Methionine is one of the 10 essential amino acids which
cannot be manufactured in the body, and must therefore be
obtained from the diet. Like other amino acids, methionine
is vital for the formation of the countless proteins which
make up not only the body's dry tissue, but many of its
vital enzymes. Logically enough, as it is an essential
component of protein, it is protein foods which are the
best source of dietary methionine. Meat, poultry, fish and
dairy products are known as first class proteins because
they contain all of the essential amino acids. A diet
containing a good supply of each of these food groups
should normally provide sufficient amino acids, including
methionine, for most purposes, but vegetarians can also
achieve satisfactory intakes through careful food combining.
Particular attention, however, has been focussed on
methionine as the precursor of s-adenosyl methionine, also
known as SAM or SAM-e, a compound produced naturally in the
body by the metabolism of methionine. S-adenosyl
methionine was isolated in Europe in the 1950s, and has
been used there as a prescription drug, but it has only
very recently been seen as a food supplement in the US. A
large number of biochemical reactions are known to require
its presence, including the transmission of nerve impulses
between cells. Conventional medical opinion insists that
healthy people should obtain all the SAM-e they need for
these purposes from their intake of dietary methionine, but
various clinical or sub-clinical conditions may affect the
body's ability to metabolise SAM-e in this way.
In particular, the brains of sufferers from depression have
been observed to be deficient in s-adenosyl methionine as
well as serotonin, the so-called "feel-good" hormone.
There is some good research evidence from Europe that
supplementation with between 800 and 1,600 mg per day of
SAM-e increased serotonin levels, significantly improved
the condition of patients suffering from moderately severe
clinical depression, and was also helpful in some more
severe cases. This research appears to validate the long
standing practice of methionine supplementation by
psychiatrists interested in the possibilities of
nutritional therapy.
So there appear to be encouraging grounds for believing
that methionine or SAM-e may be useful alternatives to
conventional drug therapies in some cases of depression,
and may offer similar benefits without the side effects of
drugs.
But depression is only one of the conditions for which
s-adenosyl methionine appears to offer therapeutic value.
There's also good evidence from European studies that
supplement doses similar to those used to tackle depression
may be useful in tackling problems with liver function,
including hepatitis and even cirrhosis. And given SAM-e's
apparent potential for boosting emotional and psychological
health, it has been suggested by some therapists that it
may be useful in the rehabilitation programs of alcoholics
and drug addicts.
At least one large scale study has shown the
anti-inflammatory effects of s-adenosyl methionine to
provide to relief from the symptoms of osteo-arthritis, and
there are some more speculative grounds for believing that
it may also be of benefit to sufferers from Parkinson's
disease and multiple sclerosis.
Orthodox medical opinion, however, insists that more
research is required before the potential value of
s-adenosyl methionine for any of the above conditions can
be definitively established. While these concerns may
appear to reflect undue caution, it is certainly true in
any case that supplements of methionine or any other amino
acid should not be taken in isolation for any extended
period of time because of the risk of creating an imbalance.
And importantly, in the case of s-adenosyl methionine, it
needs to be noted that there is a potential risk of
supplementation leading to a build up of homocysteine.
This is another amino acid produced naturally in the body,
but excess levels of which are known to be a factor in
increasing the risk of cardiovascular and related diseases.
Fortunately, however, this is a risk which may be easily
avoided simply by ensuring a generous intake of the B
vitamins, folic acid, B6 and B12. And, as always with the
B complex, these do not function correctly in isolation, so
that a good dietary supply of the entire complex is also
required.
With this important caveat, and although its potential
benefits have perhaps been exaggerated in the media, it
does appear that supplementation with s-adenosyl methionine
may be worth trying for sufferers of the specific
conditions highlighted above, whose natural levels of
methionine and SAM-e are likely to have been depressed both
by their condition itself and other factors.
----------------------------------------------------
Steve Smith is a freelance copywriter specialising in
direct marketing and with a particular interest in health
products.
Find out more at
http://www.sisyphuspublicationsonline.com/LiquidNutrition/In
formation.htm
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