale is not available in this public record, so no reason for upgrading or downgrading is inferred here.

Audit and version

Claim ID
ec_b12-mel-inflammation
Claim version
not reported
Governance
legacy, not verified
Last evidence search
not reported
Last editorial review
2026-07-16T16:41:02.092Z

Public receipt · Machine-readable claim · Methodology

Dose & form

Studied intake: varies across trials.

How it stacks up for inflammation

Grade history

No grade changes yet. Initial grade assigned; re-reviewed on every 12 months (Grade A/B) — next review by . Methodology v1.

Re-review cadence: every 12 months (Grade A/B) · next scheduled by · methodology v1.

Frequently asked

How long does Melatonin take to work for inflammation?

Trials of Melatonin for inflammation typically report effects within 2–4 weeks, though individual response varies. Studies rarely find benefit inside 1 week for chronic outcomes.

What dose was used in studies of Melatonin for inflammation?

Studied doses for Melatonin in inflammation trials cluster around varies across trials. See the dose block for the specific range and how it varies by form.

Does Melatonin work for inflammation if I'm not deficient?

The effect concentrates in adults. If your baseline is normal, expect a smaller effect than the trial averages.

Melatonin or the next-best alternative for inflammation?

See the compare block above for the head-to-head with the most-cited alternative. Grade + certainty differences matter more than any single trial.

Related

What this is — and is not

Evidence description
Meta-analysis of 31 clinical trials (1517 participants): melatonin significantly reduced inflammatory markers IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF versus placebo, but had no significant effect on C-reactive protein (CRP). After correcting for publication bias, effects on IL-1, IL-6, and IL-8 remained significant — a real anti-inflammatory signal on cytokines specifically, not on CRP.
Substrate's interpretation
The current reviewed record assigns Grade B at moderate certainty. A domain-by-domain rationale is shown only when recorded.
Discuss with a clinician
If you're on medication or have a condition that changes the calculus, bring the interaction & population blocks above to your pharmacist or prescriber before deciding.
Individualized medical advice
Not provided here or on any Substrate surface (API, agent tool, embed) — see YMYL policy.

Cite this page

Citation is encouraged. The proposed reuse license is CC-BY-4.0; status: pending-governance-ratification.

Plain-text citation
Substrate. Does Melatonin help inflammation? (Grade B). https://evidencebased.info/interventions/melatonin/inflammation. Updated 2026-07-16.
BibTeX
@misc{substrate_elatonininflammation,
  author = {Substrate editorial},
  title  = {Does Melatonin help inflammation?},
  year   = {2026},
  url    = {https://evidencebased.info/interventions/melatonin/inflammation},
  note   = {Grade B, evidencebased.info}
}

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