SAMe and Depression Damian Alexander, MD discusses S-Adenosyl Methionine and Depression
- 11 years ago
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhdEKPb2MF4
In this video I will discuss
SAMe and Depression
As a team of Harvard researchers noted in a remarkable 2010 study
Published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry,
"The majority of depressed patients will not experience remission when treated with a first-line antidepressant"
In other words,
Antidepressants don't really work for most patients
More is needed to help depression's victims
This is where SAMe comes in
In modern high-tech imaging studies of healthy human brains,
SAMe produces effects typical of several classes of antidepressant drugs
But unlike those drugs, SAMe has remarkably few side effects
And is well-tolerated even in elderly subjects
People with depression may exhibit a wide variety of biochemical imbalances
The most common and best-known are imbalances in:
Serotonin (involved in mood,
sleep, appetite, and learning) and
Norepinephrine (involved in heart rate, blood pressure, and the fight-or-flight response)
These chemical messengers belong to a
class of molecules known as monoamines
And their synthesis in brain cells is largely controlled by
The presence of folic acid, vitamin B12 and SAMe
When released into the space between brain cells (the synapse),
Monoamines exert stimulating or
inhibiting effects on postsynaptic neurons
With too little serotonin or norepinephrine available
The brain cannot sustain a positive mood and depression results
Virtually all antidepressant drugs work by attempting to boost levels of these
Neurotransmitters within the synapse
And therein lay many of their limitations
And the causes of many of their side effects
SAMe operates through a completely different mechanism than these drugs
Essentially, it allows the brain cells to make what and how much of it they need
SAMe is derived from the sulfur-containing amino acid methionine,
Is found in every living cell and plays a central role in cellular biosynthesis processes
In addition to being required for monoamine synthesis
It also affects cell membrane fluidity
Which in turn influences how well a neuron transmits an electrical signal
What this means is that SAMe affects how well your brain functions and performs
Recent studies have shown that
SAMe is also involved in the so-called "epigenetic" control of cellular function
The ability of cells to activate or suppress specific genes
This likely explains some of it s benefits for cancer prevention and treatment
See the videos: "What is SAMe good for" and
"How does SAMe work"
In this video we have discussed
http://www.howtochangeyourownbatteries.com/go/SAMe
In this video I will discuss
SAMe and Depression
As a team of Harvard researchers noted in a remarkable 2010 study
Published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry,
"The majority of depressed patients will not experience remission when treated with a first-line antidepressant"
In other words,
Antidepressants don't really work for most patients
More is needed to help depression's victims
This is where SAMe comes in
In modern high-tech imaging studies of healthy human brains,
SAMe produces effects typical of several classes of antidepressant drugs
But unlike those drugs, SAMe has remarkably few side effects
And is well-tolerated even in elderly subjects
People with depression may exhibit a wide variety of biochemical imbalances
The most common and best-known are imbalances in:
Serotonin (involved in mood,
sleep, appetite, and learning) and
Norepinephrine (involved in heart rate, blood pressure, and the fight-or-flight response)
These chemical messengers belong to a
class of molecules known as monoamines
And their synthesis in brain cells is largely controlled by
The presence of folic acid, vitamin B12 and SAMe
When released into the space between brain cells (the synapse),
Monoamines exert stimulating or
inhibiting effects on postsynaptic neurons
With too little serotonin or norepinephrine available
The brain cannot sustain a positive mood and depression results
Virtually all antidepressant drugs work by attempting to boost levels of these
Neurotransmitters within the synapse
And therein lay many of their limitations
And the causes of many of their side effects
SAMe operates through a completely different mechanism than these drugs
Essentially, it allows the brain cells to make what and how much of it they need
SAMe is derived from the sulfur-containing amino acid methionine,
Is found in every living cell and plays a central role in cellular biosynthesis processes
In addition to being required for monoamine synthesis
It also affects cell membrane fluidity
Which in turn influences how well a neuron transmits an electrical signal
What this means is that SAMe affects how well your brain functions and performs
Recent studies have shown that
SAMe is also involved in the so-called "epigenetic" control of cellular function
The ability of cells to activate or suppress specific genes
This likely explains some of it s benefits for cancer prevention and treatment
See the videos: "What is SAMe good for" and
"How does SAMe work"
In this video we have discussed
http://www.howtochangeyourownbatteries.com/go/SAMe