S Adenosyl Methionine - NutraPedia

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S-Adenosyl Methionine (SAMe)

1) Conditions Studied

S-Adenosyl Methionine has been studied for a variety of conditions, including:

  • Depression
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Liver disease
  • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
  • Alzheimer's disease

2) Efficacy in Treating Conditions

The effectiveness of SAMe in treating these conditions varies:

  • In depression, some studies suggest it may be as effective as certain prescription medications.
  • For osteoarthritis, evidence indicates potential reduction in pain and improved joint function.
  • Its role in improving fibromyalgia symptoms is not clear, with mixed results from studies.
  • It may have protective effects on the liver, particularly in cases of cirrhosis or liver damage due to medications.
  • There is limited evidence for its use in ADHD and Alzheimer's disease, necessitating more research.

3) Health Benefits

S-Adenosyl Methionine is associated with several health benefits, including:

  • Enhancement of mood and neurological functions
  • Potential anti-inflammatory effects
  • Support for liver health
  • Promotion of cartilage formation and repair in joints
  • Possible detoxification properties

4) Downsides

While SAMe is generally considered safe when taken as directed, it may have downsides, including:

  • Gastrointestinal upset, such as nausea or diarrhea
  • Potential for triggering mania in individuals with bipolar disorder
  • Rare cases of allergic reactions
  • Interactions with antidepressants and other medications
  • It can be costly and may require a long duration of use to see benefits

5) Genetic Variations

The impact of SAMe may be influenced by genetic variations, such as:

  • Individuals with polymorphisms in genes related to methylation, such as MTHFR, may experience different effects from SAMe supplementation due to altered methylation pathways.
  • However, there is limited research on specific genetic variations that would make SAMe particularly beneficial or harmful. Personal genetic testing and consultation with a healthcare professional is recommended for tailored advice.

Effects and Implications of S-Adenosyl Methionine (SAMe)

S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe) is a naturally occurring compound that serves as a methyl group donor in various biochemical processes. Research has shown that SAMe can have several health benefits, particularly as an antidepressant, in liver health, and in treating osteoarthritis.

Antidepressant Properties

  • SAMe has been observed to act as an effective antidepressant, with studies showing it to have a quick onset of action and minimal side effects.
  • It may serve as an alternative treatment for patients who do not respond well to conventional antidepressants.
  • Research indicates that SAMe can also cross the blood-brain barrier, effectively increasing levels within the cerebrospinal fluid.
  • In cases of major depressive disorder (MDD), SAMe has shown preliminary positive evidence for its use in treatment.

Liver Health

  • SAMe has protective effects on the liver, particularly in cases of cholestasis of pregnancy and alcoholic liver diseases.
  • It may improve the efficacy of standard therapy for chronic hepatitis C by enhancing interferon signaling.

Osteoarthritis

  • Meta-analyses have compared SAMe to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), indicating that it may have similar pain-relieving effects with fewer side effects.
  • Its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties make SAMe a potential treatment for symptoms of osteoarthritis.

Additional Findings

  • SAMe might improve symptoms of primary fibromyalgia, including pain and clinical disease activity.
  • It has been found that SAMe can influence androgen-regulated enzyme expression in rodents, highlighting its role in polyamine biosynthesis.
  • Dietary supplementation with SAMe could potentially mitigate risk factors for Alzheimer's disease.
  • Elevated plasma homocysteine, which SAMe metabolizes, is a known risk factor for vascular diseases, and SAMe supplementation does not significantly increase this risk.

While SAMe shows promise in various therapeutic areas, further research is needed to confirm its efficacy and determine optimal dosing strategies.

References:


  1. Oral S-adenosylmethionine in depression: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
  2. Comparison of androgen regulation of ornithine decarboxylase and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase gene expression in rodent kidney and accessory sex organs
  3. Nutrition and depression: focus on folate
  4. Nicotinamide homeostasis: a xenobiotic pathway that is key to development and degenerative diseases
  5. [Meta-analysis of the efficacy of adenosylmethionine and oxaceprol in the treatment of osteoarthritis]
  6. Cerebrospinal fluid S-adenosylmethionine in depression and dementia: effects of treatment with parenteral and oral S-adenosylmethionine
  7. S-adenosyl methionine (SAMe) versus escitalopram and placebo in major depression RCT: efficacy and effects of histamine and carnitine as moderators of response
  8. S-Adenosylmethionine and betaine correct hepatitis C virus induced inhibition of interferon signaling in vitro
  9. Oral S-adenosylmethionine in primary fibromyalgia. Double-blind clinical evaluation
  10. S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAMe) as antidepressant: meta-analysis of clinical studies
  11. Upregulation of protein phosphatase 2Ac by hepatitis C virus modulates NS3 helicase activity through inhibition of protein arginine methyltransferase 1
  12. Discrepancy in response and remission rates for SAMe-treated patients in a double-blind, randomized clinical trial
  13. Folate, vitamin B12, and homocysteine in major depressive disorder
  14. Double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study of intravenous S-adenosyl-L-methionine in patients with fibromyalgia
  15. Visualizing central effects of S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe), a natural molecule with antidepressant properties, by pharmaco-EEG mapping
  16. Rapidity of onset of the antidepressant effect of parenteral S-adenosyl-L-methionine
  17. A randomised controlled trial of ursodeoxycholic acid and S-adenosyl-l-methionine in the treatment of gestational cholestasis
  18. S-adenosyl-L-methionine: effects on brain bioenergetic status and transverse relaxation time in healthy subjects
  19. Transgenic mice overexpressing ornithine and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylases maintain a physiological polyamine homoeostasis in their tissues
  20. S-adenosylmethionine versus ursodeoxycholic acid in the treatment of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy: preliminary results of a controlled trial
  21. Comparative clinical trial of S-adenosylmethionine versus nabumetone for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis: an 8-week, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, Phase IV study in Korean patients
  22. High affinity S-Adenosylmethionine plasma membrane transporter of Leishmania is a member of the folate biopterin transporter (FBT) family
  23. Homocysteine, folate, methylation, and monoamine metabolism in depression
  24. Effect of S-adenosyl methionine on muscarinic receptors in young rats
  25. Evidence that S-adenosyl-L-methionine diastereoisomers may reduce ischaemia-reperfusion injury by interacting with purinoceptors in isolated rat liver
  26. Randomized prospective comparative study of ursodeoxycholic acid and S-adenosyl-L-methionine in the treatment of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy
  27. Italian double-blind multicenter study comparing S-adenosylmethionine, naproxen, and placebo in the treatment of degenerative joint disease
  28. S-adenosyl-L-methionine treatment for alcoholic liver disease: a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial
  29. Transmethylation in depression
  30. S-adenosyl methionine (SAMe) versus celecoxib for the treatment of osteoarthritis symptoms: a double-blind cross-over trial. [ISRCTN36233495]
  31. S-adenosylmethionine in the treatment of osteoarthritis. Review of the clinical studies
  32. S-adenosyl methionine: a natural therapeutic agent effective against multiple hallmarks and risk factors associated with Alzheimer's disease
  33. Hepatitis C virus inhibits interferon signaling through up-regulation of protein phosphatase 2A
  34. Plasma cysteine, cystine, and glutathione in cirrhosis
  35. Tissue-specific effects of testosterone on S-adenosylmethionine formation and utilization in the mouse
  36. Blood determinations of S-adenosylmethionine, S-adenosylhomocysteine, and homocysteine: correlations with diet
  37. Transport of S-adenosylmethionine in isolated rat liver mitochondria
  38. S-adenosyl-L-methionine decarboxylase activity in the rat epididymis: ontogeny and androgenic control
  39. S-Adenosyl-Methionine improves depression in patients with Parkinson's disease in an open-label clinical trial
  40. Evaluation of S-adenosylmethionine in primary fibromyalgia. A double-blind crossover study
  41. S-adenosylmethionine and catechol-O-methyl-transferase in schizophrenia
  42. Pharmacological treatment of fibromyalgia and other chronic musculoskeletal pain
  43. Determination of S-adenosylmethionine and S-adenosylhomocysteine in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid by stable-isotope dilution tandem mass spectrometry
  44. S-adenosyl-L-methionine in the treatment of patients with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study with negative results
  45. Blood levels of S-adenosylmethionine in unmedicated schizophrenic and depressive patients
  46. Influence of oral S-adenosylmethionine on plasma 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, S-adenosylhomocysteine, homocysteine and methionine in healthy humans
  47. Dietary supplement S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet) effects on plasma homocysteine levels in healthy human subjects: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial
  48. A randomised placebo-controlled trial of ursodeoxycholic acid and S-adenosylmethionine in the treatment of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy
  49. Bioavailability and lack of toxicity of S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe) in humans
  50. S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe) as an adjunct for resistant major depressive disorder: an open trial following partial or nonresponse to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or venlafaxine
  51. Steric Course of the Methyl Transfer from AdoMet to S-Farnesyl-3-thiopropionate by G-Protein Methyltransferase
  52. Glutathione in liver diseases and hepatotoxicity
  53. MAT kinetics in affective disorders and schizophrenia. An account
  54. Levodopa intake increases plasma levels of S-adenosylmethionine in treated patients with Parkinson disease
  55. S-adenosylmethionine and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate are associated with endothelial function after controlling for confounding by homocysteine: the Hoorn Study
  56. Improvement of aggressive behavior and quality of life impairment following S-adenosyl-methionine (SAM-e) augmentation in schizophrenia
  57. Methionine and protein metabolism in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis: evidence for lower rate of transmethylation of methionine
  58. Analysis of a functional catechol-O-methyltransferase gene polymorphism in schizophrenia: evidence for association with aggressive and antisocial behavior
  59. Effects of the transmethylation inhibitor S-adenosyl-homocysteine and of the methyl donor S-adenosyl-methionine on rat Leydig cell function in vitro
  60. Bioavailability of S-adenosyl methionine and impact on response in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in major depressive disorder
  61. S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) supplementation for treatment of chemotherapy-induced liver injury
  62. Stereochemistry of methyl transfer catalyzed by tRNA (m5U54)-methyltransferase--evidence for a single displacement mechanism
  63. Stereochemical course of the transmethylation catalyzed by catechol O-methyltransferase
  64. S-adenosyl methionine (SAMe) augmentation of serotonin reuptake inhibitors for antidepressant nonresponders with major depressive disorder: a double-blind, randomized clinical trial
  65. Identification of the human mitochondrial S-adenosylmethionine transporter: bacterial expression, reconstitution, functional characterization and tissue distribution
  66. Dose-dependent induction of ornithine decarboxylase and S-adenosyl-methionine decarboxylase activity by testosterone in the accessory sex organs of male rats
  67. S-adenosyl-L-methionine: transcellular transport and uptake by Caco-2 cells and hepatocytes
  68. Safety and efficacy of S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) for osteoarthritis
  69. Chromatographic analysis of the chiral and covalent instability of S-adenosyl-L-methionine
  70. Efficacy of S-adenosyl-L-methionine in speeding the onset of action of imipramine
  71. S-adenosyl methionine improves early viral responses and interferon-stimulated gene induction in hepatitis C nonresponders
  72. Aggressive behavior in schizophrenia is associated with the low enzyme activity COMT polymorphism: a replication study
  73. Aggressive behavior in schizophrenia is associated with the low enzyme activity COMT polymorphism: a replication study
  74. Effects of S-adenosylmethionine augmentation of serotonin-reuptake inhibitor antidepressants on cognitive symptoms of major depressive disorder
  75. S-adenosyl-methionine and betaine improve early virological response in chronic hepatitis C patients with previous nonresponse
  76. Potential inhibitors of S-adenosylmethionine-dependent methyltransferases. 5. Role of the asymmetric sulfonium pole in the enzymatic binding of S-adenosyl-L-methionine
  77. Double-blind, placebo-controlled pharmacodynamic studies with a nutraceutical and a pharmaceutical dose of ademetionine (SAMe) in elderly subjects, utilizing EEG mapping and psychometry
  78. Pharmacokinetic properties of S-adenosylmethionine after oral and intravenous administration of its tosylate disulfate salt: a multiple-dose, open-label, parallel-group study in healthy Chinese volunteers
  79. S-adenosylmethionine in alcoholic liver cirrhosis: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, multicenter clinical trial
  80. S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe) blood levels in schizophrenia and depression
  81. Elevated serum S-adenosylhomocysteine in cobalamin-deficient elderly and response to treatment
  82. S-adenosylmethionine (SAM-e) for the treatment of depression in people living with HIV/AIDS
  83. Dietary and genetic compromise in folate availability reduces acetylcholine, cognitive performance and increases aggression: critical role of S-adenosyl methionine
  84. Pharmacologic aspects of S-adenosylmethionine. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics
  85. Effect of S-adenosyl-L-methionine on brain muscarinic receptors of aged rats
  86. Effect of S-adenosyl-L-methionine administration on red blood cell cysteine and glutathione levels in alcoholic patients with and without liver disease
  87. Pharmacokinetics of S-adenosyl-L-methionine in healthy volunteers
  88. Blood S-adenosylmethionine concentrations and lymphocyte methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase activity in diabetes mellitus and diabetic nephropathy
  89. S-adenosylmethionine blood levels in major depression: changes with drug treatment
  90. Oral Administration of S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe) and Lactobacillus Plantarum HEAL9 Improves the Mild-To-Moderate Symptoms of Depression: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study
  91. Early treatment efficacy of S-adenosylmethionine in patients with intrahepatic cholestasis: A systematic review
  92. S-Adenosylmethionine: a control switch that regulates liver function
  93. S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe) for Neuropsychiatric Disorders: A Clinician-Oriented Review of Research
  94. Heme oxygenase-1 is a novel target and antioxidant mediator of S-adenosylmethionine
  95. Enhancement of recovery from mental illness with l-methylfolate supplementation
  96. Аdеmethionine in the treatment of fatigue in liver diseases: a systematic review
  97. S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe) in major depressive disorder (MDD): a clinician-oriented systematic review
  98. S-adenosylmethionine mediates glutathione efficacy by increasing glutathione S-transferase activity: implications for S-adenosyl methionine as a neuroprotective dietary supplement
  99. Down-regulation of rat liver beta-adrenergic receptors by cysteine
  100. S-adenosyl-L-methionine for the treatment of chronic liver disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis
  101. S-adenosyl methionine prevents endothelial dysfunction by inducing heme oxygenase-1 in vascular endothelial cells
  102. Dietary supplementation with S-adenosyl methionine delays the onset of motor neuron pathology in a murine model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
  103. [Meta-analysis of ursodeoxycholic acid and S-adenosylmethionine for improving the outcomes of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy]
  104. Ursodeoxycholic Acid and S-adenosylmethionine for the Treatment of Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy: A Meta-analysis
  105. Gender Related Changes in Gene Expression Induced by Valproic Acid in A Mouse Model of Autism and the Correction by S-adenosyl Methionine. Does It Explain the Gender Differences in Autistic Like Behavior?


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