A Cause for Concern
On April 25th, 2023, a research study regarding the ingredients in various melatonin gummies was released. The results, alarmingly, found that almost 90% of the brands tested were misleading customers in providing the incorrect amounts of key ingredients. Although these brands claim to be selling the ever-growing sleep supplement melatonin, many of them were also including CBD, or cannabidiol, as ingredients. Not only is it illegal to market products like this without including a CBD label, but CBD is not currently a regulated substance and is currently fully legal in only 18 of the 50 US states. Structures of both CBD and melatonin are shown below in Figure 1.
One of the largest problems here, according to scientists, is the effect of compounds like these on children. Gummy forms of supplements are easily mistaken for candy or fruit snacks, resulting in children consuming large amounts of compounds that are dangerous for growing bodies. Some of the brands were actually marketed to parents for helping their children sleep.
The study found, in general, the overwhelming presence of CBD in gummies not marketed to contain CBD. Some of the melatonin gummies included doses up to five times the amount listed, while other gummies contained no melatonin at all and used CBD as a substitute.
Initial concerns arose when data collected by the Poison Control Center (PCC) showed a 530% increase in reported CBD ingestions by children between 2012 and 2021. Only two child deaths occurred in this time period, but hundreds of thousands of reports were made to the PCC, tens of thousands were admitted to the hospital, and hundreds will have effects from overdosing for the rest of their lives.
Doctors are hoping this is a wake-up call for parents and others who are growing reliant on melatonin. Melatonin is supposed to be a supplement and it should not be taken on a daily basis. The human body naturally produces melatonin as a hormone, but if too much is taken over a long period of time, the body will stop making it. Melatonin may be perfect for a night when you can't fall asleep, but be sure to think about what you may be inhaling the next time you reach for the jar.
References
- https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/25/health/melatonin-gummies-wellness/index.html
- https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Wellness/melatonin-gummies-claim-lab-analysis-shows/story?id=98864435
- https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2804077?guestAccessKey=f66dce36-77ca-4bdc-a6bc-4978d8a66ed2&utm_source=For_The_Media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=042523
- https://nypost.com/2023/04/25/sleep-aid-gummies-contain-way-more-melatonin-cbd-than-advertised-study/
- https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-12016237/Some-melatonin-CBD-gummies-450-TIMES-drugs-label-says.html
- https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/cbd-legal-states
Your title and graphic are very effective and would draw in the reader. Titles that ask a provocative question do that. The figure depicts the culprits in a way that anyone can relate to. Your lede paragraph contains the basic answer to the question and refers to supporting evidence. For a real punchy lede you might have started with something like: "Many brands of melatonin gummies substitute CBD for melatonin according to a recent study." Your explanation of the extent of the problem is good. The particular emphasis on problems for children is particularly pertinent. I think the structural figures are useful. Even the chemically unsophisticated reader gets the impression of both the complexity of the two compounds and the general similarity of the two natural products. There is a kind of antidote to chemophobia implied here. The piece reminds us that harmless seeming gummies with "natural" ingredients can be poorly characterized and constitute unknown hazards. The fact that a number of influential general interest sources picked up on this indicates the degree of interest and importance of the report. Overall a very timely and very effective post.
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