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S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine (SAMe) is one of
the most promising anti-aging drugs on the horizon. It is a special type
of modified amino acid and works at the microscopic level inside cells,
affecting the DNA and proteins.
S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine (SAMe) is normally produced in our body and this
production is under the influence of an internal biological clock.
Production is highest in the evening, in harmony with the production of
melatonin by the pineal gland. Older people (and older mice) show a
decrease of the levels of S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine (SAMe) in their blood,
a decrease which worsens with the passage of time.
Initial studies suggest that S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine
(SAMe) may be effective in preventing:
- Heart Disease
- Liver Problems
- Arthritis
- Osteoporosis
It works by donating essential
chemicals called 'methyl groups' to proteins which desperately need
these groups in order to survive.
Methyls are chemical substances
necessary for the production and repair of DNA and proteins. Methyl
groups are also needed to transform several molecules to their active
form. Methylation is when a methyl group is attached to a target
molecule such as a protein or DNA. So because S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine (SAMe)
has extra supplied of methyl groups, it donates some of these to the DNA
or proteins in need.
The DNA molecule needs to be methylated
regularly to stay in good form. Gradually, with age, this process slows
down, but it is not clear whether this is the actual cause or just a
side effect of aging. Cells which live for a long time and which
multiply many times have extremely lively methylation. Maintaining your
DNA methylation is essential if you want to avoid cancer, immune
diseases and aging.
The amino acid homocysteine plays a
part in the process of methylation. Homocysteine, a toxic by product of
the amino acid methionine, is blamed for playing a serious part in
causing heart disease, dementia, and inflammation. It is set to become
one of the great risk factors for heart disease, together with
cholesterol, cigarette smoke and obesity. It is not very smart to let
large amounts of homocysteine linger in your body, but homocysteine may
be inactivated and transformed back into the harmless methionine by
using methyl groups.
Alternatively, homocysteine can be
inactivated and eventually transformed into the very useful antioxidant
glutathione. Usually helpful in this respect are the key nutrients
vitamin B12, folic acid and zinc as well as S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine (SAMe).
At present, S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine (SAMe)
is used only as an anti-depressant, but it has potential for general
anti-aging use. The dose for depression is anything between 200 and
1,600mg a day. It is not known what the ideal dose is for anti-aging
purposes but, in any case, using S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine (SAMe) is
expensive. With more research and better understanding of its
manufacturing processes, the price is expected to fall dramatically.
The side effects of S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine
(SAMe) are rare and include indigestion, nausea and over-stimulation of
the nervous system.
S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine (SAMe) has
mainly been studied in Italy and there are no reliable studies proving
the full anti-aging effects of S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine (SAMe) in humans.
This is because this idea is a relatively new one. Several projects are
under way at present, but there are no definite results as yet.
Theoretically, use of S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine (SAMe) makes sense and it
offers a new direction, an opportunity to fight the aging process from a
new angle.
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