SAM-e Shows Neuroprotective Effect

S-Adenosyl Methionine (more simply referred to as SAM-e or SAMe, pronounced "sammy") is an antioxidant amino acid that is naturally produced in the body in a process referred to as the "SAM cycle" SAM-e is believed to play a role in immune, joint and brain health. Production of SAM-e can become hindered in the body, breaking the SAM cycle.

The SAM cycle is responsible for the creation and breakdown of SAM-e. While SAM-e occurs throughout the body, the majority of SAM-e is produced in the liver from methionine and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) with the aid of enzymes. The SAM cycle is also important to the regulation of a potential harmful amino acid called homocysteine. Elevated homocysteine levels have long been associated with increased heart risks, and in 2002 a Boston University study that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine linked elevated homocysteine blood levels with an increase risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Other research has found that oxidative stress, elevated homocysteine levels, and depressed glutathione levels all play a critical role in the development of Alzheimer's disease.

Building on this research, researchers from the University of Rome examined the effects of SAM-e on oxidative stress, homocysteine and glutathione levels.¹ Using a mouse model, the researchers caused elevated homocysteine levels through diet. The elevated homocysteine was correlated with increased oxidation of glutathione, a decrease in glutathione S-transferase activity, and increased lipid peroxidation--all indicators of increased oxidative stress and the resulting metabolic dysfunction.

However when the researchers added SAM-e to the diet, glutathione S-transferase activity increased, as did superoxide dismutase (an antioxidant enzyme), glutathione levels in the brain were restored, and lipid peroxidation was reduced--all of which decrease oxidative stress. These findings led the researchers to conclude that SAMe serves as an important "neuroprotective compound, acting both on methylation and oxidation metabolism."

In the last decade there has been considerable scientific evidence that indicates that SAM-e may improve mood and emotional well-being, reduce joint pain and stiffness, and may enhance liver function.

Learn more about the role of SAM-e in the body here.

1. Cavallaro, R. A., A. Fuso, et al. (2010). "S-adenosyl methionine prevents oxidative stress and modulates glutathione metabolism in TgCRND8 mice fed a B-vitamin deficient diet." J Alzheimers Dis 20(4): 997-1002.