What is SAM-e and How does
it work?
Also
known as: SAM-e, S-adenosylmethionine, SAMe was first discovered in
1953 by a researcher named Cantoni. It is formed in the body from
methionine and adenosine triphosphate in a reaction catalyzed by
methionine adenosyltransferase. SAMe functions as a primary methyl group
donor in a variety of reactions in the body. After donating a methyl
group, SAMe is converted to S-adenosyl-homocysteine.
The
supplement SAMe is a synthetic form of a compound formed naturally in
the body from the essential amino acid methionine and adenosine
triphosphate (ATP), the energy-producing compound found in all cells in
the body. SAMe is believed to work by being a methyl group donor in many
reactions in the body. After donating the methyl group, it is converted
to a compound called S-adenosyl-homocysteine.
Why Do People Use SAMe
Depression
How,
exactly, might taking extra SAMe improve a person's mood? Researchers
have identified several possibilities. Normal brain function involves
the passage of chemical messengers between cells. SAMe may enhance the
impact of mood-boosting messengers such as serotonin and dopamineï¾—either
by regulating their breakdown or by speeding production of the receptor
molecules they latch on to. SAMe may also make existing receptors more
responsive. These molecules float in the outer membranes of brain cells
like swimmers treading water in a pool. If the membranes get thick and
glutinous, due to age or other assaults, the receptors lose their
ability to move and change in response to chemical signals. By
methylating fats called phospholipids, SAMe keeps the membranes fluid
and the receptors mobile.
Whatever
the mechanism, there is little question that SAMe can help fight
depression. Since the 1970s, researchers have published 40 clinical
studies involving roughly 1,400 patients. And though the studies are
small by FDA standards, the findings are remarkably consistent. In 1994
Dr. Giorgio Bressa, a psychiatrist at the University Cattolica Sacro
Cuore in Rome, pooled results from a dozen controlled trials and found
that "the efficacy of SAMe in treating depressive syndromes... is
superior [to] that of placebo and comparable to that of standard...
antidepressants."
This
isn't the first natural substance to show promise as a mood booster.
Small studies suggest that St. John's wort can ease low-grade
melancholy, but SAMe has been tested against far more serious disorders.
In one of several small U.S. studies, researchers at the University of
California, Irvine, gave 17 severely depressed patients a four-week
course of SAMe (1,600 mg daily) or desipramine, a well-established
antidepressant. The SAMe recipients enjoyed a slightly higher response
rate (62 percent) than the folks on desipramine (50 percent).
Osteoarthritis
There
have been a number of studies on the effectiveness of SAMe in the
treatment of osteoarthritis. SAMe appears to diminish osteoarthritis
pain as effectively as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication. It
appears to be well-tolerated.
In
dozens of European trials involving thousands of patients, it has
performed as well as traditional treatments for arthritis and major
depression. Research suggests it can also ease normally intractable
liver conditions. SAMe doesn't seem to cause adverse effects, even at
high doses. And doctors have prescribed it successfully for two decades
in the 14 countries where it has been approved as a drug.
If
the world needs a better antidepressant, it could also use a better
arthritis remedy. Nearly a third of the 40 million Americans with
chronic joint pain use drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen. In
arthritis-strength doses, these so-called NSAIDs, or nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs, can have devastating gastric side effects. Some
103,000 Americans are hospitalized annually for NSAID- induced ulcers,
and 16,500 die. Even when NSAIDs don't destroy the digestive tract, they
may ultimately worsen people's joint problems, for they slow the
production of collagen and proteoglycans, the tissues that make
cartilage an effective shock absorber.
Could
SAMe provide an alternative? In a dozen clinical trials involving more
than 22,000 patients, researchers have found SAMe as effective as
pharmaceutical treatments for pain and inflammation. But unlike the
NSAIDs, SAMe shows no sign of damaging the digestive tract. And instead
of speeding the breakdown of cartilage, SAMe may help restore it. You'll
recall that after giving up its methyl group, SAMe becomes
homocysteine, which can be broken down to form glutathione (the
antioxidant) or remethylated to form methionine (the precursor to SAMe).
As luck would have it, the reactions that produce glutathione also
yield molecules called sulfate groups, which help generate those
joint-sparing proteoglycans.
What
does this mean for patients? The Arthritis Foundation, a mainstream
advocacy group, recently said its medical experts were satisfied that
SAMe "provides pain relief" but not that it "contributes to joint
health." The evidence that SAMe can repair cartilage is admittedly
preliminary, but it's intriguing. When German researchers gave 21
patients either SAMe or a placebo for three months, using MRI scans to
monitor the cartilage in their hands, the SAMe recipients showed
measurable improvements.
Liver disease
Some
evidence suggests that SAMe may help people with liver disease.
Preliminary research suggests it may help to normalize liver enzyme
levels and help with cholestasis (blockage of the bile ducts). SAMe may
have other benefits as well. SAMe has also been found to prevent or
reverse liver damage caused by certain drugs.
Other Uses for SAMe
SAMe
is also used for psychiatric illnesses, infertility, premenstrual
disorders and musculoskeletal disorders, among others. Some evidence is
available for the use of SAMe for intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy
although additional study is needed in this area. Anti-inflammatory and
analgesic (pain relieving) activity has also been attributed to SAMe.Sources:
National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicines (NCCAM)
National Institute of Health (NIH)
CDC; Medline Plus; Wikipedia
Please Note!:
The
above statements are solely for the purpose of providing extra
information about this product and in no way should be considered as
medical advice.
You
should not decide to consume this supplement based solely on what you
have read here and customers who fail to seek counsel from appropriate
health professionals assume risk of any potential ill effects.
These
statements or this product have not been evaluated by The Food And
Drug Administration (FDA) and are NOT intended to analyze, diagnose,
heal, cure, treat or prevent any disease.
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