Dimethyl Sulfone a.k.a methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is a chemical compound which has been steadily gaining in popularity over the last few years. And logically, more supplements containing this ingredient have started to emerge onto the scene.
Yet, many supplement brands are not taking advantage by including MSM in their product lines. Perhaps dimethyl sulfone carries certain risks? Maybe it's ineffective? But what if it's actually an incredible chemical compound that can be utilized for a plethora of conditions?
In this post, we'll give an answer to these questions so make sure to get comfortable and read on.
Okay, but what on earth is it?
It's an organosulfur compound (or to put it simply, an organic sulfur) that comes in the form of many names like methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), DMSO2 and methyl sulfone among others.
This chemical can be found in vegetables, grains, milk, fruits and even animal urine. Dimethyl sulfone is actually an oxidation product of dimethyl sulfoxide and it's a source of sulfur, used for the creation of two amino acids - methionine and cysteine.
Also, It should be noted that methylsulfonylmethane is an odorless, white, crystalline and water-soluble compound. Also, it includes 34$ elemental sulfur as part of its structure.
What is dimethyl sulfone used for as a supplement?
There are tons of benefits currently associated with MSM supplementation. Although most of them can be categorized as an anti-inflammatory, this chemical compounds also has some intriguing perks related to hair growth.
So without further ado, here are the primary advantages of MSM:
- Anti-inflammatory properties -It is a great tool for battling inflammation as it helps with the transportation of metabolic wastes away from the cells
- Helps with hair and nail growth - Sulfur is a mandatory ingredient for the production of keratin and collagen and guess what these two are responsible for? The growth, strength and thickness of your hair and nails
- Better skin texture - As we already mentioned, MSM is required for the creation of collaged. And the loss of collagen as we age is the reason for the unpleasant wrinkles.
- Ultimately, methylsulfonylmethane normalizes the production of collaged and this in return drastically improves your skin
- Efficient detoxification - MSM is also an effective detoxification agent. It helps the body to remove the toxins from the cells, so that vital nutrients can enter. Not only that, but it also dissolves calcium phosphate (the bad kind of calcium) that's responsible for many degenerative diseases
- Weight loss potential - When the sulfur from MSM gets rid of waste material and all the toxins from your body, the cells also get rid of excessive fluids. This can aid weight loss as the body will be removing the extra water
- Increased healing - Since dimethyl sulfone optimizes the capability of our bodies to get rid of waste products at a cellular level, lactic acid (plus other byproducts) that cause soreness will get eliminated more quickly. Logically, this will result in better recovery.
- Greater flexibility - Methylsulfonylmethane is undoubtedly helpful when it comes to improving joint flexibility.
It's crystal-clear that MSM can be used for a wide variety of applications and arguably this is what appeals the most to supplement brands that choose to include it in their product lines.
Does MSM help with any diseases or other medical conditions?
It's a fact that methylsulfonylmethane has been associated with treating a plethora of medical conditions and diseases. Here is a detailed list of different conditions related to MSM's overall effectiveness:
- Osteoporosis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Joint inflammation
- Hair loss
- Bursitis
- Rosacea
- Hemorrhoids
- Wounds
- Chronic pain
- Eye inflammation
- Muscle cramps
- Stretch marks
- Gum diseases
- Allergies
- Wrinkles
Quite the list indeed. But as impressive as the supposed effectiveness of MSM is, this chemical compound is still primarily utilized as an adequate anti-inflammatory agent, particularly for osteoarthritis.
And even though some people use it to reduce the exercise-induced muscle damage, it is still mainly an ingredient that provides a sufficient joint support, while also stimulating the growth of the hair fossils.
But what does the science say about MSM?
There are a handful of relevant studies concerning this compound and we're going to have a look into some of them. Take into account that we've seen an increase in studies regarding MSM in recent years, due to its increasing popularity in the supplement industry.
Now, back in 2006, the medical journal of Osteoarthritis and Cartilage published conclusive data concerning MSM and it's supposed potency of alleviating knee pain, associated with osteoarthritis. This resulted in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial including 50 men and women, aged 40-76 (all of them had osteoarthritis-related knee pain).
The researchers went for a dosing protocol of 6g MSM daily (split into two doses) for a total of 12 weeks. And the results were pretty self-explanatory.
Patients who took methylsulfonylmethane experienced a considerable decrease in pain, while their physical function was improved. Also, the controlled group (those who took MSM) saw an improvement in performing their daily activities, in comparison to the placebo group.
Needless to say, the scientists concluded that it does help to decrease symptoms of pain and physical impairment. They also stated that there were no major side effects from MSM were observed during the entirety of this trial.
MSM is also associated with an improvement in post-exercise recovery
There's some interesting and relevant scientific data out there, concerning the connection between methyl sulfone and improved recovery periods following intense bouts of exercises.
In a 2016 study, the Journal of Sports Medicine embarked on the mission to find if MSM could be effective for dealing with post-exercise inflammation. After all, MSM's anti-inflammatory capabilities have been previously proven.
This clinical trial included only physically active men, that received either a placebo or real methylsulfonylmethane at a dose of 3g/day, for a total of 28 days. They were taking their MSM or placebo prior to doing 100 reps of eccentric knee extensions.
And after these 28 days, the researchers came to a conclusion. Their collective data points out to the fact that MSM (as an active antioxidant) blunts tissue damage and all the resulting inflammation. By doing so, MSM actually prevents leukocyte death.
Now, this leukocyte death is directly related to post-exercise inflammation, as it not only kills your white blood cells, but there's also a temporary immunosuppression element to it.
Essentially, these scientists suggest that MSM is a great tool for getting rid of that unpleasant muscle soreness. They recommend the methylsulfonylmethane to be taken during the actual workout for maximum efficacy.
Is it safe though?
Yes, it's super safe actually. Some mild gastrointestinal adverse effects (like diarrhea) could happen though, but such unwanted reactions will most likely stop if methylsulfonylmethane so lasting implications are extremely unlikely.
Perhaps the only exception concerning the safety aspect of it is that it's obviously not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women. This topic hasn't been researched enough by scientists so it's better to be avoided in such circumstances.
As a general rule of thumb though, most of the side effects associated with MSM are due to impurities in the actual product. It's not a matter of a harmful substance when talking about MSM because it's been proven to be a very safe and effective chemical substance.
That's why you have to pick a reputable and trustworthy supplement manufacturer like ABH Pharma so that you'll be confident in the quality of the ingredients that your supplements are made of.
If your supplement brand still doesn't have a separate MSM product, you're most definitely missing out on an incredible ingredient with huge amounts of potential.
There's no doubt that methylsulfonylmethane covers a wide range of consumers and the pain/anti-inflammatory market is simply gargantuan. But arguably the best aspect of offering an MSM supplement is that this is a multi-purpose ingredient that can be used for a wide range of conditions.
When you combine the undeniably increasing popularity of dietary supplements and MSM's rock solid reputation as a miracle supplement, it becomes evident why almost every supplement company is jumping on the MSM bandwagon.
If you're interested in having your own MSM based supplement, don't hesitate to give us a call at 866-922-4669 to speak with one of our production specialists!
In addition, you can have a look at our stock formulas that contain MSM - One of them is a Joint Support Formula, while the other is a Hair & Beard Growth Formula And you can find dozens of other stock formulas by visiting the website of our subsidiary company that specializes in manufacturing private label supplements - StockNutra.
References:
- Efficacy of methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) in osteoarthritis pain of the knee: a pilot clinical trial - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16309928#
- The Influence of Methylsulfonylmethane on Inflammation-Associated Cytokine Release before and following Strenuous Exercise - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5097813/
