Stop Depression Now: SAM-e: The Breakthrough Supplement that Works as Well as Prescription Drugs

SAM-e (pronounced "sammy"), short for S-adenosyl-methionine, will revolutionize the treatment of depression in the U.S. as it has for two decades in Europe, claim authors Richard Brown and Teodoro Bottiglieri. Not an herb, not a prescription drug, SAM-e is an over-the-counter natural supplement that has undergone extensive testing and has just become available in the U.S. "Study after study has confirmed that SAM-e works as well as or better than any other antidepressant," say the authors. It also works faster and with far fewer side effects, and it seems to help osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia as well.

Stop Depression Now is more than a book about SAM-e. It also presents a four-step program to lift you out of depression and prevent a recurrence. Step 1 is a self-assessment test to determine the severity of your depression. Step 2 includes information on how to use SAM-e. Step 3 is a diet plan that emphasizes foods and vitamins that will help you feel better (and avoid those that will make you feel worse). Step 4 offers lifestyle changes and therapeutic techniques to help you in the long term.

The authors' credentials show that they know their subject: Richard Brown is an associate professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, a psychiatrist in private practice, and a research physician; Teodoro Bottiglieri is a senior research scientist, director of neuropharmacology, and associate professor at Baylor University Medical Center, and has been studying SAM-e for 15 years.

If you are severely depressed or suicidal, have a history of drug or alcohol abuse, or are already taking an antidepressant, confer with your health professional before taking SAM-e--do not self-treat. Otherwise, the authors certainly make this supplement sound like a breakthrough tool for depression. --Joan Price