MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane)

http://www.lef.org/protocols/prtcls-txt/t-prtcl-156.html

Methylsulfonylmethane or dimethyl sulfone (MSM) is a naturally occurring sulfur compound. Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and dimethylsulfide (DMS) are closely related compounds. In its purified form, MSM has no odor and is a slightly bitter tasting, water-soluble, white, crystalline powder that contains 34% elemental sulfur (chemical formula of [CH₃]2SO₂). The origins of MSM begin with the phytoplankton in the ocean. DMS is produced through a complex process occurring in the ocean. DMS escapes as a gas and rises into the upper atmosphere. (Some atmospheric chemists suggest that MSM and its related compounds, DMSO and DMS, are the source of 85% of the sulfur compounds in all living organisms.) In the atmosphere, DMS is oxidized by ozone and ultraviolet light into its chemical cousins, DMSO and MSM. DMSO and MSM return to the earth in rain, where they are absorbed by the soil. Then plants rapidly take up the two compounds and concentrate them. Next, animals eat the plants, which completes the cycle (Prater 1999).

Therefore, as a result of the cycle that began with phytoplankton, MSM occurs naturally in the human body as a result of the food we eat. It is a normal component of fresh fruits, vegetables, seafood, and meat and can also be found in tea, coffee, and chocolate. MSM can be detected in the circulatory system (about 0.2 ppm in a normal adult male) and in human urine. Normal adult humans excrete from 4-11 mg of MSM each day in their urine. The concentration of MSM decreases with age in vertebrates. Therefore some research suggests there is a minimum concentration of MSM that must be maintained in the body to preserve normal function and structure (Prater 1999).

Chelation involves a sulfur donor (Esteves et al. 2000). Because MSM is a compound that contains sulfur, theoretically it could be beneficial as a part of a detoxification protocol for heavy metals (e.g., there is a sulfur component in glutathione, methionine, cysteine, and NAC). After administering cadmium to rats, cysteine and methionine were given in combination. Esteves et al. (2000) found that cadmium was removed from the circulatory system, preventing its deleterious effects. In addition to its detoxifying potential, MSM has potential for allergy response reduction, control of hyperactivity, constipation relief, cancer prevention, and inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid and degenerative arthritis (Prater 1999).

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