Health Benefits of SAMeSleep

 S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM-e) is one of the best kept secrets in controlling pain and inflammation. SAMe is naturally occurring in our tissues and contributes a great deal in maintaining our health and longevity. It is as effective as aspirin in being an anti-inflammatory and analgesic but SAM-e does not produce harmful side effects to the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys.  Since SAM-e also helps protect the cell from energy dysfunction, oral as well as intravenous treatments with SAM-e may benefit fibromyalgia, especially when taken with Coenzyme Q10 and Nutracene® www.nutracene.com.

Pain, inflammation and fibromyalgia: Sleep robbers that SAM-e can help with

In 1983, Gualano demonstrated that SAM-e had anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects in injured laboratory animals. In addition, higher doses of this natural compound did not damage the gastrointestinal mucosa.⁽¹⁾

Several years later, Gualano showed that SAM-e could reduce edema in laboratory animals that had been given carrageenin or nystatin. SAM-e also reduced inflammation due to a bacterial infection by interfering with the pro-inflammatory functions of arachidonic acid.⁽²⁾

SAM-e has also show benefit in relieving pain symptoms of fibromyalgia. In a ten day cross-over study of SAM-e compared to a placebo, 34 patients with fibromyalgia perceived some improvement in pain at rest, pain with movement and overall well being from 600 mg of SAM-e given intravenously.⁽³⁾ SAM-e can take about one or two months to show benefit in difficult clinical conditions. Therefore this 1997 short term study indicates that clinical trials of longer duration are warranted in using SAM-e for the treatment of fibromyalgia.

(1) Gualano M, Stramentinoli G, Berti F. Anti-infammatory activity of S-adenosyl-L-methionine: interference with the eicosanoid system.  Pharmacol Res Commun 1983; 15(7): 683-96.

(2) Gualano M, et al. Anti-inflammatory activity of S-adenosyl-L-methionine in animal models: possible interference with the eicosanoid system. Int J Tissue React 1985; 7(1): 41-6.

(3) Volkmann H, et al. Double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study of intravenous S-adenosyl-L-methionine in patients with fibromyalgia. Scand J Rhematol 1997; 26(3): 206-11.

Osteoarthritis symptoms rob sleep: SAM-e Can Help

Osteoarthritis is the most prevalent form of arthritis. It affects about 21 million Americans, aged 25 and older. Osteoarthritis affects the cartilage area where bones meet to form joints. The loss of cartilage from injury, excessive use, auto-immunity, and/or nutritional deficiency results in joint pain and loss of range of motion that can eventually lead to disability.

SAMe has a reparative and protective effect with osteoarthritis and provides a safer and more effective alternative to the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for pain relief.

SAM-e shows benefits to Osteoarthritis

In a 1987 a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study for patients with knee osteoarthritis, Bradley administered 400 mg of SAM-e intravenously for five days.  The 81 patients were then given 200 mg three times a day for 23 days.  The mild osteoarthitic group showed significantly less pain in rest and movement compared to the placebo group at one clinical facility but no differences were found at another facility where more severe cases predominated.  In those who showed benefits, improvements were seen within 14 days of SAMe administration. The authors suggest that SAMe may be beneficial to some people with osteoarthritis.⁽¹⁾

Di Padova reviewed clinical trials over a five year period that enrolled about 22,000 patients with osteoarthritis. The effectiveness of SAMe was comparable to that of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs but without their side effects. ⁽²⁾

SAMe increases chrondrocyte proteoglycan and extracellular matrix production to compensate for their damage by inflammatory cytokines.SAM-e's sulfur incorporation into proteoglycans may also protect them and compensate for cytokine induced glutathione depletion.Gutierrez suggests that SAM-e plays a compensatory and protective role in osteoarthritic damage from inflammation. ⁽³⁾

(1)   Bradley JD, et al.A randomized, double blind, placebo controlled trial of intravenous loading with S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) followed by oral SAM therapy in patients with knee osteoarthritis. J Rhematol 1994; 21(5): 905-11.

(2)   Di Padova C. S-adenosylmethionine in the treatment of osteoarthritis. Review of the clinical studies. Am J Med 1987; 83(5A): 60-5.

(3) Gutierrez S, et al. SAMe Restores the Changes in the Proliferation and In the Synthesis of Fibronectin and Proteoglycans induced by Tumour Necrosis Factor Alpha on Cultured Rabbit Synovial Cells. British Journal of Rheumatology 1997; 37: 27-31.

(4)  National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), a part of the Department of Health and Human Services' National Institutes of Health (NIH), NIH Publication No. 06-4617, website www.niams.nih.gov.

(5) -Adenosyl-L-Methionine for Treatment of Depression, Osteoarthritis, and Liver Disease. Summary, Evidence Report/Technology Assessment: Number 64. AHRQ Publication No. 02-E033, August 2002. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD.http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/epcsums/samesum.htm.