Melatonin Cupcake - A Tip for Those Going to the USA.

In addition to sugar, eggs, and chocolate, the cupcake contains something more: a substance produced by the pharmaceutical industry. It contains high doses of melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone.

With our fast-paced lives, traffic, work, and problems, stress is one of the main causes of insomnia. In the United States and Brazil, it has reached epidemic proportions. One in three adults has trouble sleeping.

When night falls, the pressure of the entire day transforms the moment of rest into a nightmare for those who cannot sleep. Hours pass, city lights illuminate the early morning, and sleep does not come. Ten million Americans use sleeping medications. For these individuals, the country's industry has created a surprising product, made of chocolate and filled with the sleep hormone. They are called 'lazy cupcakes,' very similar to traditional American brownies.

In addition to sugar, eggs, and chocolate, they contain something more: a substance produced by the pharmaceutical industry. The packaging features an innocent little figure, looking very relaxed.

The cupcake contains high doses of melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone. The sale of synthetic melatonin is permitted by the FDA, the American agency that authorizes the commercialization of food and medicines. It is possible to buy melatonin capsules at any pharmacy in the United States.

Melatonin cupcakes can be found in various stores and are mainly sold online. A box of 12 costs the equivalent of R$ 42.

Alec Varipapa is a store owner in North Carolina. He explains that he decided to sell the cupcakes after trying them. He says he always suffered from insomnia and states that he has now found a solution to his problem: “I tried sleeping pills, antidepressants, and had serious side effects. With the cupcake, I felt relaxed, slept, and didn’t feel anything strange the next day.”

The concentration of melatonin varies among brownie brands. The synthetic hormone is also present in energy drinks, such as a juice. The advertisement promises a mood revolution: a formula of herbs and nutrients that promotes total relaxation. However, the advertisement does not state that the juice contains melatonin.

Student Marco Otero saw the energy drinks, but preferred to try the cupcakes. “I’m curious about all these kinds of things, especially if it’s legal. It altered my perception of time. Everything became slower,” he declares.

Not everyone has the same reaction. Writer Sarah Righ has a food blog. She decided to eat a cupcake and write an article about the product. “I didn’t feel any effect, and it also upset my stomach,” she says.

David Seres is a nutritionist at Columbia University. For him, the manufacturer is trying to associate the sensations caused by the cupcake with the effects of marijuana. Could it be a gimmick to sell more? According to the specialist, the cupcake and marijuana have nothing in common. The packaging warns, in tiny letters, that the cupcakes should not be mixed with alcohol nor consumed by children.

In Brazil, the National Health Surveillance Agency does not permit the use and sale of melatonin. And specialists warn of the risks of using this hormone in food.

This content is part of Clínica Revitalize's commitment to translating science into accessible clinical practice — without losing rigor or depth.