Methyl Sulfonylmethane, better known as MSM, is a nutrient that I’ve used quite a bit clinically and also in several of my joint formulations with great success.

and is a non-metallic, organic sulfur compound. It is also found in human blood (0.2 ppm) and urine (4 — 11 mgs per day), which tells us that our bodies use sulfur in the form of MSM. It’s been also found in green vegetables, fresh fruit, cow’s milk, and in their adrenal glands^II. Cow’s milk is a very rich source of MSM, however, heating and processing can reduce MSM levels in our foods^III. In fact, it’s been suggested that the primary source of sulfur (85%) in all living organisms occurs in the form of MSM and related compounds, like DMSO (dimethylsulfoxide) and DMS (dimethylsulfide)^IV.

How MSM is created in our own atmosphere is quite fascinating. The MSM, or sulfur, cycle begins in the ocean with the production of dimethylsulfonium salts created and released from small organisms, called plankton. These salts are then transformed in the ocean waters into a gas, dimethylsulfide (DMS), which then escapes and rises into the upper atmosphere. At this point, the

Both MSM and DMSO are water-soluble and then return to the earth’s surface in raindrops. Again, because they have an affinity for water, these sulfur compounds are very quickly absorbed through the roots of plants and are incorporated into their various structures. After humans or animals eat the plants, the wastes are quickly turned back into the mineral sulfur, transported back into the oceans and the MSM cycle begins one more time. As a result,

Sulfur is used to create more than 150 different compounds in our bodies, including enzymes, hormones, antibodies, antioxidants, and body tissues. It is found in extremely high concentrations in our connective tissues of our joints. Experiments using radiolabeled MSM have shown that after ingestion, MSM donates its sulfur to help in the construction of collagen, which makes up 50% of joint cartilage. This study also showed that this same sulfur was used in the formation of collagen and keratin found in hair and nails^V. Sulfur is also used in nature to create two very important sulfur-containing essential amino acids, cysteine and methionine.

In a double-blind study performed by Ronald Lawrence, M.D., Ph.D. on patients diagnosed with osteoarthritis, MSM exhibited wonderful results in controlling pain and inflammation. This study examined sixteen patients over a period of four months. Ten of them were given MSM and six of them were given a sucrose (sugar) placebo. The patients ranged from age 55 to age 78, and all of them had x-ray evidence of degenerative joint disease, also known as osteoarthritis. All of these patients had pain ranging from four weeks to six months, and most of them had tried non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for pain relief. These same drugs have been found to actually increase joint damage and were stopped, at least, three days prior to beginning the study. An independent evaluator kept records and both physicians and patients were blinded. Evaluation consisted of the patient marking a line, which was labeled 1 — 100 with 1 being "no pain" and 100 being "pain as bad as could possibly be." This method is known as the visual analogue pain scale, or VAS, and was completed by the patient at the fourth week and sixth week of the study.

Those on the placebo experienced a 20% improvement at week 4, but decreased to 18% improvement at week 6^VI.

Researchers at Oregon Health Sciences University studied a particular strain of mice that spontaneously developed joint problems very similar to that of rheumatoid arthritis in humans. They found that when they fed these mice MSM mixed in their drinking water at 3% solution, these same mice did not develop any joint degeneration. However, in a control group, examined over the same amount of time (age 2 months to 5 months), 50% of these mice developed degeneration of the joint articular cartilage^VII.