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Jarrow Formulas SAM-e an Honest Review

Topics Discussed:

0:16 – How Testing For Pyroluria Led Me To SAM-e
1:00 – Taking the First Dose
1:14 – Day 6 Thoughts and Feelings
1:37 – Lowered Motivation and Reduced Social Anxiety
2:10 – Month And A Half Later
2:40 – Dating More Women and Increased Pleasure
3:15 – Effects of SAM-e On Meditation
3:55 – Having More Fun Versus Working on SAM-e
4:30 – SAM-e with L-Phenylalanine
5:25 – Should You Try SAM-e?

I used to sit there and debate back and forth whether or not something would work in overcoming my depression.  It wasn’t until I had a severe depressive episode after my best friend died that I decided to think openly about different approaches.

If it looks safe and the research is safe – just try it and see.  That’s much better than debating back and forth in your head.

One thing I hadn’t tried yet was SAM-e (S-Adenosyl Methionine) but I had always heard about it.  I took one pill of Jarrow Formulas SAM-e 200mg every morning until the box was empty and recorded my experiences.

So how does SAM-e work?

Methylation Process And SAM-e

The body makes neurotransmitters out of amino acids by changing the amino acid slightly.  It usually does this by sticking a methyl group onto it.

The body needs a way to supply these methyl groups in order to use these amino acids for neurotransmitter production.  The methyl groups are attached to a molecule called SAM.  SAM delivers the methyl groups to where they are needed. Methylation is where the methyl group jumps off the SAM molecule to the amino acid.

After this happens, that SAM molecule turns into Homocysteine which is normally recycled back into the whole process.  A methyl group is added to SAM, it carries it back up to where it is needed, and the methyl group pops off again.  In order for this to happen correctly, the body needs the right amount of vitamins and nutrients, specifically Vitamin B12 and folic acid.

If it sounds complicated just remember this – if you don’t have enough nutrients in your body, the Homocysteine builds up and SAM isn’t made.  If SAM isn’t carrying methyl groups to where they are needed, neurotransmitters are not made, which is bad for depression.

The supplement SAM-e increases the supply of SAM in the body leading to an increased amount of methylation and therefore more neurotransmitters in the brain.

When I took a test for Pyroluria, my results actually showed that I had high levels of homocysteine.  So trying out SAM-e seemed to be a good choice.

Why I Chose Jarrow Formulas SAM-e 200mg

When researching SAM-e, Jarrow Formulas kept popping up.  It had numerous 5-Star reviews on Amazon and excellent reviews on other sites.  I had used Jarrow Formulas 5-HTP before and knew the brand was high quality.

Supposedly SAM-e also reacts with exposed to air.  If SAM-e is in a jar it can lose its potency quickly.  Jarrow Formulas puts their SAM-e in blister packs so they are protected from light and air.

I chose Jarrow Formulas SAM e 200 mg over Jarrow Formulas SAM-e 400 mg because I like to start with the lowest dose of something first. It’s safer and if a lower dose works that’s all you need anyways.  With supplements it’s always best to start low and increase the dose from there.

It’s the only brand I have tried and I’m sure there are other brands of SAM-e that work, but it appears to be the highest quality choice.

Reduced Anxiety and Enhanced Dating Life

The first thing I noticed was that I had reduced anxiety and increased pleasure.  Things started to feel slightly good for no reason at all and I was really enjoying my time.  My anxiety was reduced and I had an easier time talking to people.

After about a week of taking SAM-e I all a sudden started dating a bunch of women at once.  I dated more women in a few weeks than I usually do in a month.  I’m not sure why, but talking to the opposite sex seemed to come a lot more naturally.  I think that the effect of lowered anxiety also helped me with my sex drive as well.

Listening to music sounded better, riding a motorcycle through town was more fun than normal, and overall I was more laid back about things.

During one part of the experiment I got a little sick, but I also hurried and jotted down a few notes.  In my notes looking back I mention not feeling as motivated when it comes to work and how I just wanted to date women instead.

Lowered Anxiety, Increased Pleasure, But Lowered Motivation

I noticed after a while though that I was having a lot more fun than I was working.  I had lowered motivation and just wanted to have a good time.  This is the first time I’ve actually understood how some people get distracted by having a bunch of fun all the time.

I’ve always been able to work hard when I need to and ignore going out and having fun, but when I was taking SAM-e going out and having fun seemed to a much better choice.

After a while I realized that I wasn’t working anymore, so I decided to try supplementing with L-Phenylalanine with the SAM-e.

Combining SAM-e with L-Phenylalanine

Combing these two gave me even more pleasure than before.  I was able to work, but it felt like I had a lot of endorphins running through my brain.  I was really social, wanted to hang out with everybody, and I felt a lot more caring and loving.

Amino acids need to be taken on an empty stomach.  Since amino acids need some time to absorb, it is perfect for me to take them first thing in the morning and then meditate for 20 minutes.

During my meditation taking SAM-e and L-Phenylalanine together I would drift off into pleasurable states of mind all the time.  Before the experiment I would rigidly focus on my breath and not waver too much.  Taking the SAM-e and L-Phenylalanine beforehand I noticed I would sit there in an almost blissful state for 20 minutes.

Other Uses of SAM-e

I personally used SAM-e as an experiment to see how it would affect my daily mood and took it in the morning.  However, some people have taken SAM-e at night to help with sleep.  Other people take SAM-e to help with

joint pain.

It makes a lot of sense because Methylation isn’t just need for making neurotransmitters.  It is involved in numerous functions throughout the body.  If you have poor Methylation, you are also at risk for things like cardiovascular disease.

SAM-e has been known to help people suffering from liver disease and osteoarthritis.

Conclusion

Technically, people shouldn’t need SAM-e if they have enough B Vitamins (especially folate and B12) because that’s enough for the methylation process to function normally.

Some sources say that if you take SAM-e when you still have a shortage of B Vitamins necessary for Methylation, you will still build up Homocysteine in the body.

I don’t think SAM-e is a long term solution, but something that would be great to have for when you need it.  You are going strong for a few months, then are under a bunch of stress and feel like you are worn down, then take SAM-e for a week or two to get back on track.

Regardless, I can say that SAM-e definitely had an effect on me and works.  If it is something you haven’t tried yet I would recommend trying it out, especially if you know you might have higher levels of homocysteine (and therefore have an issue with Methylation).

The optimal solution is to have enough Vitamin B12, TMG, and folic acid to have the Methylation process occur naturally, but SAM-e can give you a boost if you need it.  SAM-e is a great choice if other supplements don’t work.