Re: SAM-e story form MSNBC

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" Spiro, Dave " wrote:

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> " A habit of labor in the people, is as essential to the health and vigor of

> their minds and bodies, as it is conducive to the welfare of the state. " -

> Hamilton

> SAM-e: the wonder supplement?

>

> By Bazell NBC NEWS CORRESPONDENT

>

> Feb. 7 - Some say SAM-e, the latest fad in dietary

> supplements, can treat an amazing variety of health problems - a claim that

> has led to its use by more than 140,000 people, mostly women, nationwide.

> But others argue that the evidence for its effectiveness is lacking.

>

>

> <<...>> " This drug is supposed to

> cure depression, sexual dysfunction, liver disease, diabetes, nerve trouble

> and arthritis, " said Dr. Packman, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist

> at the University of Washington in St. Louis. Debbie Hutcherson says SAM-e

> changed her life. She used to take prescription medicines to treat severe

> depression until a friend turned her on to SAM-e. " I truthfully have to say

> it saved my life ... I'm a totally different person today than I was a year

> ago, " she said. But the manufacturers are careful about what they claim,

> saying the supplement promotes joint health and emotional well being. SAM-e

> is actually a laboratory-produced version of a chemical found naturally in

> the body - part of the process for burning energy. It's expensive, costing

> $75 to $200 a month depending on the dose. <<...>> <<...>> But Packman

> has extensively reviewed the studies to date and says they don't prove much.

> " What I think is actually happening in the case of SAM-e is that we're

> really seeing a placebo response. I just find it hard to believe that that

> compound is doing all of these things, " he said. Indeed, experts say

> placebo - or imagined - responses to alternative remedies are common for

> depression and other ailments. Apart from whether SAM-e works, there are

> also questions on whether people who buy it may not be getting what they

> think - in fact, some of these capsules may contain no SAM-e at all. The

> laboratory for Good Housekeeping magazine analyzed samples of eight brands.

> Five contained more SAM-e than the label said, two had less and one had

> none. " We were not able to detect SAM-e. Now, the label claim on the product

> is 100 milligrams per tablet, " said Dr. Gerald Buonopane of the Good

> Housekeeping Institute. Bazell: " But there's nothing in the tablet according

> to your tests? " Buonopane: " That's - that's correct. " Of the three companies

> criticized in the Good Housekeeping test: <<...>> Food Science of Vermont

> says, " There was a discrepancy on the original label " and it has been

> " changed. " <<...>> Aspen Group will not comment until it completes its own

> testing. <<...>> And Nature's Vision says, " Our own SAM-e has been

> discontinued pending our lab analysis. " These types of questions about

> scientific proof and proper labeling are common complaints these days in the

> $14 billion a year dietary supplement industry.

>

>