Wide-Ranging Benefits of SAMe
Since Life Extension first introduced SAMe (S-Adenosyl-Methionine) back in 1997, it’s become a popular for boosting mood.
In addition to fighting depression, SAMe also stimulates the production of new cartilage in animals and improves symptoms and functioning in osteoarthritis patients.
In a recent study SAMe was shown to increase lifespan of yeast. What’s the common link between these benefits and SAMe? SAMe is a cofactor in a process called DNA methylation, which regulates gene expression. In doing so, it can help fight against some of the causes of age-related disease-and it may prolong life itself.
Osteoarthritis Improvement
Osteoarthritis is the most common and disabling joint disease. It can cause loss of the cushioning cartilate that eases joint movement, eventually damaging underlying bone.
It’s chronic and has no known cure. But there is new hope for treating it. Numerous studies have shown that SAMe may help treat osteoarthritis. Among the results are:
- SAMe stimulates production of new cartilage in animals. This is crucial to slowing or reversing the progress of osteoarthritis.
- In short, and long-term studies, patients reported improvement of symptoms.
- Osteoarthritis patients treated with SAMe experienced pain relief as strong as that delivered by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
- A meta-analysis of 11 studies showed that SAMe improved functioning in arthritis patients and was comparable to NSAIDs for pain without the side effects common with NSAIDs.
Depression
Clinical depression affects more than 16% of U.S. adults over a lifetime. Stress is a contributor to mood and anxiety disorders. Researchers have found that it drives epigenetic changes in the brain that can alter normal methylation patterns. In fact, abnormal methylation has been linked to depression and mood disorders in multiple ways:
- Prenatal and early childhood exposure to a mother’s depression affects methylation patterns in the infant’s brain.
- Childhood trauma leads to methlation defects, which can be related to long-term and mental health problems.
- Altered methylation is seen in people at high genetic risk for mood disorders, including bipolar and major depression, even before they develop symptoms.
Prolonging Life
Methylation isn’t just linked to the development of age-related diseases. It also has a diect impact on lifespan itself. Studies show that aging is associated with alterations in DNA methylation.
What You Need to Know
How SAMe Helps our Genes Fight Disease
- Humans have about 20,000 genes. Our bodies turn them on or off as necessary.
- One of the main switches that modulate the way genes are expressed is a process called methylation, in which methyl groups are added to the DN.
- The nutrient SAMe (S-AdensylMethionine) is the body’s preferred methyl donor.
- If we don’t have enough of it, the body cannot methylate properly.
- Two seemingly unrelated conditions osteoarthritis and clinical depression, both involve improper methylation. In human studies, both are improved by treatment with SAMe.
- Preclinical studies indicate that increased SAMe also contributes to longer life and improved health.
Source: Excerpts for Life Extension Magazine February 2020
Life Extension first introduced SAMe in 1997. Since then, researchers around the world have continued to discover the impressive benefits.
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