The Scoop on SAM - e

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The Scoop on SAM - e.

Issue: June, 2001

The dietary supplement SAM-e is gaining popularity as a

treatment for depression and arthritis. The following

information, from the March 2001 issue of Nutrition Action

Healthletter, will help you answer your clients' questions

about this over the-counter supplement.

S-adenosylmethionine, more commonly known as SAM-e

(pronounced " sammy " ), is found in every cell of our bodies.

Healthy people produce all the SAM-e they need from the

amino acid methionine, found in protein. While there is no

proof that taking extra SAM-e either benefits or harms

healthy users, preliminary evidence suggests that SAM-e

supplements may help people suffering from depression and

arthritis.

To determine if SAM-e is an effective treatment for

depression, researchers pooled the results of 13 studies to

create two bigger studies. The first compared SAM-e with

placebos; the second weighed SAM-e against antidepressant

drugs. The results of these studies suggest that SAM-e is

more effective than a placebo and about as effective as

antidepressants (with fewer side effects) in treating

depression.

However, these findings have their limitations. Nine of the

13 studies lasted only three weeks or less. In eight trials,

SAM-e was delivered by injection or intravenous drip,

whereas most users (all in the United States) take the

supplement in tablet form. Furthermore, in three of the five

studies in which tablets were used, participants received

1,600 milligrams (mg) a day, four times the amount commonly

recommended.

In regard to the benefits of SAM-e for arthritis patients,

at least six studies since 1985 have tested SAM-e pills in

about 300 people with osteoarthritis. In five of these

studies, SAM-e was found to be about as effective as

anti-inflammatory drugs and more helpful than a placebo.

Again, four of the successful studies-performed in

Italy-used 1,200 mg of SAM-e a day, three times the

recommended quantity. The one U.S. study showed mixed

results.

Here's the bottom line when it comes to SAM-e:

* While evidence suggests that high doses of SAM-e

(1,200--1,600 mg a day) may relieve symptoms of depression

and arthritis, research has yet to show that lower doses are

as effective.

* Side effects-usually mild stomach upset or nausea-appear

to be infrequent. Researchers don't have safety data on

long-term use, but the supplement has been used as a

prescription drug in Europe for about 20 years without major

adverse effects.

* SAM-e supplements are expensive, costing as much as $20 a

day.

* Your chances of buying a high-quality product are only

fifty-fifty because almost half the brands available deliver

less SAM-e than their labels promise. In fact, three out of

23 brands rested contained no SAM-e at all!