Epithalon: Reversing the clock
- Gina Ditta-Donahue, FNP-C, ABAAHP
- Nov 16
- 2 min read
Epithalamin was first discovered in the early 1980's by Russian scientists as a peptide derived from the pineal gland of cattle. The earliest studies on mice and rats showed this peptide to play a role in regulating immune function as well as protecting against cancer and aging. Not only did these research animals live longer and age more slowly, they also had higher levels of melatonin and active thyroid hormones, decreased triglycerides and insulin, decreased spontaneous tumor development and improved learning capacity.
After 20 years of scientific research on Epithalamin, Epithalon was first synthesized in 2000. Epithalon is a chain of 4 amino acids and is a synthetic version of Epithalamin. In 2017 researchers were able to find evidence of Epithalon in the human pineal gland.
Epithalon works through a number of different pathways, one of which is by acting inside cells and stimulating telomerase activity. Telomeres are the ends of chromosomes which protect them damage, and when kept long they offer anti-aging benefits as well as inhibit the growth of tumors. Studies have shown that Epithalon reversed the spread of cancer in mice as well as decreased tumor size.
Epithalon is also found to have anti-oxidant benefits. By targeting oxidative stress and reducing it, Epithalon has the potential to offer improvement from degenerative disease processes such as muscle and joint pain, dementia and metabolic changes.
The pineal gland is responsible for producing melatonin, and as we age we produce smaller amount of melatonin. Lower melatonin levels have been associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Taking melatonin as a supplement does not always work well for people, and dosing is often in amounts much higher than what the body would naturally produce. Since Epithalon is a peptide made by the body, when given subcutaneously it regulates the sleep wake cycle naturally.
As an anti-inflammatory peptide, Epithalon has been shown to regulate certain inflammatory agents in the body such as cytokines (inflammatory proteins and C-reactive protein. Additionally, Epithalon seems to improve insulin sensitivity, decrease LDL and VLDL levels and increase HDL levels.
Epithalon has moved to the top of the list for many individuals seeking to heal their body's naturally through peptide therapy. It is often considered part of a "stack" of peptides and has been shown to have synergistic effects in combination with other peptides. For example, a Longevity stack may include GHK-Cu, Epithalon and MOTS-C to support telomere length, circadian rhythm, metabolic function, cellular stress response and energy regulation.
Exciting research continues to reveal the multiple impacts this peptide has on the human body.
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