S-Adenosylmethionine

Articles tagged with "S-Adenosylmethionine".

SAMe as Adjuvant Therapy for Depression: Updated Meta-Analysis

Tags: SAMe Depression, S-Adenosylmethionine, Adjuvant Therapy, Natural Antidepressant

November 23, 2025

Does SAMe help depression?

SAMe produces similar antidepressant effects to imipramine and escitalopram, with no significant difference in effectiveness compared to these conventional medications. An updated meta-analysis of 14 randomized controlled trials with 1,522 patients found that SAMe was equivalent to standard antidepressants when used as monotherapy, though results as an adjunctive therapy were less clear.

SAMe works by increasing the turnover rate of dopamine and serotonin in the brain, improving neurotransmitter synthesis and cellular methylation processes that are often disrupted in depression.

SAMe Augmentation in Major Depressive Disorder: Clinical Trial

Tags: SAMe Augmentation, Treatment-Resistant Depression, S-Adenosylmethionine, Antidepressant Adjunct

November 23, 2025

Does SAMe help when antidepressants don’t work?

Yes. SAMe augmentation produces approximately 2 times greater response rates (36.1% vs. 17.6%) and more than 2 times greater remission rates (25.8% vs. 11.7%) compared to placebo in patients with treatment-resistant depression. A randomized controlled trial of 73 patients who failed prior SSRI treatment found that adding SAMe to ongoing antidepressants provided clinically meaningful improvements comparable to FDA-approved augmentation medications.

SAMe works by increasing the synthesis of brain neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine through its role as a major methyl donor in the one-carbon cycle, addressing underlying biochemical imbalances that may limit antidepressant effectiveness.