Many unsubstantiated claims are made about the pineal gland. It is an area of the brain that generates much interest among different religious, spiritual, esoteric and occultist groups. Despite this, there is no scientific evidence to support any of the esoteric claims made about the pineal gland, bar its well-known role in dictating circadian rhythms, via the secretion of the beneficial neurohormone melatonin. This includes its potential link to DMT, as speculated by Dr Rick Strassman from his research on the substance; however evidence for such a link in humans is currently lacking. Given its location at the base of the brain, it makes its study in live humans obviously very difficult and problematic indeed.

Melatonin is important for health. Many of us are melatonin depleted, due to the effects of artificial lighting and using phones, computers of tablets too close to bed time (the white LED light from these is particularly detrimental for melatonin production). Melatonin doesn’t just regulate our wake-sleep cycles…it has been found to act as a powerful antioxidant and cellular DNA protector, and in this fashion may act as an endogenous anti-cancer compound. It has also been linked to neurogenesis in the hippocampus of the brain, and both melatonin levels (perhaps due to pineal calcification) and rates of neurogenesis tend to decline as we age. People don’t really consider lighting as a potentially damaging pollutant, but it certainly has the potential to be at certain times. People should cease using all computers, phones and other technology a few hours before retiring. Candle light is a very soothing light which does not impact melatonin production, so well suited for the evening.

This is an area where there are a lot of smoky claims made, so I thought it would be interesting to have a look at what the science done to date is suggesting, and I thought this may be interest to others too as this does have potential health implications.

It seems that pineal glands are calcified in a large proportion of the population, and that this increases with age.[1]

"Out of the 500 patients evaluated, 176 had evidence of intracranial physiological calcification (35.2% prevalence)... The majority of calcifications appeared in the pineal/habenular region (80%), with some also appearing in the choroid plexus region bilaterally (12%)..."

It appears that the degree of pineal gland calcification (DOC) is linked to a decreased capacity of the pineal gland to produce melatonin and may lead to an associated decrease in functioning pinealocytes.[2]

"These results suggest that DOC might be useful as an indicator of an intra-individual, decreased capability of the pineal gland to produce melatonin."

Degree of pineal calcification is also linked to sleep disturbance, particularly of REM sleep.[3]

"DOC was negatively associated with REM sleep percentage, total sleep time, and sleep efficiency. ... DOC appears to be a superior indicator of melatonin deficit compared to the absolute amount of melatonin in the circulation."

Pineal calcification may be a risk factor for symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage.[4]

"There were 2140 CT scans of the brains during the study period. Of those, 1071 scans (50.05%) met the study criteria. Intracerebral hemorrhage and pineal calcification were found in 77 (7.2%) and 689 (64.3%) patients, respectively. Pineal calcification was a significant risk factor for intracerebral hemorrhage with an adjusted odds ratio of 2.36 (95% confidence interval of 1.22-4.54). Other significant factors were age>50 years, hypertension, and diabetes. ...Pineal calcification is associated with symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage."

Disruption of melatonin production has been linked with aging and Alzheimer's disease.[5]

"Reactivation of the circadian system (retina-SCN-pineal pathway) by means of light therapy and melatonin supplementation, to restore the circadian rhythm and to relieve the clinical circadian disturbances, has shown promising positive results."

As well as its role in regulating circadian rhythms and acting as a cellular DNA protector and antioxidant, melatonin also plays a key role in promoting and maintaining neurogenesis in the brain.[6],[7]

Pineal calcification (PC) may also play a role in the fatigue suffered by multiple sclerosis sufferers via the negative impact on melatonin production.[8]

"Furthermore, since the process of PC has been linked to past secretory activity of the gland, our findings add further support implicating the pineal gland and melatonin secretion in the pathogenesis of MS and provide an indirect evidence that the fatigue of MS is associated with alterations in pineal melatonin functions."

Pineal calcification has also been linked to a defective sense of direction.[9]

"This difference was highly significant (p less than 0.01). A smaller parallel study in pigeons showed that pineal calcification also leads to a reduction in homing abilities. The findings suggested that the pineal gland plays an important part in directional sense and that damage to the gland, as indicated by calcification, causes defective sense of direction - perhaps by altering the intrinsic intracranial electromagnetic environment and thus affecting the magnetite response mechanism."

Fluoride has also been implicated in accumulating in pineal gland tissue.[10],[11]

"The pineal gland is a mineralizing tissue. Its calcified concretions range from a few micrometres to several millimetres in diameter. ... It is generally agreed that the blood-brain barrier restricts the passage of fluoride into the central nervous system. The human pineal gland is outside the blood-brain barrier. It is one of a few unique regions in the brain (all midline structures bordering the third and fourth ventricles) where the blood-brain barrier is weak. Cells in these regions require direct and unimpeded contact with blood. Therefore, pinealocytes have free access to fluoride in the bloodstream. This fact, coupled with the presence of HA [hydroxyapatite], suggest that the pineal gland may sequester fluoride from the bloodstream. ... In conclusion, this study presented evidence that fluoride readily accumulates in the aged pineal."[11]

Fluoride’s actions on the pineal may also lead to an accelerated sexual maturation in females, with animal studies indicative of this, with some evidence to suggest that this may also apply to humans, in areas of fluoridated water. This is important as it may come with health consequences, such as a greater risk of breast cancer.[12],[13]

It is worth noting that other compounds such as pinoline may be made in the pineal (although the science isn't clear on this), and it is unknown what effect pineal calcification may have on secretion of other pineal metabolites. Pinoline, like melatonin, may play a role in maintaining and augmenting neurogenesis in the brain.[14] It is worth remembering that the pineal gland is more sensitive than other parts of the brain to mineralisation as it lies outside of the blood-brain barrier unlike the rest of the brain. It is worth remembering that just because a portion of the pineal gland may be calcified does not mean by extension that this part of the gland is rendered inactive.

Both meditation[15],[16] and yogic practices[17] have been implicated with increases in melatonin production, and exogenous melatonin can be obtained through diet[18] but as far as I'm aware there is no sound science yet to back up these pineal gland detox diets to decalcify the gland. So if people do desire to activate their pineal glands, meditation and yoga may be better approaches. I'm not saying these pineal detox diets aren't worth thinking about by any means, but important to distinguish between what is known and what is speculation.


References

1. Sedghizadeh, P.P., Nguyen, M. & Enciso, R. (2012) Intracranial physiological calcifications evaluated with cone beam CT. Dentomaxillofacial Radiology, 41, (, 675–678.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih....pmc/articles/PMC3528191/

2. Kunz, D., Schmitz, S., Mahlberg, R., Mohr, A., Stöter, C., Wolf, K.J. & Herrmann, W.M. (1999) A new concept for melatonin deficit: on pineal calcification and melatonin excretion. Neuropsychopharmacology, 21, (6), 765-772.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10633482

3. Mahlberg, R., Kienast, T., Hädel, S., Heidenreich, J.O., Schmitz, S. & Kunz, D. (2009) Degree of pineal calcification (DOC) is associated with polysomnographic sleep measures in primary insomnia patients. Sleep Medicine, 10, (4), 439-445.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18755628

4. Kitkhuandee, A., Sawanyawisuth, K., Johns J., Kanpittaya, J., Tuntapakul, S. & Johns N.P. (2014) Pineal calcification is a novel risk factor for symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage. Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery, 121, 51-54.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24793475

5. Wu, Y.H. & Swaab, D.F. (2005) The human pineal gland and melatonin in aging and Alzheimer's disease. Journal of Pineal Research, 38, (3), 145-152.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15725334

6. Sarlak, G., Jenwitheesuk, A., Chetsawang, B. & Govitrapong, P.(2013) Effects of melatonin on nervous system aging: neurogenesis and neurodegeneration. Journal of Pharmacological Sciences, 123, (1), 9-24.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23985544

7. Ramírez-Rodríguez, G., Klempin, F., Babu, H., Benítez-King, G. & Kempermann, G. (2009) Melatonin modulates cell survival of new neurons in the hippocampus of adult mice. Neuropsychopharmacology, 34, (9), 2180-2191.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19421166

8. Sandyk, R. & Awerbuch, G.I. (1994) Pineal Calcification and its Relationship to the Fatigue of Multiple Sclerosis. International Journal of Neuroscience, 74, 1-4, 95-103.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7928120

9. Bayliss, C.R., Bishop, N.L. & Fowler, R.C. (1985) Pineal gland calcification and defective sense of direction. British medical journal (Clinical research ed.), 291, (6511), 1758–1759.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih....pmc/articles/PMC1419179/

10. Luke, J.A. (1997) The effect of fluoride on the physiology of the pineal gland. PhD Thesis, University of Surrey.

http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/895/1/fulltext.pdf

11. Luke, J.A. (2001) Fluoride deposition in the aged human pineal gland. Caries Research, 35, (2), 125-128.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11275672

12. Schlesinger, E.R., Overton, D.E., Chase, H.C. & Cantwell, K.T. (1956) Newburgh-Kingston caries fluorine study. XIII. Pediatric findings after ten years. The Journal of the American Dental Association, 52, (3), 296-306.

13. Farkas, G., Fazekas, A. & Szekeres, E. (1983). The fluoride content of drinking water and menarcheal age. Acta Univ Szeged Acta Biol., 29, (1-4), 159-168.

14. de la Fuente Revenga, M., Pérez, C., Morales-Garcia, J.A., Alonso-Gil, S., Pérez-Castillo, A., Caignard, D.H., Yáñez, M., Gamo, A.M. & Rodriguez-Franco, M.I. (2015) Neurogenic Potential Assessment and Pharmacological Characterization of 6-Methoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-β-carboline (Pinoline) and Melatonin-Pinoline Hybrids. ACS Chemical Neuroscience, 6, (5), 800-810.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25815906

15. Tooley, A. Armstrong, S. M., Norman, T. R. & Sali, A. (2000) Acute increases in night-time plasma melatonin levels following a period of meditation. Biological Psychology, 53, (1), 69–78, 2000

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10876066

16. Solberg, E.E., Holen, A., Ekeberg, Ø., Østerud, B., Halvorsen, R. & Sandvik, L. (2004) The effects of long meditation on plasma melatonin and blood serotonin. Medical science monitor: international medical journal of experimental and clinical research, 10, (3), CR96-101.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14976457

17. Harinath, K., Malhotra, A.S., Pal, K., Prasad, R., Kumar, R., Kain, T.C., Rai, L. & Sawhney, R.C. (2004) Effects of Hatha yoga and Omkar meditation on cardiorespiratory performance, psychologic profile, and melatonin secretion. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 10, (2), 261-268.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15165407

18. Sae-Teaw, M., Johns, J., Johns, N.P. & Subongkot, S. (2012) Serum melatonin levels and antioxidant capacities after consumption of pineapple, orange, or banana by healthy male volunteers. Journal of Pineal Research, 55, (1), 58–64.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23137025

Thanks for digging into this Bancopuma, I was under the impression that pineal calcification was almost entirely speculative pseudoscience.

Those are some interesting facts to note, and which make me even more cautious of drinking fluoridated water.
I'll be looking into this a little more.

Hey dude, glad you found this useful, and yeah this is precisely I wanted to share this because I thought the same!! It seems like the New Age crowd had largely hijacked this topic so some people just consider it woo woo without looking into it any further.

As for fluoride, I think it is probably fine in toothpaste or mouthwash, but I don't think it should be or needs to be added to drinking water.

I will have to read this again, later, when I can fully concentrate on it.

I came across a YouTube video about 'decalcifying the pineal gland'. I did a bit a research into it, then I heard or read somewhere that the calcification actually acts as antennas. I think it was on a episode of Ancient Aliens, but I am not certain.

I am not sure what to think.

you should probably think that ancient aliens programme is absolute nonsence, amusing and entertaining, but absolute nonsense.

if you put any stock in the ancient aliens programme you should check out the "ancient aliens debunked" doc on youtube.

Please don't degrade bancos awesome thread with the show ancient aliens

Lies are often masks for infering the truth, not for delivering the truth itself but as analogy or likewise.

We all know Y2K never happened but it served as a great prophecy of warning that machines will become conscious in this millenium of 2000-3000, whether they will be a threat may or may not be located within the Y2K prophecy psuedo-nonsense itself

I take melatonin to help dream production and do not drink governemnt controled tap water because of the neurotoxins like mercury chlorine and heavy metals so I only use reverse osmosis + ionisation or rainwater. Too much melatonin or too often can ruin my sleep though.

Excessive supplemental melatonin use can desensitize melatonin receptors. A number of meditational and yogic practices have been found to increase melatonin levels, and I think these, done before bed, may be a more beneficial way of boosting melatonin while yielding other benefits alongside.

Do you have any references for where I can learn moar about this? I recall looking into this at one point,but I wasn't able to come up with much. The receptor down regulation bit that is, I'm familiar with the research on meditation/yoga increasing melatonin levels.

This is the paper reference, but I can't access the full paper, just the abstract.

Guardiola-Lemaitre, B. (1997) Toxicology of Melatonin. Journal of Biological Rhythms, 12, (6), 697-706.

http://jbr.sagepub.com/content/12/6/697

I'm wondering if there any pharmacological exceptions to this rule? I'm curious to know if the are cases of excessive use of any pharmacological compounds that don't result in down-regulation of their respective receptors.

Interesting link to Multiple Sclerosis.

I hope you are all not drinking tap water, just found this from an old thread:

https://www.dmt-nexus.me....aspx?g=posts&t=1182

Hey pitubo, thanks a lot for sharing those papers. Regarding that Paracelsus quote, the vast majority of the time that applies, and is the dictum that modern toxicology operates under. However given the levels of fluoride that have been found in pineal gland tissue, it can only be assumed to be a cumulative toxin. There really is insufficient data to know what such high levels of fluoride deposition could mean, but the animal studies are highly suggestive of suppressed melatonin production, which could have health implications, with many of us already being melatonin depleted. There has been absolutely no research at all on what effect it could be having on the production of other pineal metabolites. Given fluoride's cumulative nature, it kinda calls into question exactly what constitutes a "safe dose".

I think the question is not what is it doing, or even why is in our water; its who is putting it in our water? I would like to speak with them.

Oh, nevermind. I took it from the article so I wouldn't have an empty post

Regarding fluoride toxicity I want to mention the pink himalaya salt fad. Specifically relevant here is the high fluoride content of that salt. Here's some bits that I found on the net: http://www.poisonfluoride.com/pfpc/html/himalaya.html
Some himalaya fluoride fanboys claim that "natural fluoride is not the same as man made chemical fluoride" (in comic sans font no less): http://www.safesalt.com.au/naturalfluoride.html. Don't fall for the dodgy chemistry explanation.

Fluoride also has a use as fermentation inhibitor. Some breweries disinfect their equipment with it and at some stage of the process add it to the mash to stop the fermentation.

I've heard rumors that aluminium fluoride is added to the washing baths for prepackaged supermarket vegetables. Since it is then part of a treatment and not a proper ingredient, it doesn't have to be listed. I haven't found confirmation of that though.

Luckily it isn't being added to water where I am, but the whole "it helps teeth" idea is standing on really thin ice, and I'm amazed that dental associations are still bleating this as their mantra. The science is far from conclusive. Tooth decay rates did start to fall in the US when fluoridation schemes were introduced, but they were coming down at the same rate in other parts of the world such as Western Europe where there were no fluoridation schemes in place. 70% of the water in Australia is fluoridated, but a report found 50% tooth decay rates in children in 2013. When Iceland gave up water fluoridation, rates of tooth decay continued to drop. I think this is all pretty suggestive that improved knowledge of dental hygiene is responsible for reduced rates of tooth decay and not water fluoridation. The reputed benefit of fluoride comes from its interaction with the surface of tooth enamel, ingestion doesn't really serve a purpose. So drinking it in water is a very inefficient way of using it, and I'm really not sure how dental organisations get away with doing this when the scientific evidence ti support the practice is so flimsy and questionable.

Based on this research, I've made the decision to switch to a non-fluoride toothpaste. While evidence is still lacking, I think there is enough evidence from animal studies to at least suggest caution, and the past pineal gland research is highly suggestive that fluoride has a cumulative effect via bioaccumulation. It is very easily absorbed orally, inhaled via the lungs, through the skin and the mucus membranes of the mouth, and is very hard to remove from your water if it's in there. Bear in mind that fluoride is found in varying concentrations in many different foods, you cannot eliminate exposure to it and I don't think there is any need to worry, but I see no harm in limiting one's exposure.

Interestingly, recent research has indicated that melatonin in saliva is an endogenous teeth protecting agent[1][2], and in the past pineal gland research, it is hypothesised that fluoride may interfere with the enzymatic formation of melatonin. There are large amounts of fluoride in toothpastes, and aside from absorption through the mucosal membranes of the mouth, another common toothpaste ingredient sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) is a detergent used as a foaming agent that can damage the mucosal membranes of the mouth[3] (linked to a range of negative health effects on its own) and this may increase absorption further. In fact it has made me think a little harder about what I use in terms of personal hygiene products.

It is important to choose a good fluoride free toothpaste, I'm using a Comvita brand that contains both xylitol and propolis which have both been demonstrated to have tooth and gum protecting qualities (fluoride is solely for enamel hardening and lacks these qualities)[4][5][6]. My teeth and gums actually seem happier, and this might sound like a crazy claim, and it definitely could be a week long placebo effect, but I seem to feel clearer headed and my sleep has improved. Take this with a pinch of salt of course but I'm happy having made the switch and don't feel I'm missing out.


References

1. Antonio Cutando, A., Pablo Galindo, P., Gerardo Gómez-Moreno, G., Carlos Arana, C., Jorge Bolaños, J., Acuña-Castroviejo, D. & Wang‖, H.-L. (2006) Relationship Between Salivary Melatonin and Severity of Periodontal Disease. Journal of Periodontology, 77, (9), 1533-1538.

http://www.joponline.org.../10.1902/jop.2006.050287

2. Reiter, R.J., Rosales-Corral, S.A., Liu, X. Y., D. Acuna-Castroviejo, D. G. Escames, G. & Tan, D.-X. (2015) Melatonin in the oral cavity: physiological and pathological implications. Journal of Periodontal Research, 50, (1), 9-17.

http://onlinelibrary.wil....1111/jre.12176/abstract

3. Healy, C.M., Cruchley, A.T., Thornhill, M.H. & Williams, D.M. (2000) The effect of sodium lauryl sulphate, triclosan and zinc on the permeability of normal oral mucosa. Oral Diseases, 6, 2, 118–123.

http://onlinelibrary.wil....2000.tb00112.x/abstract

4. Maguire, A. & Rugg-Gunn, A.J. (2003) Xylitol and caries prevention — is it a magic bullet? British Dental Journal, 194 (, 429–436.

http://www.nature.com/bd...194/n8/abs/4810022a.html

5. Victorino, F. R., Franco, S. L., Svidzinki, T. I. E., Avila-Campos, M. J., Cuman, R. K. N., Hidalgo, M. M. & Bersani-Amado, C. A. (2007) Pharmacological evaluation of Propolis solutions for endodontic use. Pharmaceutical Biology, 45, (9), 721-727.

http://www.researchgate....tions_for_Endodontic_Use

6. Więckiewicz, W., Miernik, M., Więckiewicz, M. & Morawiec, T. (2013) Does Propolis Help to Maintain Oral Health? Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Article ID 351062.

http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2013/351062/

Interesting study looking at the calcite microcrystals in the human pineal gland I missed before that may be of interest. Interesting to note that the researcher's think there may be a biological role for the calcite crystals in the pineal gland tissue, a role which remains unclear.

Baconnier, S., Lang, S.B., Polomska, M., Hilczer, B., Berkovic, G. & Meshulam, G. (2002)
Calcite microcrystals in the pineal gland of the human brain: first physical and chemical studies. Bioelectromagnetics, 23, (7), 488-495.

Abstract

A new form of biomineralization has been studied in the pineal gland of the human brain. It consists of small crystals that are less than 20 microm in length and that are completely distinct from the often observed mulberry-type hydroxyapatite concretions. A special procedure was developed for isolation of the crystals from the organic matter in the pineal gland. Cubic, hexagonal, and cylindrical morphologies have been identified using scanning electron microscopy. The crystal edges were sharp whereas their surfaces were very rough. Energy dispersive spectroscopy showed that the crystals contained only the elements calcium, carbon, and oxygen. Selected area electron diffraction and near infrared Raman spectroscopy established that the crystals were calcite. With the exception of the otoconia structure of the inner ear, this is the only known nonpathological occurrence of calcite in the human body. The calcite microcrystals are probably responsible for the previously observed second harmonic generation in pineal tissue sections. The complex texture structure of the microcrystals may lead to crystallographic symmetry breaking and possible piezoelectricity, as is the case with otoconia. It is believed that the presence of two different crystalline compounds in the pineal gland is biologically significant, suggesting two entirely different mechanisms of formation and biological functions. Studies directed toward the elucidation of the formation and functions, and possible nonthermal interaction with external electromagnetic fields are currently in progress.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12224052

Thanks for posting this info, Bancopuma. It's good to see fluoride coming under more and more scrutiny from reputable sources.

One of the problems with Water fluoridation that seems to be a double-edged sword (besides violating informed consent of dosing us with a potentially dangerous and cumulative drug) is that 1. it's not listed in the variety of food and beverage sources which may contain fluoridated tap water, therefore 2. the dosage is uncontrolled.

http://fluoridealert.org...es/water/medical-ethics/

Add to this the possibility that you're getting fluoride from other sources as well such as dental products, pesticides, fluorinated pharmaceuticals, teflon cookware, industrial workplace exposure, as well as natural sources like tea, produce, and mechanically deboned meat. http://fluoridealert.org/issues/sources/

Maybe we can however, get some help from our friend, good 'ol curcumin:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih....pmc/articles/PMC3969660/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpora_arenacea

corpora arenacea

I've been looking into corpora arenacea for a some time now, and find it fascinating...

You can actually see the calcified structures in the pineal gland and other areas of the brain on x-Ray images (picture attached)

-eg