Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 11/10/10.  You should consult your doctor if you are taking any medications.

Exercise may reduce risk of endometrial cancer - Science Daily, 11/9/10 - "Those who exercised for 150 minutes a week or more had a 34 percent reduced risk of endometrial cancer compared with those women who were inactive"

Chocolate eaters may have healthier hearts: study - MSNBC, 11/8/10 - "The authors found that women older than 70 who ate chocolate at least once per week were 35 percent less likely to be hospitalized or die from heart disease over the course of the study, and nearly 60 percent less likely to be hospitalized or die from heart failure ... The danger is that many people will start eating more of it than is necessary, without cutting back in calories from other snacks, which will result in weight gain and will counteract any beneficial effects of chocolate ... Flavonoids are thought to reduce the risk of heart disease, the leading cause of death in many industrialized countries, by helping to increase nitric oxide, which in turn helps boost the functioning of blood vessels and lower blood pressure"

Soy isoflavones may modify risk of breast cancer - Science Daily, 11/8/10 - "Those women with the highest isoflavone intake had an approximately 30 percent decreased risk of having an invasive breast tumor, and an approximately 60 percent decreased risk of having a grade 1 tumor ... Among premenopausal women, the highest intake of isoflavones had a 30 percent decreased risk of stage I disease, a 70 percent decreased risk of having a tumor larger than 2 cm, and a 60 percent decreased risk of having stage 2 breast cancer. These connections were not seen among postmenopausal women" - See soy isoflavones at Amazon.com.

Soy may stop prostate cancer spread: Experimental soy-based drug shows benefits in men with localized prostate cancer - Science Daily, 11/8/10 - "A recent phase II randomized study of 38 men with localized prostate cancer found that genistein, when given once a day as a pill, one month prior to surgery, had beneficial effects on prostate cancer cells ... genistein increased the expression of genes that suppress the invasion of cancer cells and decreased the expression of genes that enhance invasion" - See genistein at Amazon.com.

Low blood levels of vitamin D linked to chubbier kids, faster weight gain - Science Daily, 11/8/10 - "the kids with the lowest vitamin D levels at the beginning tended to gain weight faster than the kids with higher levels ... children with the lowest vitamin D levels had more drastic increases in central body fat measures ... Vitamin D deficiency was also linked to slower growth in height among girls but not boys" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Dangerous chemicals in food wrappers likely migrating to humans - Science Daily, 11/8/10 - "PAPs are applied as greaseproofing agents to paper food contact packaging such as fast food wrappers and microwave popcorn bags ... We found the concentrations of PFOA from PAP metabolism to be significant and concluded that the metabolism of PAPs could be a major source of human exposure to PFOA, as well as other PFCAs ... In this study we clearly demonstrate that the current use of PAPs in food contact applications does result in human exposure to PFCAs, including PFOA. We cannot tell whether PAPs are the sole source of human PFOA exposure or even the most important, but we can say unequivocally that PAPs are a source and the evidence from this study suggests this could be significant"

Fish oil component given up to 5 hours after stroke limits brain damage, study finds - Science Daily, 11/8/10 - "DHA has potent anti-inflammatory effects. Since inflammation is at the root of many chronic diseases, DHA treatment has been widely demonstrated to have beneficial effects in patients with coronary heart disease, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, sepsis, cancer, dry eye disease, and age-related macular degeneration ... To determine how DHA might be effective in stroke treatment and recovery, the LSUHSC research team administered either DHA or saline intravenously at 3, 4, 5, and 6 hours after the onset of stroke. MRIs showed that neurological deficits were reduced by the administration of DHA. DHA treatment reduced swelling and facilitated neurobehavioral recovery. The volume of the area of destroyed tissue was reduced by an average of 40% when DHA was administered at 3 hours, 66% at 4 hours, and 59% at 5 hours. Further analysis showed it triggered production of Neuroprotectin D1 (NPD1), a naturally occurring neuroprotective molecule in the brain derived from DHA ... only did DHA treatment salvage brain tissue that would have died, its repair mechanisms rendered some areas indistinguishable from normal tissue by 7 days" - See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

DHA improves memory and cognitive function in older adults, study suggests - Science Daily, 11/8/10 - "DHA taken for six months improved memory and learning in healthy, older adults with mild memory complaints ... This study reinforces the principle that consumers will reap the most benefit from their DHA supplements -- and many supplements -- when they are taken over time and before a health concern is imminent" - See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

Beneficial Effects of Testosterone for Frailty in Older Men are Short-Lived - Doctor's Guide, 11/5/10 - "The beneficial effects of 6 months of testosterone treatment on muscle mass, strength, and quality of life (QOL) in frail elderly men are not maintained at 6 months post-treatment"

U.S. Obesity Rate May Hit 42% by 2050 - US News and World Report, 11/5/10 - "42 percent of adults will be obese ... U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has placed the adult obesity rate at 34 percent, with another 34 percent of Americans overweight but not obese" - Note: Everyone has their opinion on why the life expectancy in the U.S. isn't that impressive.  The lack of exercise, overeating and the resulting obesity are mine.  All are related to insulin resistance and high blood sugar.  See all the studies on my Insulin and Aging page.  I can remember 90 pound grannies carrying the equivalent of their own weight down Highway 1 in Vietnam and probably getting more exercise in a day than the average American gets in a year.  Exercise slows the rate of telomeres loss.  There's an abstract on my HBA1C page showing the average HBA1C in Thailand is 3.9%.  An American doctor might call that hypoglycemic.

Tap Water’s Lead Levels Rise in New York City Homes - NYTimes.com, 11/4/10 - "New York City health and environmental officials on Thursday advised residents to run their tap water for at least 30 seconds before drinking or cooking with it after testing showed a rise in the percentage of homes with elevated levels of lead ... about 14 percent — exceeded allowable lead levels"

Insufficient vitamin D levels in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients linked to cancer progression and death - Science Daily, 11/3/10 - "patients with insufficient levels of vitamin D when their leukemia was diagnosed progressed much faster and were about twice as likely to die as were patients with adequate levels of vitamin D ... They also found solid trends: increasing vitamin D levels across patients matched longer survival times and decreasing levels matched shortening intervals between diagnosis and cancer progression ... Other studies have suggested that low vitamin D levels at diagnosis may be associated with poorer outcomes in colorectal, breast, melanoma and lung cancers, as well as lymphoma ... Vitamin D insufficiency, in general, is widespread" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

The science of the ‘next generation’ vitamin E - Nutra USA, 11/3/10 - "there are eight forms of vitamin E: four tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma, delta) and four tocotrienols (alpha, beta, gamma, delta). Alpha-tocopherol (alpha-Toc) is the main source found in supplements and in the European diet, while gamma-tocopherol (gamma-Toc) is the most common form in the American diet ... In terms of benefits to the body, [tocotrienols] would protect a larger area of membrane in a cell, than a tocopherol that stays stationary in one place ... Heart disease ... Cancer ... Immune health ... Brain health ... Male pattern baldness" - See Jarrow FamilE (contains all eight members of the vitamin E family, includes Tocomin) at Amazon.com.

Abstracts from this week's Doctor's Guide Nutrition/Dietetics plus abstracts from my RSS feeds (Click here for the journals, the PubMed ones at the top):

A randomized controlled trial of the effects of vitamin d on muscle strength and mobility in older women with vitamin d insufficiency - J Am Geriatr Soc. 2010 Nov;58(11):2063-8 - "Vitamin D therapy was observed to increase muscle function in those who were the weakest and slowest at baseline. Vitamin D should be given to people with insufficiency or deficiency to improve muscle strength and mobility" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Fish consumption and myocardial infarction: a second prospective biomarker study from northern Sweden - Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Nov 3 - "fish also contains methylmercury, which may increase the risk of MI ... mercury (Ery-Hg) ... selenium (Ery-Se) ... (eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids) in plasma phospholipids (P-EPA+DHA) ... sudden cardiac deaths (SCDs) ... Odds ratios for the third compared with the first tertile were 0.65 (95% CI: 0.46, 0.91) for Ery-Hg, 0.75 (95% CI: 0.53, 1.06) for Ery-Se, and 0.78 (95% CI: 0.54, 1.11) for P-EPA+DHA. Ery-Hg and P-EPA+DHA were intercorrelated (Spearman's R = 0.34). No association was seen for reported fish consumption ... High concentrations of Ery-Se were associated with an increased risk of SCD" - Note:  See my Toxins in Fish/Fish oil page.  Mercury has not been a problem in brand name supplements.  See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

Pilot, Prospective, Randomized, Double-masked, Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial of an Omega-3 Supplement for Dry Eye - Cornea. 2010 Oct 28 - "Dietary supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids in dry eye showed no significant effect in meibum lipid composition or aqueous tear evaporation rate. On the other hand, the average tear production and tear volume was increased in the omega-3 group as indicated by both Schirmer testing and fluorophotometry"  - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

Influence of diet enriched with Conjugated Linoleic Acids on their distribution in tissues of rats with DMBA induced tumors - Lipids Health Dis. 2010 Nov 2;9(1):126 - "Animals were divided into four groups depending on the diet supplementation (oil or Bio-C.L.A. (Pharma Nord Denmark) given intragastrically) and presence or absence of carcinogenic agent (7,12-dimethylbenz[a]antharcene) ... Diet enriched with CLA decreased the cancer morbidity (67% in Bio-C.L.A. compared to 88% in oil) and delayed the cancer induction" - See conjugated linoleic acid at Amazon.com.

n-3 Fatty Acids and Periodontitis in US Adults - J Am Diet Assoc. 2010 Nov;110(11):1669-75 - "Compared with the lowest tertiles, the adjusted odds ratios for periodontitis associated with the highest tertiles of dietary n-3 intake were 0.78 (95% CI 0.61 to 1.00; P=0.009) for DHA, 0.85 (95% CI 0.67 to 1.08; P=0.10) for EPA, and 0.86 (95% CI 0.60 to 1.23; P=0.28) for LNA" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

Omega-3 fatty acids for major depressive disorder associated with the menopausal transition: a preliminary open trial - Menopause. 2010 Oct 27 - "The pretreatment and final mean MADRS scores were 24.2 and 10.7, respectively, reflecting a significant decrease in MADRS scores (P < 0.0001). The response rate was 70% (MADRS score decrease of ≥50%), and the remission rate was 45% (final MADRS score of ≤7). Responders had significantly lower pretreatment docosahexaenoic acid levels than nonresponders did (P = 0.03). Hot flashes were present in 15 (75%) participants. Among those with hot flashes at baseline, the number of hot flashes per day improved significantly from baseline (P = 0.02) and Hot Flash Related Daily Interference Scale scores decreased significantly ... These data support further study of omega-3 fatty acids for major depressive disorder and hot flashes in women during the menopausal transition" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

Low-salt diet increases insulin resistance in healthy subjects - Metabolism. 2010 Oct 29 - "Low-salt (LS) diet activates the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone and sympathetic nervous systems, both of which can increase insulin resistance (IR) ... Low-salt diet was significantly associated with higher homeostasis model assessment index independent of age, sex, blood pressure, body mass index, serum sodium and potassium, serum angiotensin II, plasma renin activity, serum and urine aldosterone, and urine epinephrine and norepinephrine. Low-salt diet is associated with an increase in IR. The impact of our findings on the pathogenesis of diabetes and cardiovascular disease needs further investigation"

Coffee consumption and the risk of heart failure in Finnish men and women - Heart. 2010 Oct 27 - "Coffee consumption does not increase the risk of HF in Finnish men and women. In women, an inverse association was observed between low to moderate coffee consumption and the risk of HF"

Health Focus (SAM-e):

News & Research:

• SAM-e at Amazon.com
• Adding Nutritional Supplement to Antidepressant Therapy May Boost Response in Refractory Depression - Medscape, 8/18/10 - "significantly more SAMe-treated than placebo-treated patients (36.1% vs 17.6%) experienced a clinical response on the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), which was the primary study outcome. Remission rates (ie, HAM-D score of ≤7) were also higher with SAMe than with placebo (25.8% vs 11.7%)"
• Nutritional Supplement, SAMe, Effective In Preventing Formation Of Primary Liver Cancer In Rats - Science Daily, 7/30/09 - "A new study investigated the effectiveness of S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) in the prevention and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or primary liver cancer. SAMe, a widely available nutritional supplement, with little known side effects, was found to be effective in preventing the formation of HCC in rats" - [Abstract]
• Can SAM-e Hurt My Heart? - Dr. Weil, 10/10/08 - "Since SAM-e is ultimately converted in the body to homocysteine, it is theoretically possible that taking it could elevate homocysteine levels. But that doesn't happen. In fact, SAM-e actually appears to lower homocysteine by helping the body metabolize it"
• SAMe review - ConsumerLab.com, 4/26/07
• Report: Same - Life Extension Magazine, 4/07
• Improvement of aggressive behavior and quality of life impairment following S-Adenosyl-Methionine (SAM-e) augmentation in schizophrenia - Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2008 Sep 26 - "Eighteen patients with chronic schizophrenia were randomly assigned to receive either SAM-e (800 mg) or placebo for 8 weeks in double-blind fashion. Results indicated some reduction in aggressive behavior and improved quality of life following SAM-e administration. Female patients showed improvement of depressive symptoms"
• 8 natural pain relievers - MSNBC, 9/14/08 - "Capsaicin: For arthritis, shingles, or neuropathy ... InflaThera or Zyflamend: For arthritis ... Aquamin: For osteoarthritis ... SAM-e (S adenosylmethionine): For osteoarthritis ... Fish oil: For joint pain from arthritis or autoimmune disorders ... Methylsulfonyl-methane (MSM): For osteoarthritis"
• Patients Seek Natural Alternatives to NSAIDs - Clinical Psychiatry News, 7/05 - "SAMe appeared to be as effective as NSAIDs in reducing pain and improving functionality with fewer adverse effects than NSAIDS"
• SAMe - A Natural Compound that Offers Safe, Effective Relief from Depression, Osteoarthritis, and Liver Disease - Life Extension Magazine, 1/05 - "SAMe offers arthritis relief without the side effects associated with NSAIDs. Given its safety and tolerability record, SAMe supplementation is recommended for anyone interested in maintaining optimal liver function. Finally, SAMe is a valuable and effective tool for managing depression, offering a safe, effective alternative to prescription medications"
• SAMe Bioavailability and Lack of Toxicity in Humans - Medscape, 12/16/04
• Small Study Shows SAMe May Improve Treatment Of Depression - Science Daily, 12/9/04
• Dietary Supplement Ups Antidepressant Effect - WebMD, 12/2/04 - "Half the patients in the study reported significant improvement in symptoms when they took SAMe along with their prescription antidepressant for six weeks. Forty-three percent reported having no depression symptoms at all six weeks after adding the dietary supplement to their treatment"
• S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe) - A Very Important Natural Product - Dr. Murray's Natural Facts, 6/2/04 - "SAMe is perhaps the most effective natural antidepressant (although a strong argument could be made for the extract of St. John's wort standardized to contain 0.3% hypericin)" - See iHerb or Vitacost SAMe products.
• Supplement SAM-e Helps Beat Depression - WebMD, 5/5/04 - "When SAM-e was added to their usual medication, half of the patients improved and 43% went into remission, Alpert reports. "These are quite strong responses and remission rates for a population that failed traditional therapy.""
• S-Adenosyl Methionine May Be As Efficacious As Celecoxib in Management of Knee Osteoarthritis, But Onset of Action Is Slower - Doctor's Guide, 5/4/04 - "During the first month of phase 1, celecoxib was significantly more effective in reducing pain than was SAMe (P= .024); however, by the second month of phase 1, patients in both groups had significant pain improvement from baseline (PS</i>] < .01), and no significant difference in pain was observed between groups"
• A New Era for SAMe - Life Extension Magazine, 6/03
• Cirque choreographer promotes new twist on joint health - USA Today, 9/9/03
• S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine Results Similar to Imipramine in Major Depression - Doctor's Guide, 12/30/02 - "A total of 146 patients received 400 milligrams per day of intramuscular SAMe and 147 received 150 mg/d of oral imipramine ... SAMe and imipramine did not differ significantly on any efficacy measure, either main or secondary ... Adverse events were significantly less in patients treated with SAMe compared to those treated with imipramine" - Note:  There seems to be conflicting studies on whether oral SAMe is poorly absorbed.  I've added absorption studies near the bottom of my SAMe page.  Maybe the difference is "Enteric coating" tablets.
• SAMe Beneficial in Treating Osteoarthritis, Depression, and Liver Disease - New Hope Natural Media, 12/12/02 - "More than 100 human studies have been published in medical journals showing that SAMe is a safe, effective treatment and, in the cases of depression and osteoarthritis, works as well as conventional medications"
• SAM-e Same As Drugs - Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals, 12/02
• Supplement [SAM-e] Found Effective As Antidepressant - Intelihealth, 11/6/02 - "The dietary supplement SAMe is about as effective as older, conventional antidepressants in treating depression, a preliminary, government-funded study says. It also finds SAMe to be comparable to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications in treating the pain of osteoarthritis. Such drugs include aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen"
• Expert Panel Finds SAMe Promising - WebMD, 10/10/02 - "As a treatment for depression, SAMe was shown to be as effective as antidepressants, and more effective than placebo. SAMe also had fewer side effects when compared with standard antidepressants ... As a treatment for osteoarthritis, SAMe had fewer digestive side effects than anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, yet was effective in relieving pain ... SAMe is a natural substance for the body, it's not a designer drug, and therefore can be carried in, absorbed into pathways," ... The L-dopa medication that patients take for Parkinson's makes them unusually SAMe-deficient "because L-dopa consumes vast quantities of SAMe, like a sponge, it mops up all the SAMe in the body." - See iHerb or Vitacost SAMe products.
• Government Report Concludes: Dietary Supplement SAM-e Equally Effective as Prescription Drugs for Depression, Osteoarthritis - Vitacost/Business Wire, 10/3/02
• SAMe aids arthritis without side effects - Life Extension Magazine, 10/02
• The Wizard is Oz - Life Extension Magazine, 11/01 - "Best-selling author and nutritional guru to the rich and famous, Oz Garcia is singing the praises of the Life Extension Foundation and its products in his newest book, The Healthy High Tech Body, published in September 2001 ... Supplements at the top of Garcia's list of recommendations ... DHA ... NADH ... Alpah Lipoic Acid ... Acetyl-L-Carnitine ... An expanded list of his recommendations includes lycopene, gamma tocopherol, vinpocetine, SAMe, folic acid, carnosine, glutathione, DMAE, Huperzine A, probiotics, MSM, secretagogues, arginine pyroglutamate, IP-6, bioflavonoid formulas and grape skin/seed extracts"
• Some SAMe Supplements Found Lacking, About Half Had Less of the Active Ingredient Than Labels Implied - WebMD. 5/29/01 - "ConsumerLab.com found that about half the 13 products it tested were accurately labeled as to their SAMe content. Some brands alleged to contain 200 mg actually had about half that, because manufacturers factored in not just the weight of "free" SAMe -- the "therapeutic" portion -- but also an inactive SAMe ingredient"
• Caution in Treating PD Depression - Nutrition Science News, 5/01 - "SAMe depletes dopamine and can produce PD-like changes in animals, causing cell degeneration in the nigra and striatum areas of the brain"
• Diet, Supplements, Exercise and Sauna - Life Extension Magazine, 9/99 - "TMG, on the other hand, is very effective at raising the levels of SAMe and lowering homocysteine."
• SAMe Needs The B's - Nutrition Science News, 7/00 - "users of this wonder pill should be aware that through the natural metabolism of SAMe, the amino acid homocysteine is created--a situation that can lead to artery damage and even heart disease. . . . .others have demonstrated that by simply upping one's intake of the vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid, this potential hazard can be avoided." - Note:  TMG is a precursor to SAM-e and lowers homocysteine instead of raising it.
• Depression Protocol - Life Extension Foundation
• Newsweek magazine, 3/22/99
  "...SAM-e appears comparable to state-of-the-art treatments for both conditions [arthritis and depression]. And unlike the leading drug therapies, it lacks significant side effects. Dr. Richard Brown [co-author of "Stop Depression Now"] a Columbia University Psychiatrist describes it as the 'best anti-depressant I've ever prescribed." "...it's cheaper than many prescription remedies. And if it lives up to its promise, it may be more valuable."
• The link between homocysteine levels and SAMe, plus... - Life Extension Magazine, 1/01
• S-adenosyl-L-methionine as an Antidepressant, Results of a MEDLINE Search - Ivan Goldberg, MD
• SAMe - IAS
• SAM-e: The antidepressant celebrity - CNN, 10/14/99
• SAMe Part 4: Treatment for Arthritis - Life Extension Magazine, 9/97
• SAMe - Part 3: The Liver Super- Nutrient - Life Extension Magazine, 6/97
• S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe) - Part 2: Fast-Acting Natural Antidepressant - Life Extension Magazine, 4/97
• S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe) An Exciting New Antiaging Therapy - Life Extension Magazine, 3/97

Abstracts:

• S-Adenosyl Methionine (SAMe) Augmentation of Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors for Antidepressant Nonresponders With Major Depressive Disorder: A Double-Blind, Randomized Clinical Trial - Am J Psychiatry. 2010 Jul 1 - "These preliminary results suggest that SAMe can be an effective, well-tolerated, and safe adjunctive treatment strategy for SRI nonresponders with major depressive disorder and warrant replication"
• S-adenosylmethionine in the chemoprevention and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma in a rat model - Hepatology. 2009 Apr 6 - "SAMe is effective in preventing HCC establishment but ineffective in treating established HCC because of induction of hepatic methyltransferases, which prevents SAMe level to reach high enough to kill liver cancer cells. SAMe's chemopreventive effect may be related to its proapoptotic action and its ability to inhibit angiogenes"
• Dietary Supplement S-Adenosyl-l-Methionine (AdoMet) Effects on Plasma Homocysteine Levels in Healthy Human Subjects: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized Clinical Trial - J Altern Complement Med. 2009 May 7 - "S-adenosyl-l-methionine (AdoMet), a commonly used nutritional supplement ... AdoMet at a daily dose of 800 mg for 4 weeks does not appear to significantly affect Hcy levels in the blood"
• Efficacy of a Vitamin/Nutriceutical Formulation for Early-stage Alzheimer's Disease: A 1-Year, Open-Label Pilot Study With an 16-Month Caregiver Extension - Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen. 2008 Dec 1 - "We examined the efficacy of a vitamin/nutriceutical formulation (folate, vitamin B6, alpha-tocopherol, S-adenosyl methionine, N-acetyl cysteine, and acetyl-L-carnitine) in a 12-month, open-label trial with 14 community-dwelling individuals with early-stage Alzheimer's disease. Participants improved in the Dementia Rating Scale and Clock-drawing tests (Clox 1 and 2). Family caregivers reported improvement in multiple domains of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) and maintenance of performance in the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living (ADL). Sustained performance was reported by caregivers for those participants who continued in an 16-month extension. Performance on the NPI was equivalent to published findings at 3 to 6 months for donepezil and exceeded that of galantamine and their historical placebos. Participants demonstrated superior performance for more than 12 months in NPI and ADL versus those receiving naproxen and rofecoxib or their placebo group. This formulation holds promise for treatment of early-stage Alzheimer's disease prior to and/or as a supplement for pharmacological approaches"
• S-adenosylmethionine blood levels in major depression: changes with drug treatment - Acta Neurol Scand Suppl. 1994;154:15-8
• S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAMe) as antidepressant: meta-analysis of clinical studies - Acta Neurol Scand Suppl. 1994;154:7-14
• Oral S-adenosylmethionine in depression: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial - Am J Psychiatry. 1990 May;147(5):591-5
• The antidepressant potential of oral S-adenosyl-l-methionine - Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1990 May;81(5):432-6

Absorption Information:

• Intestinal absorption of S-adenosyl-L-methionine - J Pharmacol Exp Ther 1979 Jun;209(3):323-6
• SAM-e (S-Adenosylmethionine) - James South - "Because SAMe tablets are enterically coated, they should NOT be cut in half to achieve a lower dose- the SAMe may then break down before absorption"

Note:  There seems to be conflicting studies on whether oral SAMe is poorly absorbed.  Maybe the difference is "Enteric coating" tablets.

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