Andrew Huberman· PhD
So in a child that's very, very small that has high levels of melatonin, it actually can inhibit GnRH, LH, testosterone or estrogen depending on the sex of the child.
Loading…
The headline is broadly defensible, but the qualifications matter. Effect sizes vary by population, the strongest claims rest on shorter trials, and credible voices push back on how it's typically framed.
So in a child that's very, very small that has high levels of melatonin, it actually can inhibit GnRH, LH, testosterone or estrogen depending on the sex of the child.
Every Sunday: the week’s new conflicts and verdict changes — and nothing else.
Native comments, Twitter mentions, and Reddit threads about this claim — surfaced together so the conversation isn't fragmented across platforms.
Bookmarking — the dossier-vs-overview split is the right call. Most of the time I want overview; sometimes I want receipts.
Would love a "what would change this verdict" RSS feed. Sign me up if it exists.
Melatonin is this hormone that's released from the pineal gland. Melatonin induces sleepiness. Melatonin during development is also responsible for timing the secretion of certain hormones that are vitally important for puberty. Does melatonin control the onset of puberty? Not directly, but indirectly. Melatonin inhibits something called gonadotropin-releasing hormone which is a hormone that's released from your hypothalamus, also roughly above the roof of your mouth in your brain. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone is really interesting because it stimulates the release of another hormone called luteinizing hormone, which, in females, causes estrogen to be released within the ovaries, it's involved in reproductive cycles, and in males, stimulates testosterone from the Sertoli cells of the testes. Melatonin is inhibitory to GnRH, Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone, and therefore, is inhibitory to LH, Luteinizing Hormone, and therefore, is inhibitory to testosterone and estrogen. Just no two ways about it.