Study Shows SAMe May Help Depression

The popular dietary supplement S-adenosyl methionine (SAMe) may help depressed patients who don’t respond to prescription antidepressants. SAMe is a naturally occurring molecule that is commonly used in Europe for depression, arthritis, and other ailments. SAMe is found in high concentrations throughout the human body, including the liver, adrenal glands, and brain.

The latest research, conducted by investigators at Harvard Medical School and published in The American Journal of Psychiatry, suggests that SAMe may be another treatment option for patients suffering from depression. In addition, the researchers discovered news clues into the physical pathways of depression that may help in the development of more effective treatments.

The researchers studied the use of SAMe versus placebo in 73 adults with depression who were not responding to prescription antidepressant treatment. All of the participants continued to take their antidepressant medication, and 39 of them were randomly assigned to receive SAMe for six weeks. The other 34 patients received a placebo in addition to their regular prescription treatment.

After six weeks, 36 percent of those taking a combination of SAMe and an antidepressant showed improvement, compared to only 18 percent of those taking the antidepressant and placebo. About 26 percent of patients in the SAMe group experienced a complete remission of symptoms, compared to just 12 percent in the placebo group.

The research offers hope to people who aren’t been helped by traditional antidepressant treatment. A large body of research has suggested that for more than half of depressed patients, antidepressants alone don’t eliminate symptoms. As a result, doctors are looking for additional treatments to help these patients, referred to as “treatment-resistant” and “nonresponders.”

Antidepressant drugs work by increasing neurotransmitters, which in turn amplifies their effect in the brain. It’s not known exactly how SAMe works to relieve depression, but researchers believe it may influence the expression of genes involved in depression. Additionally, SAMe may alter the function of different receptors and other structures that transport neurotransmitters within the brain. It may also be directly involved in the creation of neurotransmitters.