Transcript
Nutritional Outlook: How do B vitamin levels in the body influence cognitive function? What relationship does SAMe have to these outcomes?
Andrea Fuso: Okay, B vitamins can influence cognitive outcomes in different ways, but one great portion—because B vitamins are involved in in different enzymatic activities—and, for example, in all the energetic processes, B vitamins are co-factors for enzymes involved in the energy production by carbohydrates and by lipids. So even having the necessary energetic background can influence the cognitive function. The brain is consuming a lot of carbohydrates, for example, for its function.
Beside this aspect, the key molecules is, once again, SAMe. Cause SAMe, as I told you, is a precursor of neurotransmitters. And in fact, SAMe was used in the in the US since, I think 10 or 20 years ago, it was used just as a pharma drug. And now is nutraceutical drug, but it was a pharma drug, and it was used as a mild antidepressant because of its role in the synthesis of acetylcholine, for example, and it also has an effect as a hepatoprotector, because the methylation reactions are often the first step for detoxifying drugs or end exogenous compounds. So SAMe is a sort of key in this in this aspect.
