"Melatonin, menstruation, and the moon"

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, Feb-March, 2005 by Sari Cohen

16. Weed, Susun S. Menopausal Years. Ash Tree Publishing. Woodstock, NY: 1992. 39.

17. Ibid. 18.

18. See www.moonsurfing.com, www.menstruation.com, and www.mom.com

19. Criss TB, Marcum JP. "A lunar effect on fertility." Soc Biol. 1981 Spring-Summer; 28(1-2):75-80.

20. Dewan EM, Menkin MF, Rock J. "Effect of photic stimulation on the human menstrual cycle." Photochem Photobiol. 1978 May;27(5):581-5.

21. Friedmann, E. "Menstrual and lunar cycles." Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1981 Jun 1;140(3):350.

Cutler, W. "Lunar and menstrual phase locking." Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1980 Aug 1;137(7):834-9.

22. Ito, M. Kohsaka, M. Honma, K. Fukuda, N. Honma, S. Katsuno, Y. Kawai, I. Honma, H. Morita, N. Miyamoto, T. et al. "Changes in biological rhythm and sleep structure during the menstrual cycle in healthy women." Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi 1995;97(3):155-64.

23. Weideger, Paula. Menstruation and Menopause: the Physiology and the Psychology, the Myth and the Fieality. New York: Alfred Knopf, 1975. 124. Chapter 5 discusses the problems inherent in analyzing the data of sexual frequency as it relates to the menstrual cycle due to widespread taboos regarding sex during menstruation.

24. Reinberg, A. Touitou, Y. Soudant, E. Bernard, D. Bazin, R. Mechkouri, M. "Oral contraceptives alter circadian rhythm parameters of cortisol, melatonin, blood pressure, heart rate, skin blood flow, transepidermal water loss, and skin amino acids of healthy young women." Chronobiol Int. 1996 Aug 13(3):199-211.

25. Miyauchi, F. Nanjo, K. Otsuka, K. "[Effects of night shift on plasma concentrations of melatonin, LH, FSH and prolactin, and menstrual irregularity]." Sangyo Igaku 1992 Nov:34(6):545-50.

26. Stevens, R. Rea, M. "Light in the built environment: potential role of circadian disruption in endocrine disruption and breast cancer." Cancer Causes Control. 2001. Apr;12(3):279-87.

27. Glickman, G. Levin, R. Brainard, G. "Ocular input for human melatonin regulation: relevance to breast cancer." Neuroendocrinol Lett. 2002 Jul;23 Suppl 2:17-22.

28. Schernhammer, E. Schulmeister, K. "Melatonin and cancer risk: does light at night compromise physiologic cancer protection by lowering serum melatonin levels?" Br J Cancer. 2004 Mar 8;90(5):941-3.

by Sari Cohen

4th-year Naturopathic Medical Student--Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine