Evidence mapPaperPMID 41859230Full record

ReviewFrontiers in neuroscience2026

Rhythms of life: melatonin, nutrition, sleep, and antioxidant strategies for healthy aging.

Cristina Manuela Drăgoi, Ion-Bogdan Dumitrescu, Alina Crenguţa Nicolae

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Frontiers in neuroscience, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Cristina Manuela DrăgoiDepartment of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania.
Ion-Bogdan DumitrescuDepartment of Physics and Informatics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania.
Alina Crenguţa NicolaeDepartment of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Circadian rhythms orchestrate nearly all physiological and behavioral functions, and their deterioration with aging contributes to sleep disruption, cognitive decline, and increased vulnerability to disease. Melatonin, the primary hormonal signal of darkness, plays a central role in maintaining circadian synchrony, regulating sleep, and exerting antioxidant and neuroprotective effects. This review provides an integrative synthesis of current evidence on the multi-layered role of melatonin in aging, encompassing molecular, neurobiological, behavioral, and nutritional dimensions. Aging alters the circadian system, particularly melatonin secretion, amplitude, and receptor sensitivity, and these changes affect sleep architecture, metabolism, and cognitive function. Melatonin depicts pleiotropic actions as a circadian synchronizer, sleep facilitator, mitochondrial protector, immunomodulator, and neuroprotective agent. Evidence suggests that age-related melatonin decline contributes to "accelerated" aging through increased oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammatory burden ("inflammaging"), whereas restoring melatonin levels, via supplementation or diet, may mitigate such processes. In parallel, we address the emerging field of chrononutrition, emphasizing that the timing of food intake and consumption of melatonin-rich or polyphenol-containing foods can enhance circadian rhythmicity, improve sleep quality, and reduce age-related metabolic and oxidative stress. Melatonin decline represents both a biomarker and mediator of circadian aging. Integrating chronobiological and nutritional interventions, including timed melatonin supplementation, dietary chronobiotics, and lifestyle alignment with the light-dark cycle, holds promise for preserving circadian integrity, delaying physiological aging, and extending health span. Forthcoming research should focus on personalized chronotherapy and nutritional chronobiology to better harness melatonin's therapeutic potential in aging populations.

Indexed as

agingchronobiologychrononutritioncircadian rhythmdietary and lifestyle interventionsmelatoninmolecular clockssleep

Identifiers

PMID41859230
PMCPMC12996223

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.