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SAMe:S-Adenosyl Methionine A Typical Experience...
(excerpt from Newsweek, July 5, 1999: What Is SAMe by Geoffrey Cowley and Anne Underwood) “She was making lunch for herself and a friend one Saturday this spring when an unfamiliar feeling swept over her. The 50-year-old social worker had fallen deep into depression two years earlier, and had given up on prescription antidepressants when the first one she tried left her sluggish, sexually dormant and numb to her own emotions. Then, in mid-March, she heard about a naturally occurring substance called SAMe (pronounced "Sammy"). She had been taking it for just a few days when she began setting the table that Saturday morning. A ginger-miso sauce was chilling in the fridge, and she was garnishing her finest plates with fresh anemones. Suddenly, there it was: a sense of undiluted pleasure.” “This woman (who asked not to be named) has taken SAMe ever since, and her mood isn't the only thing that has changed. Until this spring she took prescription-strength anti-inflammatories for her arthritis, and still had trouble bending her knees. She's now off those drugs—and feeling more nimble than she has in 20 years.” What is SAMe SAMe is an amino acid discovered in 1952 in Italy. It is found in every living cell and is involved in over 40 different biochemical reactions. SAMe has been used in European medicine since 1975, but it has been very expensive to produce and has only become available in America as of 1999. It is synthesized in your body from the amino acid Methionine and ATP. The reaction is catalyzed by the enzyme methionine S-adenosyltransferase (MAT). As we get older, SAMe levels tend to drop. By the time we reach adulthood, we make only one seventh the amount of SAMe we did as children. A source of organic sulfur SAMe is a precursor for the sulfur-bearing amino acids cysteine and taurine, as well as the tripeptide glutathione. SAMe is first transformed into S-adenosylhomocysteine, which is then converted into cysteine and taurine. Every cell in the body contains sulfur compounds. The end products of the transsulphuration pathway provide important free radical scavengers and structural elements for every cell in the body. Restoring Liver Function SAMe promotes bile flow to improve digestion, absorption and elimination. SAMe protects the liver from damage by estrogen and drugs, and can even help to reverse damage that has already occured. Studies suggest it can help normalize liver function in patients with cirrhosis, hepatitis and cholestasis, a blockage of the bile ducts. SAMe is a precursor for production of gluthathione, an important antioxidant that becomes depleted in liver dysfunction, whether caused by toxicity or infection. Glutathione is important in detoxification of alcohol, drugs, pesticides and other toxins. Glutathione helps to make toxins water soluble, preparing them for excretion via the kidneys. Glutathione also prevents damage caused by inflammation throughout the body. In the eye, glutathione protects against cataracts. Reversing Atherosclerosis with the best methyl donor "SAMe works as a medication to treat certain diseases,"says Paul Frankel, a biostatistician at the City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California. "But for most people the problem is undermethylation of homocysteine." S-Adenosyl Methionine is the most active methyl-donor in your body, meaning it donates methyl groups to other chemical compounds more readily than B6, B12, folic acid, DMG and even TMG. S-Adenosyl Methionine is then "recycled" through a re-methylation process. Methyl donor deficiency is the most common type of vitamin deficiency in our culture, contributing strongly to our national way of death through cardiovascular disease, and as we shall see, cancer. Preventing Cancer SAMe is involved in the synthesis of spermine, spermidine, and putrescine which are essential for cell growth and differentiation. Cancer is characterized by abnormal growth and a lack of differentiation of the affected cells. When the body has extra methyl groups available, they are stored as an armor-like coating on the DNA of every cell. This protects the DNA against damage by free radicals, since electrons will first be stolen from the methyl armor before any damage to the DNA can take place. Methylation helps regulate gene expression as well as a myriad of other functions, such as hormone activity, neurotransmitter development and tissue repair... Joint Relief 40 million Americans suffer chronic joint pain. More than half of them have a degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis, which is the second leading cause of disability after heart disease. In osteoarthritis, the joint cartilage is damaged or worn, a condition affecting more women than men, and nearly everyone over the age of 75. Symptoms of osteoarthritis are: • Stiffness and swelling in one or more joints • Deep, aching pain in a joint (including the spine) • Any pain associated with movement of a joint • Tenderness, warmth or redness in afflicted joints • Fever, weight loss, or fatigue that accompanies joint pain One out of three people with joint pain use commonly prescribed NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like aspirin and ibuprofen, with side effects that include bleeding ulcers (Cryer B, Feldman, M: Effects of very low dose, daily long-term aspirin therapy on gastric, duodenal, and rectal prostaglandin levels and on mucosal injury in healthy humans. Gastroenterology 117[1]: 17-25, July 1999) and induced deficiency of Vitamin C, an important nutrient in connective tissue repair (Adderly B, De Angelis L: The Arthritis Cure Cookbook. Washington, DC: LifeLine Press, 1998). These dangerous drugs now result in 103,000 Americans being hospitalized every year with ulcers. That’s nearly 1% per year for a drug that many people may take for 40 or 50 years. What is worse, 16,500 of these people (16%) die. Ironically, NSAIDs can ultimately worsen joint problems, since they block production of collagen and proteoglycans, the very substances needed to repair joint tissue, while speeding up the breakdown of cartilage in the joint (Newman NM, Long RSM: Acetabular bone destruction related to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The Lancet ii:11-13, 1985). During early research on SAMe’s mood elevating effects, subjects reported improvement in their osteoarthritis. Since then, a dozen clinical trials involving more than 22,000 patients have found SAMe as effective as drugs, such as ibuprofen, naproxen and piroxicam, for relieving pain and inflammation (Am J Med 83[5A]:60-65, Nov 1987). Clinical improvements have been shown to be more sustained with SAMe than with piroxicam and a double-blind multi-center study found better tolerance and fewer side effects with SAMe than naproxen. Even the Arthritis Foundation’s medical experts are satisfied that SAMe "provides pain relief." Unlike NSAIDs, however, SAMe does not injure the digestive tract. Animal research shows that SAMe protects the stomach lining. And instead of contributing to the breakdown of the cartilage, SAMe helps restore it. When SAMe is used up and recylcled to form glutathione, sulfate groups are released, providing building blocks for the body to make proteoglycans for joint repair. In-vitro studies confirm that SAM-e increases blood levels of proteoglycans, the initial step in cartilage regeneration. In Germany, placebo controlled research using MRI has shown measurable improvements in cartilage, which does not normally heal. SAMe increases the number of chondrocytes, the cells that make cartilage. The result is increased comfort, health and mobility. Fibromyalgia Studies on fibromyalgia have shown improvements in trigger point pain, morning stiffness, fatigue and mood. A six week study involving 47 fibromyalgia patients found significant relief at painful sites and improved general well-being as well as reduced depression and anxiety, all with no adverse side effects (Tavoni A, Jeracitano G, Cirigliano G: Evaluation of S-adenosyl-methionine in secondary fibromyalgia: a double-blind study. Clinical & Experimental Rheumatology 16[1]:106-107, Jan/Feb 1998). Mood Elevation Depression is the second most common psychiatric disorder in America, after anxiety. It affects 17 million people each year in this country alone. The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic Manual of Mental Disorders lists the following symptoms of serious clinical depression: • Poor appetite and significant weight loss, or increased appetite and significant weight gain • Insomnia, or increased sleep • Agitation, or sluggishness in movement and thought • Loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities, or decrease in sexual drive • Fatigue and loss of energy • Feelings of worthlessness, self reproach, or excessive or inappropriate guilt • Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness • Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts. Diagnosis of clinical depression depends on showing at least four of these symptoms nearly every day for 2 weeks or more. 25% of women and 12% of men are diagnosed with serious depression at some point in time. It is interesting that men tend to produce more SAMe than women. The brain of a healthy person manufactures all the S-Adenosyl Methionine (SAMe) it needs from methionine, but production is impaired in people who are depressed as well as those with Alzheimer’s. Antidepressant drugs that elevate mood, as measured by 50% increase on the Hamilton Depression Inventory, usually increase levels of SAMe. Although drugs do raise SAMe levels, treating depression with drugs is a dangerous business. Tricyclic antidepressants and MAO inhibitors can be deadly in overdose, or in combination with other medications. The side effects of Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil include headaches, diarrhea, agitation, sleeplessness and sexual dysfunction. For many, SAMe offers hope for a better, more direct solution. SAMe’s antidepressant effects have been the subject of 40 clinical trials since the ‘70’s with about 1,400 subjects. For example, in post-menopausal women, there was found to be “a significantly greater improvement in depressive symptoms in the group treated with SAMe compared to the placebo group...” (Psychother Psychosom 59[1]:34-40, 1993) A meta-analysis by Dr. Giorgio Bressa, psychiatrist at the University Cattolica Sacro Cuore in Rome, found "the efficacy of SAMe in treating depressive syndromes... is superior [to] that of placebo and comparable to that of standard... antidepressants." (Acta Neurol Scand Suppl 154:7-14, 1994) Columbia University psychiatrist Richard Brown, coauthor of "Stop Depression Now," has treated hundreds of patients with SAMe and says "It's the best antidepressant I've ever prescribed... I've seen only benefits." SAMe reduces symptoms in 60 to 70 percent of depressed patients. A key difference, though, is that SAMe works much faster than drugs. “Patients could see significant changes by day 4, 7 and 10. It took the tricyclics two to six weeks to catch up,” he says. Controlled research with 15 patients with major depression at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center showed that “...oral SAMe is a safe, effective antidepressant with few side effects and a rapid onset of action” (Am J Psychiatry 147[5]:591-595, May 1990). In research at the University of California, Irvine, 17 severely depressed patients took either the antidepressant desipramine or 1,600 mg/day of SAMe for four weeks. 62 percent of those taking SAMe responded compared to only 50 percent on desipramine. Researchers conclude that “...SAMe may play an important role in regulating mood” (Acta Neurol Scand Suppl 154:15-18, 1994). Research also shows that SAMe helps some antidepressant drugs to work more effectively. SAMe is necessary for manufacturing phospholipid neurotransmitters including phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylserine (PS), which affects both mood and memory. Studies show SAMe increases levels of serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine and phosphatidylserine. SAMe improves binding of neurotransmitters seratonin and dopamine to receptor sites, enhancing cell to cell biocommunication in the brain. SAMe's influence on phospholipid metabolism may be the principle explanation for its mood elevating effects. SAMe enhances cellular detoxification. By methylating phospholipids in the cell membrane, SAMe increases the fluidity of cell membranes. SAMe helps release old neurotransmitters and improves binding of receptor sites to fresh neurotransmitters by allowing the receptor proteins to float more freely in the cell membrane. Dr. Brown summarizes, “By and large, SAMe is faster, better and has hardly any side effects” compared to prescription anti-depressants, he says. “In fact, it does a lot of good things in the body.” Dementia SAMe levels are also reduced in dementia. Preliminary studies show that SAMe may improve cognitive function when supplemented in cases of dementia (Drugs 48[2]:137-152, Aug 1994). Summary As summarized in Newsweek, “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.” Dosage Start with one 200mg tablet per day on an empty stomach. After 2 days, try 200mg twice a day. 400 mg a day is the typical dosage in studies on arthritis. If needed, increase to 400mg twice a day on the 6th day. 800 mg a day is typically adequate to optimize liver function. Only increase to 400mg three times a day after about 2 weeks, and finally, 400mg four times a day after about 3 weeks. Studies on depression have used up to 1600 mg/day. Smaller persons or people prone to stomach upset should slowly increase to find the most effective level. SAMe can decrease appetite, and rarely may cause slight stomach irritation. SAMe is not recommended in bipolar disorder, commonly known as manic depression. There are no contraindications and no known adverse interactions with any prescription medications reported in the scientific literature. Taking B Vitamin complexes, such as Star Gold and Stamina Plus will provide additional methyl donors such as B6, B12, folic acid, DMG and TMG to recylce SAMe for maximum benefits. This is the original patented tosylate form of SAM-e, as developed in Italy and researched worldwide.* After it is produced naturally by yeast cells, SAMe must be transported packed in dry ice and enteric coated to ensure absorption through the small intestine, since SAM-e would be destroyed in the stomach. Among SAMe’s many functions and potential benefits: • Alzheimer’s • antioxidant • atherosclerosis • cancer • cardiovascular disease • chronic fatigue syndrome • chronic liver disease • chronic pain • cirrhosis • dementia • depression (mild to severe) • detoxification • drug-induced liver damage • elevate mood • fibromyalgia • hepatitis • homocysteine reduction • methyl donor • migraines • neurotransmitter synthesis • osteoarthritis • Parkinson's disease • protect DNA • relieve joint pain • rheumatoid arthritis • sulfur source * Note: Pharmaceutical-grade SAMe comes in two forms, the original one called tosylate and a newer form called butanedisulfonate. Nature Made and GNC sell the new butanedisulfonate version.
Clinical Trial Supports Efficacy of our SAMe for OA of the Knee We take an active
role in assuring the public that dietary supplements are safe and
effective when used as recommended. We support clinical research
of the efficacy of dietary supplements and we are confident that
science will continue to prove the safety and effectiveness of natural
dietary supplements as viable alternatives to synthetic prescription
medications and their side effects. |
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