S-Adenosylmethionine and Mood
Because of its role in the making of neurotransmitters,
S-Adenosylmethionine has been tested in
the therapy of depression. A number of studies have been published, mostly in Europe,
evaluating this nutrient’s role in mood disorders. Back in 1994, Dr. Bressa, from the
University Cattolica Sacro Cuore School of Medicine, in Rome, Italy conducted a
meta-analysis of the studies on
S-Adenosylmethionine. A meta-analysis is a statistical pooling of already
published research papers. Dr. Bressa concludes, "The efficacy of
S-Adenosylmethionine in treating
depressive syndromes and disorders is superior to that of placebo and comparable to that
of standard tricyclic antidepressants. Since
S-Adenosylmethionine is a naturally occurring compound, it is a potentially important treatment for depression."
S-Adenosylmethionine studies in the US
The influence of
S-Adenosylmethionine on depression has also been tested in the United States.
Back in 1994, researchers at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center, did a
double-blind randomized trial involving a total of twenty-six patients. They compared oral
S-Adenosylmethionine with oral desipramine (a pharmaceutical antidepressant). At the end of the four-week
trial, 62 percent of the patients treated with
SAMe and 50 percent of the patients
treated with desipramine had significantly improved.
S-Adenosylmethionine and depression due to
menopause
S-Adenosylmethionine has even been tested in depressed postmenopausal women. Researchers from
the University of La Sapienza in Rome, Italy gave
SAM-e for thirty days to eighty women
between the ages of 45 and 59 with depression following either natural menopause or
hysterectomy. There was a significantly greater improvement in depressive symptoms in the
group treated with
S-Adenosylmethionine compared to the placebo group. Side effects were mild and
transient.
S-Adenosylmethionine
supplements
A major drawback to the use of
S-Adenosylmethionine is cost. The retail price of SAM-e is
a little less than a dollar per 200 mg pill. The suggested dose of
S-Adenosylmethionine in the therapy of depression
ranges from 100 to 400 mg a day, although many individuals do well with even
less than 100 mg. Since the lowest dose over the counter is 200 mg, one could
bite off half or a portion of a tablet.
Many nutrients work is a similar fashion to
S-Adenosylmethionine,
particularly other methyl donors such as DMAE, TMG, DMG.
In fact, B12 and folate help the body produce
S-Adenosylmethionine. Therefore, your dosage of SAM-e
should be reduced if you are taking other methyl donors. In some people, the
right dose of
S-Adenosylmethionine can improve feelings of
happiness.
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