SAMe

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This basic life-supporting nutrient enables cells to grow and repair themselves and offers relief for many conditions, including arthritis, depression, liver problems, fibromyalgia and precursors to heart disease. November 2000 GreatLife 29

WHEN WE HEAR THE TERM "Multitasking," it usually has something to do with computers - their ability to perform more than one task at a time. But today's lifestyle calls for each of us to multitask our way through every day, juggling things both at work and at home, to keep up with ongoing demands. So it seems fortunate that there is a nutrient that truly multitasks to help us Stay healthy arid enjoy more of our frenzied lives. SAMe has been used as a prescription drug in Europe for years. In fact, many people choose it over Prozac in Italy. The nutrient has been studied by researchers for more than 25 years for ailments as diverse as headaches and infertility, and it works faster than St. John's wort. This multitasking molecule may bring comfort to millions.

S-adenosylmethionine - SAMe - is formed by the union of the amino acid methionine and ATP, the body's cellular energy supply. SAMe (pronounced "Sammy") has a hand in more than 40 vital biochemical processes. It's required to manufacture sulfur-containing compounds, such as the antioxidant glutathione and some cartilage components. SAMe helps produce neurotransmitters in the brain and even regulates our genes. It does all this through a process called methylation.

The Marvels of Methylation
SAMe donates a four-atom limb, called a methyl group, to a molecule in need, and that molecule goes on to do its work, such as preserving cell membranes or helping to enhance your mood This methylation process occurs about a billion times a second throughout the body. So widespread and far-reaching are its effects that Craig Cooney, Ph.D., author of Methyl Magic, (Andrews McMeel, 1999), says, "Without methylation there would be no life at all." There are other methyl donors, but SAMe is the most effective one.

SAMe donates its methyl groups to DNA, protein and phospholipids. DNA methylation allows our genes to get to work, regulating cell growth and repair, healing wounds, creating immune cells and more. Researchers speculate that under-methylation of DNA is a factor in cancer, because the body doesn't then have enough of the raw materials it needs to repair damaged cells before they become cancerous. The methylation of protein is crucial for cellular growth and repair. If the process becomes sluggish, vital organ systems, such as the heart and brain, can deteriorate. In the brain, this sluggishness can cause depression, but supplementing with SAMe can increase levels of neurotransmitters and the number of receptors for these chemical messengers. SAMe helps phospholipids, fat-like substances that make up cell membranes, retain their flexibility. It also increases production of phosphatidylserine, a phospholipid involved with mood and memory. Continue Article

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One of methylation's byproducts is homocysteine. Our bodies can use B vitamins to turn homocysteine into methionine, which then can make more SAMe. If we lack sufficient B vitamins, however, homocysteine can go unchecked, with potentially disastrous results. Excess homocysteine causes thickening of blood vessel walls and actually speeds up the aging of blood vessels. It also promotes blood clotting. These are the precursors of athero- and arteriosclerosis, coronary artery disease and strokes. Understandably, people deficient in B vitamins can have lowered SAMe production.

Low levels of SAMe are also commonly found in the elderly and people suffering from depression, neurological problems including Alzheimer's, coronary disease, arthritis and some liver disorders. Smoking, drinking excess alcohol, eating too few antioxidants and using birth control pills impair the methylation process. Just as an under-methylated body can suffer health problems, an optimally methylated body will fight off illness.

Decreasing Depression
Though researchers still only speculate on precisely how this nutrient eases depression, 39 clinical studies have demonstrated its effectiveness and safety. For example, one study at the University of California at Irvine pitted SAMe against a well-established antidepressant, desipramine. At the end of four weeks, 62% of the people who took SAMe improved significantly, while only 50% of those who took desipramine experienced comparable results. And a review of research shows that SAMe is just as effective as a class of antidepressants called tricyclics but with fewer and milder side effects. Psychiatrist Richard Brown and neuropharmacologist Teodoro Bottiglieri, authors of Stop Depression Nozu (Putnam, 1999), say that though SAMe can hold its own among even the strongest prescription drugs, it works gently in the body. One of the nation's leading psychiatric institutions plans to conduct the largest U.S. clinical trial of SAMe ever, testing the effect of a daily dose of 400 mg of SAMe on depression. Results are expected next year.

Easing Arthritis
SAMe reduces inflammation, the culprit of arthritis's painful, swollen joints. It works as well as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to decrease swelling and stiffness, relieving pain within the first few weeks of use without side effects. While NSAIDs may interfere with the healing process, SAMe has shown it can help rebuild cartilage. In a German study, 14 patients with finger osteoarthritis took SAMe, and seven took a placebo for three months. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans were performed before and after the study. The SAMe group enjoyed a significant increase of cartilage signal intensity, indicating structural improvement. In another German study, 108 patients suffering from arthritis of the knee, hip and spine took 600 mg of SAMe daily for the first two weeks, then 400 mg daily for two years. The improvements were noted after the first few weeks and continued for the remainder of the study, with 85°% of participants rating SAMe as "very good" or "good." As an added bonus, it lessened the depression often accompanying chronic arthritis.

Supporting the Liver
Of the approximately 8 gm of SAMe made daily by a healthy body, over half is synthesized in the liver to produce lipotropic compounds, which help process fats and eliminate toxins. SAMe assists healthy bile flow, which is necessary for proper digestion; helps the liver transform or activate vitamins; and enables production of glutatluone, a powerful antioxidant that detoxifies the liver. People with liver disease have abnormally low levels of the substance, but supplements help the liver to manufacture more, restoring damaged livers and possibly even reversing cirrhosis.

Fighting Fibromyalgia
A puzzling disease whose symptoms include muscle aches, fatigue, tenderness of certain body parts and depression, fibromyalgia responds to SAMe. In a study in Denmark, where 44 fibromyalgia patients received either a placebo or 800 mg of SAMe daily for six weeks, SAMe produced improvement in pain, fatigue, morning stiffness and mood. In a smaller Italian study, 17 participants took SAMe or a placebo for three weeks, took two weeks off with no medication, and then switched places. In both instances, the group taking SAMe showed significant improvement.

Why SAMe? 
In addition to all those benefits, small, preliminary studies suggest that SAMe may also provide relief for male infertility, migraines and memory loss. Not surprisingly, U.S. SAMe sales totaled about $100 million last year, despite its hefty price tag: At 400 mg per day, a month's supply of SAMe costs anywhere from $60 to more than $100. Why not look for economy? St. John's wort, for example, is also clinically proven to improve depression and costs only about $18 per month. The difference? St. John's wort, however beneficial, is not native to your body, but SAMe is. And while the herb may improve depression, it can't address the underlying biochemical deficiency as SAMe does. Also, SAMe works faster, often in the first week of use, while St. John's wort may take four to six weeks. We could all probably name supplements that battle arthritis, heart disease or even fibromyalgia - but we would be hard-pressed to name one besides SAMe that benefits all of these conditions and more.
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