Replying to @pumpdotscience: "Bless the maker and his water. Turns out mitochondria produce water as a byproduct when they make ATP. Melatonin is the antioxidant that mitochondria make to protect themselves as they do this dangerous work."
This wasn't just a Dune shitpost — though it was also that. Mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation generates reactive oxygen species as inevitable exhaust. Melatonin is synthesized inside mitochondria at concentrations far exceeding plasma levels, where it directly scavenges radicals and stabilizes membrane lipids.
When you're on night shift under fluorescent ALAN (artificial light at night), you suppress pineal melatonin AND deprive your cells of optimal signaling for their own endogenous production rhythms. You're running the power plant hot without the native fire suppression system.
Dr. Reiter's entire career is basically this tweet with citations. Watch the banger → · Longevity hub →
@MelatoninEra