Pistachios Are a Natural Source of Melatonin. How Well Does it Work?

A surprising discovery is that several plants and herbs are natural sources of melatonin, a hormone that, in humans, is produced in the pineal gland. One of those natural sources in pistachio. How well does it work for sleep?

Melatonin is an important supplement for sleep. Pistachios are a rich source of plant-derived melatonin. This new study set out to see how well a pistachio derived melatonin supplement is absorbed and how well it promotes sleep compared to a synthetic melatonin supplement. The dose of each was 1mg of melatonin.

The surprising study found that the pistachio derived melatonin was absorbed just as well as the synthetic supplement.

And it worked just as well too. There was no significant difference for any of the sleep features measured. The pistachio derived melatonin significantly improved how fast people fell asleep, total sleep time, sleep quality, and feeling rested upon awakening.

This study adds a new natural way of increasing melatonin and improving sleep.

Food and Nutrition Sciences. October 10, 2025;16(10):1427-1439.

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