MSM for Optimum Joint Health and More
MSM, also called Methylsulfonylmethane is a naturally occurring substance and the third most common nutrient found in your body.
It has a remarkable range of health benefits that make it absolutely essential for optimum health (1).
What is MSM?
MSM is an organic compound commonly used to lower inflammation, enhance immune function, relieve joint pain, and help restore gut health.
The reason so many benefits are attributed to the MSM supplement is because MSM provides biologically active sulfur (2), which is the fourth most plentiful mineral in the body and needed for many different critical bodily functions every single day.
Many of the healthiest foods are high in sulfur, like garlic, cauliflower, onions, leeks, broccoli, cabbage, and kale.
MSM is sulfur-rich at 34 percent sulfur by weight.
It also plays a significant role in detoxification, and it helps the body make glutathione—one of the most powerful antioxidants in the body that reduce free radical damage (3).
The sulfur MSM provides is also used by the body to create methionine, a substance that helps the body form connective tissue, metabolize food, and optimize nutrient absorption for energy.
It can raise energy levels and also plays a role in fighting fatigue.
Decreases Joint Pain
A well-documented benefit of MSM is how it can help reduce joint inflammation, stimulate collagen production, and improve range of motion.
A 2015 study found that competitive runners that supplemented with MSM experienced a significant reduction in back and knee pain compared to a placebo (4).
Research shows that many patients with arthritis, joint pain, stiffness, knee/back problems and a limited range of motion experience a reduction in symptoms and improved quality of life when taking an MSM supplement.
Another study concluded that MSM was an effective treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee and improved movement needed to performing activities of daily living when compared to placebo (5).
Boosts Immunity and helps detoxify
MSM has been associated with improved immune function and accelerated healing. This is why many athletes and fitness-oriented people routinely use an MSM supplement to improve their performance, recovery time, and help rebuild both muscle and joint tissues .
Critically, the sulphur compound in MSM plays an important role in the glutathione production. Glutathione is considered to be a powerful antioxidant and plays an important role in detoxification (6).
Glutathione sticks to all kinds of toxins, which are then carried into the bile and carted right out by bowel movements.
Has Anti-Cancer Properties
MSM is increasingly considered a valuable tool in the fight against cancer.
Used alone, it has been shown to reduce breast cancer tumors and decreased the invasiveness of prostate cancer cells while making them self-destruct (7,8).
MSM has shown promise in treating gastrointestinal and esophageal cancers. A 2012 study found that MSM also slowed the growth of these cancers (9).
While exact processes by which MSM acts on cancer are still being studied, many health experts consider its anti-microbial properties and ability to eliminate lactic acid in the bloodstream possible reasons why (10).
Reducing lactic acid levels may change the environment in a way that harms these rogue cells.
MSM Restores Gut Health
By helping rebuild the digestive tract lining and reducing inflammation caused by certain foods, MSM is a powerful tonic for maintaining digestive health.
It also provides an effective treatment for leaky gut syndrome (11).
MSM can help keep food particles from entering the bloodstream through microscopic tears in the gut lining which can cause the inflammation and other (embarrassing) symptoms of a leaky gut.
The sulphur in MSM is also an important mineral for healthy digestion.
Relieves Symptoms of Seasonal Allergies
For many of us the onset of warmer weather is when we begin to suffer the red eyes and stuffed up nose of allergy season.
MSM may be a safe and effective solution, it can help reduce the symptoms of seasonal allergies and keep them under control.
It does this by inhibiting your histamine response (12). The histamines produced in response to pollen exposure are what cause the range of uncomfortable symptoms we can suffer for weeks or even months at a time.
The Next Level Difference
Our Next Level Superfoods Multivitamin includes a strong 500 mg of MSM in its formulation to help protect your joints, increase your gut health, help guard against skin cancer and boost your immunity.
REFERENCES
- Butawan M, Benjamin RL, Bloomer RJ. Methylsulfonylmethane: Applications and Safety of a Novel Dietary Supplement. Nutrients. 2017;9(3):290. Published 2017 Mar 16. doi:10.3390/nu9030290 – Link
- Wong T, Bloomer RJ, Benjamin RL, Buddington RK. Small Intestinal Absorption of Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) and Accumulation of the Sulfur Moiety in Selected Tissues of Mice. Nutrients. 2017;10(1):19. Published 2017 Dec 25. doi:10.3390/nu10010019 – Link
- Amirshahrokhi K, Khalili AR. Methylsulfonylmethane is effective against gastric mucosal injury. Eur J Pharmacol. 2017 Sep 15;811:240-248. doi: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2017.06.034. Epub 2017 Jun 28 – Link
- Withee ED, Tippens KM, Dehen R, Hanes D. Effects of MSM on exercise-induced muscle and joint pain: a pilot study. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2015;12(Suppl 1):P8. Published 2015 Sep 21. doi:10.1186/1550-2783-12-S1-P8 – Link
- van der Merwe M, Bloomer RJ. The Influence of Methylsulfonylmethane on Inflammation-Associated Cytokine Release before and following Strenuous Exercise. J Sports Med (Hindawi Publ Corp). 2016;2016:7498359. doi:10.1155/2016/7498359 – Link
- Ketterer B, Coles B, Meyer DJ. The role of glutathione in detoxication. Environ Health Perspect. 1983;49:59–69. doi:10.1289/ehp.834959 – Link
- Lim EJ, Hong DY, Park JH, et al. Methylsulfonylmethane suppresses breast cancer growth by down-regulating STAT3 and STAT5b pathways. PLoS One. 2012;7(4):e33361. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0033361 – Link
- Kowalska K, Habrowska-Górczyńska DE, Domińska K, Urbanek KA, Piastowska-Ciesielska AW. Methylsulfonylmethane (organic sulfur) induces apoptosis and decreases invasiveness of prostate cancer cells. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol. 2018 Dec;64:101-111. doi: 10.1016/j.etap.2018.10.001. Epub 2018 Oct 10 – Link
- Jafari N, Bohlooli S, Mohammadi S, Mazani M. Cytotoxicity of methylsulfonylmethane on gastrointestinal (AGS, HepG2, and KEYSE-30) cancer cell lines. J Gastrointest Cancer. 2012 Sep;43(3):420-5. doi: 10.1007/s12029-011-9291-z – Link
- Withee ED, Tippens KM, Dehen R, Tibbitts D, Hanes D, Zwickey H. Effects of Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) on exercise-induced oxidative stress, muscle damage, and pain following a half-marathon: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:24. Published 2017 Jul 21. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0181-z – Link
- Hamarneh SR, Mohamed MM, Economopoulos KP, et al. A novel approach to maintain gut mucosal integrity using an oral enzyme supplement. Ann Surg. 2014;260(4):706–715. doi:10.1097/SLA.0000000000000916 – Link
- Hewlings S, Kalman DS. Evaluating the Impacts of Methylsulfonylmethane on Allergic Rhinitis After a Standard Allergen Challenge: Randomized Double-Blind Exploratory Study. JMIR Res Protoc. 2018;7(11):e11139. Published 2018 Nov 29. doi:10.2196/11139 – Link