http://www.miami-dade-online.com/SAME-e.htm
www.miami-dade online.com

South Florida's on-line, web-based magazine, Published by OnLine Publications.com, Inc.

With indignation and disgust the women snapped, "That is ridiculous. God is the only one who can heal."

Together Sandi and I said, "Who do you think made the stones?"

This same retort can be made to those who question the use of SAME-e, used in the treatment of depression, arthritis, and certain liver ailments. U.S. doctors and the FDA will tell you SAM-e is an under-tested, uncontrolled, and potentially dangerous alternative to accepted treatments. The facts say otherwise. In fact, without S-adenosyl-methionine (SAM-e) we would not be.

Before you can use your computer, stove, car, etcetera you must turn them on. SAM-e is critical to the body's ability to turn on/off over a 100 different functions. SAM-e is the key to the Methylation Process - the body's chemical on/off switching mechanism. Methylation occurs a billion times a second throughout the body.

Methylation is required for the development of a baby inside its mother. The mother's brain functions are regulated by methylation. Neither baby nor mother could live without neurotransmitters and hormones which are regulated by the chemical on/off switch. The very fatty membranes that insulate every cell in our bodies are preserved through methylation. In his book "Methyl Magic" amazon.com biochemist Craig Cooney observes,"Without methylation there could be no life as we know it."

Methylation is, again, just the transference of four atoms from one molecule to another molecule, which changes both molecules starting a certain chemical response. It is a molecular on/off switch. The molecule which our body's use to give up the four atoms is SAM-e. Thus, without an adequate supply of the SAM-e molecule, the methylation process is limited.

Our cells produce fuel called ATP which is used in the production of SAM-e. Our bodies manufacture the SAM-e molecule by combining ATP with the amino acid methionine gained when we eat protein-rich foods. Obviously, without an adequate supply of methionine there is not enough SAM-e.

When the SAM-e molecule gives up its four atoms, it is changed into another molecule called homocysteine. And, as good as SAM-e is, homocysteine is bad. High homocysteine has been implicated as a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke, spina bifida and other birth defects, and clinical depression.

As much as the body needs SAM-e it also needs to get rid of the homocysteine molecule. In a stroke of genius, the architect of the human body created a simple solution of the problem: with the help of several B vitamins (B6, B12, and folic acid) homocysteine is converted into glutathione and then into more SAM-e. If we do not take in enough of the B vitamins to change the homocysteine into SAM-e, we are in trouble.

Just taking more SAM-e is not enough. We need the B vitamins. But, in addition to vitamins we may not get enough of the amino acid methionine from our normal diet to make the SAM-e. Thus, in addition to supplementing our diet with B vitamins, we either supplement the amino acid take more SAM-e. We have chosen to take SAM-e fortified with the B vitamins. But, where do we get the SAM-e?

In the early 1970's an Italian firm developed a pharmaceutical SAM-e by growing it in yeast and then making tablets out of the molecules. Since 1975 pharmaceutical SAM-e has been used throughout Europe and been put through dozens of trials involving thousands of patients. It is approved as a drug in 14 countries and been in use for two decades in Europe. It only arrived in the United States at the very end of the 20^th Century. Why? Because it is a naturally occurring molecule that can not be patented and therefore can not be controlled by any one United States Pharmaceutical Company bent on profit, profit, and profit.

So, what have the Europeans learned after 25 years of using SAM-e? They have found that pharmaceutical SAM-e appears as effective as that produced by your body for use in the methylation process. Pharmaceutical SAM-e does not appear to cause any adverse effects, even in high dosages. There have been at least 40 European clinical studies published involving some 1,400 patients with the findings being remarkably consistent. In the same time frame, there has been no reports of any side effects from the millions of pills taken by Europeans.

I was introduced to all of the above information because my friend Cyndi has been clinically depressed all of her life. Just before Christmas, Cyndi again decided to go for help from an established medical practitioner with the title of "Psychiatric Doctor". He spent 20 minutes listening to her relate how bad she felt, how she had no motivation, no energy, no purpose for living...and then he prescribed a drug. Three days after taking the drug, Cyndi was physically sick and in much more dire straits than before. Her call to him resulted in his advice to take the drug in the evening instead of the morning. She never took another pill.

That was when I went on the Internet and amazon.com and typed in "depression" in their search box. A few moments later I was reading a synopsis of Columbia University psychiatrist Richard Brown's "Stop Depression Now," a book coauthored with Baylor University neuropharmacologist Teodoro Bottiglieri. After reading that Brown had begun using a drug from Europe in treating several hundred clinically depressed patients and that he had never encountered a bad experience, I thought a miracle might be found in his book. I ordered the book. And after reading, Brown's assertion that, "It's the best antidepressant I've ever prescribed, I've seen only benefits."... I bought Cyndi her first bottle of SAM-e to go with the book that brought tears and hope and a feeling that someone understood her.

It was as simple as that. I now have a friend who has found a purpose for living. She is an incredible artist who is now producing drawings every day, who sings just to sing, who is beginning to understand the joy of living, who sleeps less, does more, and is just fun to be around.

And, as for myself - not being a dummy - I realized the implications and began supplementing my own body with pharmaceutical SAM-e. Naturally produced SAM-e decreases with age while homocysteine rises. Children have 7 times more SAM-e than adults and a decrease in SAM-e have been noted in Alzheimer patients.

NOW FOR THE CAUTIONS: Educate yourself, read Brown's book (amazon.com Richard Brown's "Stop Depression Now,") and the others listed below, especially if you are or know of anyone in a clinically depressed state. People with bipolar disorder, commonly known as manic depression should not take SAM-e: because it fights depression, SAM-e can make a patient's mania, or "up" moods, worse.

The other problem is getting a good version of pharmaceutical SAM-e. After checking out numerous versions of the product in stores and on the Internet, we discovered you had to read the labels very carefully. Know what you are getting. For ourselves, we have found a product that luckily is also the best price - Nature's RX, SAM-e Rx Ultra - which can be found at www.oil.ca/~natures/same.htm. (Please, note, neither myself nor www.miami-dade-online.com have any financial gain in recommending Nature's RX nor SAM-e nor does Nature's RX make any claims to the medical value of taking SAM-e).

And, what about arthritis? In clinical trials involving more than 22,000 patients, pharmaceutical SAM-e has been found to be as effective as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (i.e. aspirin or ibuprofen) without the side effects of damaging the digestive tract and slowing the production of tissues that make cartilage an effective shock absorber. In fact, SAM-e may restore cartilage as indicated in the few studies undertaken concerning this aspect of SAM-e. Again, educate yourself.

And, what about the benefits to the liver? Again, educate yourself (see list below). There are more and more studies being conducted on SAM-e and on the detrimental effects of too much homocysteines or insufficiencies in the methylation process. Perhaps we only need to take more B vitamins to enhance our bodies. You have to make those determinations for yourself.

As for dosage: read the labels, read the books, keep in touch with your own bodies...each one of us is different and have different needs. Empower yourselves and take charge of your own molecular well being. We believe we are better for having taken Nature's RX, SAM-e Rx Ultra and research stretching over 25 years suggest reasons why.

I have taken my own advice and have begun researching. To keep track of what I am doing, see The Methyl Manual in 21C-Online.

• "The Heart Revolution : The B Vitamin Breakthrough That Lowers Homocysteine, Cuts Your Risk of Heart Disease, and Protects Your Health" Kilmer McCully, et al; Hardcover; @ $15.60 each Usually available in 24 hours
• "The Methylation Miracle: Unleashing Your Body's Natural Source of SAM-e" Paul, Ph.D. Frankel, Nancy Bruning (Contributor); Mass Market Paperback; @ $4.79 each Usually available in 24 hours
• "Methyl Magic : Maximum Health Through Methylation" Craig Cooney, et al; Hardcover; @ $16.07 each Usually available in 24 hours
• "All About Sam-E (Faqs All About Health Series)" Dallas Clouatre; Mass Market Paperback; @ $2.39 each Usually available in 24 hours
• Richard Brown's "Stop Depression Now,"

  ---

  To return to 21C-Online