What is MSM?

MSM is an organic sulfur compound. As a source of sulphur, it makes it possible to remove heavy metals, in the same way that amino acids contain sulphur, by chelating the heavy metals, they make them soluble. MSM works mainly in extracellular cells.

Methyl sulfonylmethane (MSM) is a stable, rich and natural source of organic sulfur. Sulphur is present in high concentrations in the collagen of the skin, joints and blood vessels. In the joints, it participates in the production of chondroitin sulphate, glucosamine sulfate and hyaluronic acid which imparts its elasticity to the cartilage. It plays a critical role in the stability and integrity of connective tissue and proteins.

Thanks to the sulphur it contains, MSM would help to keep the connective tissue (tendons, deep dermis, collagen, cartilage, etc.) in good condition. Sulphium is crucial to the action of glutathione, a very powerful free-radical neutralizer, needed for the formation and restoration of the cartilage cell matrix.

Where to find MSM?

Highly bioavailable, MSM is naturally present in small quantities in many foods (cow milk, particularly rich if not heated, meat, seafood, algae, fruits and vegetables, tea, coffee, chocolate, but it is destroyed by heating, drying and other processing methods of the modern food industry. In addition, modern agriculture has significantly reduced the presence of MSM in plants. At a therapeutic dose, MSM is available as a dietary supplement.

Scientific evidence

Discovered in the 1970s in the United States, MSM was initially widely used in veterinary medicine to combat muscle and joint inflammatory disorders, especially in racehorses and breed dogs. Currently, it is mainly proposed in the context of nutritional supplements, to relieve pain related to osteoarthritis, for the detoxification of heavy metals and for certain skin problems such as acne.

Two good methodological-quality clinical trials involving several hundred people with osteoarthritis seem to justify its use in this context. A double-blind study showed an 82% reduction in the pain of arthrotic patients after six weeks of supplementation with 2.25 g of daily MSM. A quality clinical trial also showed that the combination of MSM and glucosamine effectively relieves osteoarthritis pain. The combination of the two molecules seems to be synergistic and gives better results than each compound taken separately.