SAMe for Arthritis Pain

[Guest guest]

Principal Uses

 

There are five principal conditions where SAMe is used:

 

Depression,

Bi-polar,

 

osteoarthritis,

Fibromyalgia,

 

liver disorders,

and migraine headaches.

 

Depression

SAMe is necessary in the manufacture of important brain compounds

such as neurotransmitters and phospholipids like phosphatidylcholine

and phosphatidylserine.

 

Supplementing the diet with SAMe in depressed patients results in

increased levels of serotonin, dopamine, and phosphatidylserine.

 

It improves binding of neurotransmitters to receptor sites, which

causes increased serotonin and dopamine activity and improved brain

cell membrane fluidity, all resulting in significant clinical

improvement.

 

The antidepressive effects of folic acid (Vitamin B6) are mild

compared to the effects noted in clinical trials using SAMe.

 

Based on results from a number of clinical studies,

it appears that SAMe is perhaps the most effective natural

antidepressant and mood stabilizer,(although a strong argument could

be made for the extract of St. John's Wort standardized to contain

0.3 percent hypericin) summarize

double-blind studies comparing SAMe to either a placebo or an

antidepressant drug.

 

Many of the studies cited used injectable SAMe. However, more recent

studies using a new oral preparation at a dosage of 400 milligrams

four times daily (1600 mg total) demonstrate that

SAM is just as effective orally as it is intravenously.

 

SAM is better tolerated and has a quicker onset of antidepressant

action than *tricyclic* antidepressants.

 

The most recent study compared SAMe to the tricyclic desipramine.

 

In addition to clinical response, the blood level of SAMe was

determined in both groups. At the end of the 4-week trial, 62

percent of the

patients treated with SAMe compared with 50 percent of the patients

treated with desipramine had significantly improved.

 

Regardless of the type of treatment, patients with a 50 percent

decrease in their Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D) score showed a

significant increase in plasma SAMe concentration.

 

These results suggests that one of the ways tricyclic drugs exert

antidepressive effects is by raising SAMe levels.

 

In addition to generalized depression, there are two conditions

associated with depression where SAMe produces significant effects:

the postpartum (after pregnancy) period and drug rehabilitation.

 

SAMe's benefits in these conditions probably stem from a combination

of its effects on brain chemistry and liver function.

 

In the study in postpartum depression (after-pregnancy " blues " ), the

administration of SAMe (1,600 milligrams per day) produced

significantly better mood scores than a placebo group.

 

As for the use of SAMe in drug detoxification, SAMe (1,200

milligrams daily) significantly reduced

psychological distress (chiefly anxiety and depression) in the

detoxification and rehabilitation of opiate abusers.

 

 

-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe)is an important *physiological* agent

formed in the body by combining the essential amino

acid methionine with adenosyl-triphosphate (ATP).

 

SAMe was discovered in Italy in 1952-- not surprisingly, most of the

research on SAMe has been conducted in the country of its discovery.

 

Food Sources

 

Because SAMe is manufactured from methionine,

you might think that dietary sources ofmethionine provide the same

benefits as SAMe.

 

However, high doses of methionine do not increase levels of SAMe,

nor do they provide the same pharmacological activity as SAMe.

 

Deficiency Signs and Symptoms

 

Normally the body manufactures all the SAMe it needs from the amino

acid methionine.

However, a deficiency of methionine, vitamin B12, or folic acid can

result in decreased SAMe synthesis.

 

In addition, tissue levels of SAM are typically

low in the elderly and in patients suffering from

*osteoarthritis*, depression,and various liver disorders.

 

Beneficial Effects

 

SAM is involved in over 40 biochemical reactions in the body.

 

It functions closely with folic acid and vitamin B12

in " methylation "

reactions--the process of adding a single carbon unit (a methyl

group) to another molecule.

 

SAM is many times more effective in transferring methyl groups than

other methyl donors. Methylation reactions are

critical in the manufacture of many body components--- especially

brain chemical --and in detoxification reactions.

 

SAM is also required in the manufacture of all sulfur-containing

compounds in the human body, including glutathione and various

sulfur-containing cartilage components. The beneficial effects of

SAMe supplementation is far-reaching because of its central role in

so many metabolic processes.

 

 

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

Dieta-

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Botanicals.html

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/AIM.html

 

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-Wisdom of the past,Food of the future-

" Health is not a Medical Issue "

[Guest guest]

, " JoAnn Guest "

<angelprincessjo> wrote:

> Principal Uses

>

> There are five principal conditions where SAMe is used:

>

 

That sounds good.

What is the cheapest source of high quality SAMe please?

 

thanks,

Holly

[Guest guest]

, " Holly "

<holly_1948> wrote:

> , " JoAnn Guest "

> <angelprincessjo> wrote:

> > Principal Uses

> > There are five principal conditions where SAMe is used:

> That sounds good.

> What is the cheapest source of high quality SAMe please?

> thanks, Holly

 

Holly, If you're looking for the most cost-effective way to treat

arthritis, In my opinion it would be better to look for an MSM

supplement. The sulphur in MSM works in much the same way as the

components in SAMe.

 

Excellent Quality MSM can be found on several internet sites quite

cheaply. In my opinion, these sites are among the best

for this:

 

www.evitamins.com

www.nowfoods.com

www.nutritionexpress.com

 

I am not endorsing these products, although I believe that they

offer a high quality

supplement.

 

 

Be sure and obtain a brand without additional glucosamine if

diabetes is one of your health concerns. SAMe is really quite

pricey, I will admit.

 

Regards, JoAnn