GENERAL INFORMATION: MSM is a safe and natural source of dietary sulfurthe type your body can absorb and use. Sulfur is the fourth most plentiful mineral in the body. It is required for proper synthesis and maintenance of connective tissues such as skin, hair, nails, tendons and cartilage. Sulfur is found in every cell of every animal and plant. It is also found in food such as eggs, and red peppers, but most is lost in washing, steaming, or cooking. Because of the presence of sulfur in connective tissue, a number of supplements claim MSM to be dietary treatment of osteoarthritis. There is some research to support MSM as an alleviator of arthritis pain and a supporter of connective tissue integrity (see research below).
SUPPORT: A double-blind study by the International Journal of Anti-Aging Medicine found that 80% of those who took 2250 mg of MSM daily for six weeks reported an average 82% improvement in pain relief, compared to an 18% improvement reported by those receiving the placebo (1). A group of researchers in Greenville, PA, treated patients suffering from acute injuries with MSM and placebo in a randomized double-blind study. Those who had been taking MSM averaged 58% symptom reduction, compared to only 33% for those on placebo. The authors postulated that MSM exhibits anti-inflammatory, enhancing blood supply to injured tissues and reducing muscle spasm. They conclude that MSM "should be considered as an invaluable addition for treatment of short-term athletic injuries"(2). MSM was also found to soften, smooth, lubricate, and preserve the pliancy of human tissue (3). Stress response systems including gastrointestinal upset, e.g., diarrhea, constipation, nausea, hyperacidity, inflammation of the mucous membrane, were found to dramatically improve after oral ingestion of MSM (3). The effective daily dosage of MSM appears to be 500-1,500 mg (3). Because MSM is naturally present in the body fluids and tissues of most if not all normal mammals, its mechanism of treating the physiological symptoms of stress appear to be less than that of a drug and more like a dietary supplement. Although MSM has not yet been established to be a vitamin, it does have a vitamin-like moderating or normalizing activity for various body functions (3). MSM appears to be found in lowering concentrations with increasing age. This may explain why MSM has proved generally more useful as a dietary supplement with adults (3). Because of MSM's chemical stability, low toxicity, good solvency, and water solubility, it has been demonstrated to be useful in other oral forms, e.g., mouth washes and toothpaste preparations (3). Bad breath associated with smoking or food is reduced or eliminated by cleansing the teeth and mouth with an MSM-containing preparation (3). Acne and other dermatological problems respond favorably to MSM as well (3). Individuals presenting signs and symptoms of pain and inflammation associated with various musculoskeletal system disorders reported substantial and long lasting relief while including from about 100 up to 5,000 mg of MSM per day in their daily diet (3). REFERENCES:
(1) Lawrence, R.M. Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM): A double-blind study of its use in Degenerative Arthritis. International Journal of Anti-Aging Medicine, 1998 I(I); 50.
(2) Lawrence R, Sanchez D, Grosman, M. Lignisul MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) in the treatment of acute athletic injuries. Greenville PA 1999.
(3) Herschler R.J. Dietary and pharmaceutical uses of methyl-sulfonylmethane and compositions comprising it. United States Patent 4,559,329. | |
