Okay here is one of them:Newsweek Volume 12, Issue 133March 22, 1999 The 'Sammy' Solution A new supplement may help relieve depression and arthritis as well Author: GEOFFREY COWLEY With ANNE UNDERWOODSection: Science and TechnologyPage: 65Article Text:WHEN A PILL PURPORTS TO fix everything from aching joints to flagging spirits, you can guess it's probably snake oil. But Same ("Sammy"), a dietary supplement reaching U.S. drugstores this month, may just buck that rule. Few Americans have heard of the stuff (SAMe stands for S-adenosyl-methionine), but it's been used for two decades in Europe to treat arthritis and depression. A quick review of the medical literature shows why. SAMe appears comparable to state-of-the-art treatments for both conditions. And unlike the leading drug therapies, it lacks significant side effects. Dr. Richard Brown, a Columbia University psychiatrist, declares it "the best antidepressant I've ever prescribed." The new remedy is not an herb. It's a compound that our bodies make from methionine, an amino acid found in proteinrich foods. When nudged by vitamin B12 and folic acid, SAMe gives up a piece of itself (a so-called methyl group) to neighboring tissues and organs. The transaction supports an array of vital processes the maintenance of cell membranes. the removal of toxic substances from the body and the production of mood-boosting neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin. And when SAMe finishes its work as a "methyl donor," its breakdown generates still other valuable molecules, including "sulfate groups" that help maintain the cartilage in our joints. "It's involved in almost everything." says neuropharmacologist Teodoro Bottiglieri of Baylor University in Dallas. Researchers started investigating SAMe as an antidepressant back in the 1970s, after an Italian lab learned to produce it in cell cultures. Controlled studies suggest that 70 percent of depressed patients respond to SAMe - roughly the same proportion that benefits from any established drug treatment. Experts don't recommend it for people with bipolar disorder, since it could exacerbate their mania. But SAMe appears effective against major depression as well as mild blues. It hasn't been found to cause the side effects associated with prescription antidepressants (constipation, agitation, insomnia, sexual dysfunction). And it tends to work more quickly. "I felt better in less than a week." says Lisa Interollo, a New York writer who has managed her once intractable depression with SAMe for nearly four years. "It was the first treatment that really worked for me. and the first one that didn't leave me feeling drugged." Some of the first patients given SAMe for depression happened to suffer from osteoarthritis as well. And when they reported improvements in their joint pain, researchers saw another potential use. More than 22,000 arthritis sufferers have now been through studies comparing SAMe with placebos or with anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) such as aspirin and ibuprofen. After four weeks of treatment, patients taking SAMe get as much relief as those taking NSAIDs. Animal studies suggest that the compound may restore damaged cartilage, not just dampen pain. And whereas NSAIDs damage the lining of the stomach. SAMe may actively protect it. SAMe is sold by prescription in Europe, but Pharmavite and GNC stores will sell it as an over-the-counter supplement in this country. They're changing the name to SAM-e (partly to keep people from pronouncing it "same"). And to ward off government regulation, they're avoiding overt therapeutic claims, saving only that SAM-e promotes "joint health" and "emotional well-being." The new supplement won't be cheap; a 10-day (20-pill) supply of Pharmavite's Nature Made brand will go for approximately $25 in most stores. But it's cheaper than many prescription remedies. And if it lives up to its promise, it may be more valuable.
