MSM - - A Wonderful Remedy

"After one year on MSM my arthritis is almost vanished."   I have heard this story from many patients over the years.   Considering that one can buy one hundred 500 mg. capsules for 3-4 dollars, it is a real bargain.

Methyl-sulfonyl-methane (MSM) is a naturally-occurring sulfur compound found in our bodies as well as in many common beverages and foods, including milk, coffee, tea and green vegetables.   In its purified chemical form, it is an odorless, essentially tasteless, white, water soluble crystalline solid.   It is one of the least toxic substances in biology, similar in toxicity to water.

MSM is a relative to dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), a unique therapeutic agent used worldwide in the treatment of many painful and inflammatory conditions.   MSM has many of DMSO's properties, but without the oyster-like odor and other side effects.

Naturally-occurring sulfur, such as that found in MSM, is not similar to inorganic sulfides, sulfites and sulfates to which many people are allergic.

What does it do?

Some of MSM's essential functions in the body include maintaining the structure of the proteins in the body, helping the formation of keratin which is essential for hair and nail growth, aiding in the production of immunoglobulin which maintains the immune system, and catalyzing the chemical reactions which change food into energy.

Where does it come from?

The cycle of MSM begins in the ocean where microscopic plants called plankton release sulfur compounds.   These salts are transformed in the ocean water into the very volatile compound dimethyl sulfide (DMS) which escapes from the ocean as a gas.   DMS rises into the upper atmosphere, and in the presence of ozone and high-energy ultraviolet light, is converted into its cousins, dimethyl sulfide (DMSO) and MSM.   Unlike the DMS, both DMSO and MSM are very soluble in water, and they return to earth in the form of rain.   On earth, plants take MSM into their root systems and concentrate it.   MSM and the sulfur it contains is incorporated into the plants' structure.   Through the plants' metabolism, MSM, along with other sulfur compounds it has spawned, is ultimately mineralized and transported back to the sea.

Why do we need it?

For centuries, mankind has soaked in sulfur-rich mineral hot springs to help heal a variety of ailments.   While sulfur's natural anti-inflammatory properties have shown benefits for a range of health problems, including arthritis, muscle and joint pain, much is still unknown about precisely how sulfur works in the body.   Many researchers believe that sulfur, the eighth most abundant element in the body, is a sorely-neglected mineral nutrient and plays an indispensable role in human nutrition.   MSM and its related compounds provide the source of 85 percent of the sulfur found in all living organisms.

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