Health Alert 87
Are you in emotional or physical pain? Before you take harsh medications there is another option I want you to consider. Today I will tell you about a remarkable nutrient widely used in Europe for generations but virtually unknown to American doctors. It relieves joint pain and depression as well as drugs, but without the side effects.
I’m talking about SAMe (S-adenosylmethionine). You’ve probably heard of it. But you may not know of its healing properties. SAMe is actually present in every cell in your body where it:
• maintains cell growth and health
• prevents DNA mutations
• helps produce melatonin (for mood and sleep)
• helps produce acetylcholine (for memory).
It is because SAMe is so involved in these normal body functions that it can help ease pain and depression.
* Drugs That Harm*
Both pain and depression can have serious consequences. And drugs can make problems worse. Doctors often prescribe medications with a range of serious side effects, such as NSAID’s (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and antidepressants.
What’s worse is that many of these drugs are addictive. And because of the long lapse before these medications begin to work, many people take too many.
* The SAMe Solution *
You don’t have to take these risky medicines to get relief. SAMe can help tremendously.
Scientists have been diligently studying SAMe since the 1980’s. They have reported numerous trials in which SAMe has worked just as well as antidepressants. And SAMe was overwhelmingly better tolerated than the drugs in every study.
In 2002, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study that compared SAMe and the drug imipramine’s effectiveness for the improvement of major depression. One group took SAMe, while the other took imipramine for 6 weeks.
Both groups had an equal positive improvement. However, the SAMe group reported considerably less adverse side effects. SAMe was just as good as the drug and better toleraded.1
Researchers are also interested in SAMe as a pain reliever. Again, scientists have found that SAMe works better than common drugs used for pain relief. SAMe raises levels of dopamine in the body. Dopamine is responsible for that “feel good” mood.
SAMe can not only make you feel better; it can help to correct swollen joints. SAMe helps to create glucosamine in the body. Glucosamine is a building block of joint cartilage.
The Journal of Rheumatology published a study proving the effectiveness of SAMe for joint pain. Researchers studied patients with osteoarthritic knee pain. Participants either took SAMe or a placebo for 23 days. Scientists measured their improvement on standardized pain scales. Those taking SAMe had a “significantly greater reduction in overall pain…” than those taking the placebo.2
SAMe is widely available. You can find it in health food stores, drug stores, and on the internet. I recommend taking 200mg of SAMe daily. If there is little improvement after 2 weeks, I recommend increasing the dose to 400mg daily. The only side effects I have seen with it are upset stomach or rarely, a mild rash, which resolves when the SAMe is stopped.
Al Sears MD
1 Delle C et al., Efficacy and tolerability of oral and intrramuscular S-adenosyl-l-methionine 1, 4-butanedisulfonate (SAMe) in the treatment of major depression: comparison with imipramine in 2 multicenter studies. Am J Clin Nutr 2002 Nov; 76(5): 1172S-1176S
2 Bradley J. et al., A randomized, double blind, placebo controlled trial of oral SAM therapy in patients with knee osteoarthritis. J Rheumatol 1994 May; 21(5): 905-911