Previously I discussed the use of the trio, magnesium, zinc and melatonin as a useful sleep aid in the following link :
healthunlocked.com/cure-par...
More recently I have been testing Apigenin as a potential sleep aid and am finding it quite useful for that purpose and especially when combined with melatonin or other sleep aids. Their effects seem different, but complimentary toward each other. Apigenin is derived from many different fruits and plants.
Many people who have found melatonin useful for sleep have often reported that one shortcoming of melatonin is that oral melatonin is essentially done in about 5 hours and have consequently reported often awakening after about 4 to 5 hours of sleep.
What I found with Apigenin is it seems to extend that 5 hour sleep time associated with melatonin use, which is quite useful, imo. I have found that as little as 50 mg of Apigenin can help me sleep, but 100 mg of Apigenin is more consistent for sleep, in my case and the dose I generally use for sleep, whereas I sometimes use 50 mg during my waking hours.. I generally try to take it about an hour before I intend to go to sleep. I have not noted any addictive or other negative qualities with Apigenin use. Apigenin is typically sold in 50 mg or 100 mg capsules. Buying directly from Swanson Vitamins seems to be the least expensive option as they often discount it significantly compared to Amazon which doesn't seem to discount Swanson brand as much.
Warning
In studies it has been shown that Apigenin can synergize with aspirin to have anticoagulating effects in the blood. For this reason, if you are using any type of blood thinner, you should get your doctor's approval before testing Apigenin for sleep or any other purpose such as anxiety or Nf kappa b blocking effects.
Apigenin has shown other beneficial health effects in studies and Parkinson's disease might just be one of those that may benefit from Apigenin use as discussed here :
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articl...
Here is a relevant quote from the link :
' This study represents the first demonstration that APi (APIGENIN), as the main bioactive ingredient of Lingxiaohua, may block the NF-κB pathway via triggering the PI3K/AKT pathway, effectively blocking inflammation-mediated damage to MES23.5 dopaminergic neurons. Results from cellular experiments also confirm the reliability of network pharmacology. '
Another major issue involved in PD is ANXIETY which can tend to worsen PD symptoms including tremor. Again, Apigenin is thought to have anti anxiety effects as discussed here in this new research (October 2024) :
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/393...
Here is a relevant quote from the research paper :
' Our results showed that SI stress caused an increase in anxiety and a decrease in spatial memory, sociability, and social preference index. In addition, SI stress increased hippocampal levels of IL-6 and malondialdehyde (MDA) content, whereas it reduced the hippocampal BDNF level and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities. Our study indicated that Api attenuates anxiety and causes improvements in spatial memory and social interaction. These desirable effects of Api might be related to amelioration in the BDNF level, IL-6, and oxidative stress biomarkers in the hippocampus. '
In terms of sleep improvement, I would easily rate Apigenin in my top two or top three over the counter sleep aids including medical marijuana. It is a gentle non overpowering effect that Apigenin offers and it is now a regular supplement in my sleep armamentarium that I keep on hand. When combined with the melatonin, zinc and magnesium described in the first link, the synergy of the four becomes even more apparent. The anti inflammatory and antioxidant effects are useful also. There are many more potential health effects that Apigenin has been suggested to have in other studies, but I only highlighted a few that are relevant to this forum.
To get a better idea of the effect that Apigenin offers for sleep, read some of these over 1600 reviews which are very clear and straightforward :
amazon.com/Swanson-Apigenin...
Like most sleep aids, no one product seems to work for everyone, but based on the above reviews, Apigenin clearly works for the majority of users as it does for me.
I will be experimenting more with Apigenin and if I find other useful information I will mention it as a reply to this post.
Sweet Dreams!
Art