Herbs & Supplements

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Uses

All proteins, including body tissues, are made from 20 different amino acids. Humans can produce only about half of the amino acids that are needed by various functions within the body. The others, called essential amino acids, come from food or supplements. One of the essential amino acids is methionine, which breaks down in the liver to produce SAM-e.

Neurotransmitters are chemicals that carry messages from nerve cells to other cells. Low levels of the neurotransmitters, dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin are associated with depression. SAM-e is known to raise levels of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain, and it may also accelerate the production, uptake, and re-release of serotonin. Although possible additional antidepressant actions of SAM-e have not been confirmed, results of some studies suggest that SAM-e may increase the sensitivity of receptors that react to these neurotransmitters or improve the ability of neurotransmitters to attach to active receptors. All of these effects are thought to help relieve depression.

SAM-e may also be useful in treating other conditions of the brain and spinal cord, which are known as the central nervous system (CNS). It has been studied for treating dementia--a progressive failure in thought processes caused by brain damage or disease. Alzheimer's disease is a leading cause of dementia. Frequently, dementia is associated with low levels of SAM-e in the brain and spinal cord and the fluid surrounding them. SAM-e deficiencies have also been identified in individuals who have nerve damage from HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, or spinal cord degeneration. Recent study results show that SAM-e may help to relieve the symptoms of adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Additionally, it may relieve symptoms of fibromyalgia, a condition that causes generalized pain in the muscles and joints. SAM-e is being studied for treating all these CNS conditions, but more research is needed to verify its effectiveness for them.

SAM-e is also used widely to treat arthritis. It accumulates in synovial fluid, the thick gel that lubricates and cushions the joints. Chemicals resulting from the body's breakdown of SAM-e are known to relieve pain and fight inflammation, which is one of the body's reactions to irritation, injury, or infection. Inflammation involves pain, redness, and swelling in the area of the damage and it can occur within body structures, such as joints, as well as on the surface of the skin. Additionally, SAM-e may not only prevent the erosion of cartilage by blocking destructive enzymes, it may even stimulate new cartilage to grow.

Individuals with liver conditions--including cirrhosis--often have low levels of methionine in their blood. Furthermore, the ability to convert methionine into SAM-e declines in individuals with liver diseases because the damaged liver cannot produce adequate amounts of the enzymes needed to break down methionine. As a result, the levels of antioxidants that also depend on SAM-e decrease. Antioxidants are thought to protect body cells from damage caused by a chemical process called oxidation. Oxidation produces oxygen free radicals, natural chemicals that may suppress immune function and cause tissue damage.

Glutathione, one of the antioxidants derived from SAM-e, inactivates potentially toxic chemicals such as alcohol, thereby helping to protect the liver from injury. In animal studies, the lack of SAM-e hampered liver cell growth and repair. SAM-e may also help to relieve a condition known as intrahepatic cholestasis, which may be associated with pregnancy, some forms of hepatitis, and other short-term or long-term liver diseases. Intrahepatic cholestasis involves the inability to release bile normally from the liver. Bile builds up and results in symptoms such as intense itching and a yellow-colored skin. In at least two small studies, women who were given SAM-e to control intrahepatic cholestasis in the last third of their pregnancies achieved relief from symptoms while showing no apparent side effects.

SAM-e has been studied for use in a number of other conditions that may be related to methionine or SAM-e deficiencies. For example, many people living with AIDS have low levels of both methionine and SAM-e. Supplemental SAM-e may delay or prevent the spinal cord deterioration (myelopathy) that often accompanies infection with HIV. In addition, SAM-e may help to relieve the depression associated with AIDS. Other studies have found that methionine/SAM-e deficiency during pregnancy may be a factor in abnormal formation of the CNS in developing infants. The resulting "neural tube defects" may lead to extremely serious birth defects such as spina bifida (incomplete closure of the spinal column) or anencephaly (the absence of brain parts). SAM-e supplementation may help to reverse poisoning from. Separate studies in animals show that SAM-e may be an antidote for chronic exposure to low doses of arsenic, lead poisoning, and potentially fatal liver damage that may follow overdoses of acetaminophen (Tylenol). All these possible uses of SAM-e appear promising, but they need further study before SAM-e can be recommended for any of them.