What Is S-Adenosyl Methionine / SAM-e?
S-Adenosyl Methionine (SAM-e or SAMe; pronounced "sammy") is an amino acid. SAM-e was discovered in 1952 in Italy, where it is manufactured. Until recently, it was exceedingly expensive to produce, and therefore unavailable to the public, although it is fairly well studied. It is manufactured in the brain from another amino acid, methionine. SAM-e is the most active methyl-donor in your body, meaning it donates methyl groups to other chemical compounds in your body including neurotransmitters, changing them into other compounds. SAM-e is then "recycled" through an ongoing re-methylation process - more on this below.
SAM-e Improves Mood Fast!
The brain of a healthy person manufactures all the S-Adenosyl Methionine it needs from methionine, but S-Adenosyl Methionine production is impaired in people who are depressed.1 Supplementation with SAM-e increases levels of serotonin, dopamine and phosphatides, and improves serotonin and dopamine receptor site binding.2 Interestingly, treatment with antidepressant drugs that results in improved mood (as determined by a 50% improvement in the Hamilton Depression Inventory) usually also results in increased levels of SAM-e, regardless of the drug used.3
Perhaps the most striking aspect of supplementation with SAM-e, is its rapid onset of action. SAM-e has fewer side effects and has a more rapid onset of action than tricyclics.1
SAM-e and Arthritis
Here is what we know:
SAM-e plays an important role in cartilage formation and repair.
In in-vitro studies, SAM-e has been shown to increase the blood levels of proteoglycans - the starting point of cartilage formation.4
SAM-e has been shown in a number of studies to bring arthritis pain relief comparable to that of the oft-prescribed NSAID's, naproxin and piroxicam - without their side effects.5,6
In a study performed in 1990 at the Instituto de Docencia e Investigaciones Biologicas, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, arthritis was induced in the right knee of 24 rabbits. The rabbits were divided into 3 groups and treated intramuscularly with 30, 60 or 0 (diluent only) mg of SAM-e. After 12 weeks the knees were examined and it was found that the greater the amount of SAM-e given to the rabbit, the greater the concentration of proteoglycans was found in the cartilage.8 (Proteoglycans serve as attachment points for glucosaminoglycans--for more on glucosaminoglycans, see our glucosamine page.)
And of course, most importantly, people report significant relief from supplementation with SAM-e.
Recent Research and Updates on SAMe
In a recent metastudy of the effects of SAMe on depression, arthritis, and liver disease conducted by Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, SAMe was found to work effectively for all three conditions.9 For depression, SAMe was shown to be as good as standard antidepressant therapy; for liver disease, SAMe improved intrahepatic cholestasis (cholesterol deposits in the liver, including intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy) and reduced serum bilirubin levels, itching associated with intrahepatic cholestasis and jaundice; and for osteoarthritis, SAMe was shown as effective at relieving joint pain as NSAIDs. In the studies on liver disease, researchers felt that a larger sample was needed to determine accurately the benefits of the SAMe, and that overall more studies were need to determine optimum doses for each of the disease conditions, but that SAMe research is clearly worth pursuing.9
Important Precautionary Information About SAM-e
Interestingly, SAM-e breaks down into the potentially harmful homocysteine, which has recently made press as a substance strongly correlated with heart disease if it is left to build up within your cells. The good news is that SAM-e, which is so good for you does NOT have to turn into a toxic build-up of homocysteine. With the proper complement of B-complex vitamins (especially B-6, B-12 and folic acid, which are all methyl-donors), homocysteine is re-methylated into good old methionine (used to produce S-Adenosyl Methionine) or convert to the antioxidant glutathione (also good).
IMPORTANT: If you plan on taking SAM-e, you would be well advised to supplement with B vitamins also. This will ensure good results and prevent homocysteine build-up. One last item of note: B-complex deficiencies - by themselves - are often enough to cause low mood, giving you one more reason to supplement your B's. And, folic acid deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency in the world! Supplement with a B-complex, and you avoid all of these possible problems.
How important is all of this? Wouldn't it be terrible to address one health problem only by introducing a different problem? We feel that it is so important to complement SAM-e supplementation with B-complex that we refuse to sell SAM-e without giving you the B-complex, too! Whether or not you take the B-complex is ultimately up to you, but we are including it for free with your order of SAM-e, to help insure good results.
Why Buy Our SAM-e?
This is the original SAM-e, S-Adenosyl-Methionine tosylate disulfate, as developed in Italy and patented in the US. The manufacturing of this product is extremely difficult; it must be produced in a dry environment and transported packed in dry ice. It is then stabilized and double-enteric coated. This coating ensures that it is absorbed through the small intestine, since SAM-e is destroyed in the stomach. Our SAM-e is guaranteed 96.3% pure S-Adenosyl-Methionine tosylate disulfate (some flow agents must be added in the manufacturing process), produced under dry conditions and properly transported as described above.
As discussed above, you should not use SAM-e without also taking a B-complex. Our SAM-e price includes a complete B-complex. If you are considering buying SAM-e elsewhere, be sure to figure this added cost into your price comparison!
It is a good idea to store the SAM-e you purchase in the refrigerator to prolong its shelf-life and reduce oxidation.
Possible Side Effects with SAM-e
Oral supplementation of SAM-e can cause nausea and vomiting in some people, so it is recommended that supplementation be graduated. Start with one 200mg tablet per day. That may be enough. After a couple days, increase to 200mg twice a day, and if needed, you can increase to 400mg twice a day on the 5th or 6th day. Only increase to 400mg three times a day after about 2 weeks, and finally, 400mg four times a day after about 3 weeks. People suffering from bipolar disorder should not take SAM-e, as its rapid antidepressant effects can lead to manic episodes! Also, see the precautionary note above regarding homocysteine.
Important note
Do not attempt to self-diagnose depression! Depression is a serious illness that can have organic sources. Consult your physician before taking any medicine.
