Changes

In order to back the claims made regarding this product, manufacturers point to a small sized study of the Bavarian "Innovationsförderung Weihenstefan".<ref>Heiko Dustmann, Horst Weißsieker, Ralf Wetendorf: ''Wirksamkeit eines Milchprodukts mit nativ erhöhtem Melatoningehalt'', article in "Der Lebensmittelbrief" - Innovationsberatung Weihenstephan.[http://www.wirksamkeitsstudie.de.tf]</ref> In this study, the authors indicate a melatonin concentration of 110&nbsp;pg/g for this product. In comparison, ordinary milk powder contains 15&nbsp;pg/g. Over a period of ten days, test subjects (humans) ingested 10&nbsp;grams of the product on every day (thus 1.1&nbsp;ng melatonin per day) which was mixed with an unknown quantity of ordinary milk.

In order to back the claims made regarding this product, manufacturers point to a small sized study of the Bavarian "Innovationsförderung Weihenstefan".<ref>Heiko Dustmann, Horst Weißsieker, Ralf Wetendorf: ''Wirksamkeit eines Milchprodukts mit nativ erhöhtem Melatoningehalt'', article in "Der Lebensmittelbrief" - Innovationsberatung Weihenstephan.[http://www.wirksamkeitsstudie.de.tf]</ref> In this study, the authors indicate a melatonin concentration of 110&nbsp;pg/g for this product. In comparison, ordinary milk powder contains 15&nbsp;pg/g. Over a period of ten days, test subjects (humans) ingested 10&nbsp;grams of the product on every day (thus 1.1&nbsp;ng melatonin per day) which was mixed with an unknown quantity of ordinary milk.

The content of melatonin contained in ''night milk crystals'' is extremely low. In order to obtain the same effect as with an approved medication containing 2&nbsp;milligrams (mg) of melatonin, the consumer would have to ingest around 2&nbsp;million portions of the crystal powder at a total cost of approx. 3.1&nbsp;million Euros. Melatonin, however, is not considered a sleep inducing medication and cannot be obtained as a such in a German pharmacy.<ref>http://gutepillen-schlechtepillen.de/pages/archiv/jahrgang-2010/nr.-3-maijuni-2010/aufgespiesst-ndash-aus-internet-und-werbung-melatonin-haltige-nachtmilchkristalle.php</ref>

The content of melatonin contained in ''night milk crystals'' is extremely low. In order to obtain the same effect as with an approved medication containing 2&nbsp;milligrams (mg) of melatonin, the consumer would have to ingest around 2&nbsp;million portions of the crystal powder at a total cost of approx. 3.1&nbsp;million Euros. Melatonin, however, is not considered a sleep inducing medication and cannot be obtained as such in a German pharmacy.<ref>http://gutepillen-schlechtepillen.de/pages/archiv/jahrgang-2010/nr.-3-maijuni-2010/aufgespiesst-ndash-aus-internet-und-werbung-melatonin-haltige-nachtmilchkristalle.php</ref>

In 2004, the veterinary institute of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich examined "night milk" in another study.<ref>Wöhr, A.C., Birkle J., Unshelm J., Erhard M.H. ''MELATONIN IN `NIGHT MILK´ AND THE USE AS FUNCTIONAL FOOD'', 23rd World Buiatrics Congress, Quebec City, Canada, Juli 2004</ref> The Munich researcher detected that milk drawn from cows at night contained 18.7&nbsp;pg/ml melatonin. During daytime milking, only 1.9&nbsp;pg/ml melatonin were detected. High variation within the population was noticed. In a feeding experiment with night milk and ordinary milk given to calves, no effects on their circadian rhythm nor on the plasma concentration became evident. Therefore, authors concluded, night milk has no effect as a pacemaker (melatonin acts as a pacemaker and has a so called Zeitgeber function). The melatonin signal forms part of the system which regulates the sleep-wake cycle. It is the central nervous system (more specifically, the SCN, supra chiasmatic nuclei) which controls the daily cycle in most components of the paracrine and endocrine systems rather than the melatonin signal (as postulated earlier).

In 2004, the veterinary institute of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich examined "night milk" in another study.<ref>Wöhr, A.C., Birkle J., Unshelm J., Erhard M.H. ''MELATONIN IN `NIGHT MILK´ AND THE USE AS FUNCTIONAL FOOD'', 23rd World Buiatrics Congress, Quebec City, Canada, Juli 2004</ref> The Munich researcher detected that milk drawn from cows at night contained 18.7&nbsp;pg/ml melatonin. During daytime milking, only 1.9&nbsp;pg/ml melatonin were detected. High variation within the population was noticed. In a feeding experiment with night milk and ordinary milk given to calves, no effects on their circadian rhythm nor on the plasma concentration became evident. Therefore, authors concluded, night milk has no effect as a pacemaker (melatonin acts as a pacemaker and has a so called Zeitgeber function). The melatonin signal forms part of the system which regulates the sleep-wake cycle. It is the central nervous system (more specifically, the SCN, supra chiasmatic nuclei) which controls the daily cycle in most components of the paracrine and endocrine systems rather than the melatonin signal (as postulated earlier).