How Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) Is Used To Treat Arthritis
Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is organic sulfur, and is found in
all living organisms. It is also contained in raw plant and animal
foods.
MSM is being touted as a magic bullet for treating arthritis pain -
just as its mother compound, DMSO, was in the 1960s. What?s the true
story behind these compounds? Can they help - or hurt?
After James Coburn won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, he
credited the supplement MSM for helping him overcome the pain and
disability of rheumatoid arthritis. MSM, he said in many interviews,
made it possible for him to work.
MSM was already selling briskly, and with added publicity from
Coburn, sales have boomed. Hundreds of vendors market it for a range of
ailments including pain and/or inflammation from rheumatoid arthritis
(RA), osteoarthritis (OA), fibromyalgia and gout; and to correct
constipation, relieve allergies, control stomach acidity and - believe
it or not - stop snoring.
Stanley Jacob, MD, the doctor who developed MSM, acknowledges that
the arthritis cure claims are over-hyped. While Dr. Jacob stands by the
many benefits of MSM, he is quick to point out that it?s not a cure.
I don?t know of a single disease that MSM cures. We are not curing
arthritis - I want that understood, says Dr. Jacob. He says MSM?s major
benefit for those with OA and RA is pain relief: It hasn?t been shown
to repair or preserve cartilage or to modify or stop progression or
joint destruction caused by autoimmune types of arthritis, and its
effects last only as long as the supplement is taken.
Some rheumatologists are suspicious of MSM because of its
relationship to DMSO - a substance that has stirred controversy since
the 1960s. MSM is a sulfur compound plentiful in fresh fruits and
vegetables, milk, fish and grains, but quickly destroyed when foods are
processed. Vendors say MSM boosts sulfur levels; they also say it is a
natural product, but the supplement being sold is actually a chemical
compound made from DMSO.
DMSO (which stands for dimethyl sulfoxide) is a versatile compound with many uses and a checkered past.
It is both a prescription drug and an industrial solvent. It?s
formed as a byproduct of wood pulp processing; its use is determined by
the quality: You will find industrial-grade DMSO in paint thinner and
antifreeze, and medical-grade DMSO in many medical laboratories. Its
industrial usefulness comes from its remarkable solvent qualities, and
much of its medical value from its ability to transport other
substances through cell membranes. It is also reported to have
anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Medical-grade DMSO is safe, and is widely used in medical processes.
DMSO is the chemical used to protect human tissue (such as bone marrow,
stem cells and embryos) when frozen for storage. It?s also an
FDA-approved prescription drug (called Rimso) given by catheter for
interstitial cystitis, a painful bladder condition.
The controversial history of DMSO begins with Dr. Jacob, a
Harvard-trained surgeon with an endowed chair at Oregon Health Sciences
University (OHSU), where he has a special clinic for the use of DMSO.
In the early 1960s, Dr. Jacob headed the organ transplant program at
OHSU and was looking for a substance to preserve organs being stored
for transplant when he stumbled across DMSO. Further research uncovered
DMSO?s medical uses, and it was soon being hailed as a wonder drug.
Meanwhile, as Dr. Jacob and other researchers at OHSU continued to
study DMSO, they found that 15 percent of DMSO was broken down into
another sulfur compound in the human body. The compound, which they
called MSM, had many of the helpful qualities of DMSO, with some
distinct advantages: It lacked the distinctive oyster-garlic smell; it
didn?t have the sullied history of DMSO; and it could be sold directly
to consumers as a dietary supplement.
But it also lacked research: Unlike DMSO, which has many published
studies and evidence of safety, there was little scientific evidence
for or against MSM. Animal studies found MSM eased RA-like symptoms in
mice, and it prolonged life for mice with a condition similar to lupus
nephritis. But even now, there are no scientifically accepted human
studies, and what works in animals doesn?t always work in humans.
Bottom line: MSM may be safe, but there is no convincing
scientific evidence it helps arthritis. And DMSO may help with a number
of arthritis-related conditions, but it is not safe for consumers to
use products available on the open market.
If you decide to experiment with these substances, be sure to tell
your doctor and ask your doctor to monitor you for any adverse effects
with regular blood, kidney and liver function tests. Don?t stop taking
disease-modifying medication if you have RA or another autoimmune
disease. Consult your doctor if you are taking heparin or other
blood-thinners, including herbs and aspirin, because both substances
may have some blood thinning effects.
Start with a low dosage of 500 milligrams (mg) or less twice a day
and gradually increase the amount until you notice some effect. Most
sources suggest 1,000 mg (1 gram) twice a day. MSM is most often taken
in capsules or dissolved in a liquid.
- Judith Horstman. MSM & DMSO. The Arthritis Foundation
Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is organic sulfur, and is found in
all living organisms. It is also contained in raw plant and animal
foods.
MSM is being touted as a magic bullet for treating arthritis pain -
just as its mother compound, DMSO, was in the 1960s. What?s the true
story behind these compounds? Can they help - or hurt?
After James Coburn won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, he
credited the supplement MSM for helping him overcome the pain and
disability of rheumatoid arthritis. MSM, he said in many interviews,
made it possible for him to work.
MSM was already selling briskly, and with added publicity from
Coburn, sales have boomed. Hundreds of vendors market it for a range of
ailments including pain and/or inflammation from rheumatoid arthritis
(RA), osteoarthritis (OA), fibromyalgia and gout; and to correct
constipation, relieve allergies, control stomach acidity and - believe
it or not - stop snoring.
Stanley Jacob, MD, the doctor who developed MSM, acknowledges that
the arthritis cure claims are over-hyped. While Dr. Jacob stands by the
many benefits of MSM, he is quick to point out that it?s not a cure.
I don?t know of a single disease that MSM cures. We are not curing
arthritis - I want that understood, says Dr. Jacob. He says MSM?s major
benefit for those with OA and RA is pain relief: It hasn?t been shown
to repair or preserve cartilage or to modify or stop progression or
joint destruction caused by autoimmune types of arthritis, and its
effects last only as long as the supplement is taken.
Some rheumatologists are suspicious of MSM because of its
relationship to DMSO - a substance that has stirred controversy since
the 1960s. MSM is a sulfur compound plentiful in fresh fruits and
vegetables, milk, fish and grains, but quickly destroyed when foods are
processed. Vendors say MSM boosts sulfur levels; they also say it is a
natural product, but the supplement being sold is actually a chemical
compound made from DMSO.
DMSO (which stands for dimethyl sulfoxide) is a versatile compound with many uses and a checkered past.
It is both a prescription drug and an industrial solvent. It?s
formed as a byproduct of wood pulp processing; its use is determined by
the quality: You will find industrial-grade DMSO in paint thinner and
antifreeze, and medical-grade DMSO in many medical laboratories. Its
industrial usefulness comes from its remarkable solvent qualities, and
much of its medical value from its ability to transport other
substances through cell membranes. It is also reported to have
anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Medical-grade DMSO is safe, and is widely used in medical processes.
DMSO is the chemical used to protect human tissue (such as bone marrow,
stem cells and embryos) when frozen for storage. It?s also an
FDA-approved prescription drug (called Rimso) given by catheter for
interstitial cystitis, a painful bladder condition.
The controversial history of DMSO begins with Dr. Jacob, a
Harvard-trained surgeon with an endowed chair at Oregon Health Sciences
University (OHSU), where he has a special clinic for the use of DMSO.
In the early 1960s, Dr. Jacob headed the organ transplant program at
OHSU and was looking for a substance to preserve organs being stored
for transplant when he stumbled across DMSO. Further research uncovered
DMSO?s medical uses, and it was soon being hailed as a wonder drug.
Meanwhile, as Dr. Jacob and other researchers at OHSU continued to
study DMSO, they found that 15 percent of DMSO was broken down into
another sulfur compound in the human body. The compound, which they
called MSM, had many of the helpful qualities of DMSO, with some
distinct advantages: It lacked the distinctive oyster-garlic smell; it
didn?t have the sullied history of DMSO; and it could be sold directly
to consumers as a dietary supplement.
But it also lacked research: Unlike DMSO, which has many published
studies and evidence of safety, there was little scientific evidence
for or against MSM. Animal studies found MSM eased RA-like symptoms in
mice, and it prolonged life for mice with a condition similar to lupus
nephritis. But even now, there are no scientifically accepted human
studies, and what works in animals doesn?t always work in humans.
Bottom line: MSM may be safe, but there is no convincing
scientific evidence it helps arthritis. And DMSO may help with a number
of arthritis-related conditions, but it is not safe for consumers to
use products available on the open market.
If you decide to experiment with these substances, be sure to tell
your doctor and ask your doctor to monitor you for any adverse effects
with regular blood, kidney and liver function tests. Don?t stop taking
disease-modifying medication if you have RA or another autoimmune
disease. Consult your doctor if you are taking heparin or other
blood-thinners, including herbs and aspirin, because both substances
may have some blood thinning effects.
Start with a low dosage of 500 milligrams (mg) or less twice a day
and gradually increase the amount until you notice some effect. Most
sources suggest 1,000 mg (1 gram) twice a day. MSM is most often taken
in capsules or dissolved in a liquid.
- Judith Horstman. MSM & DMSO. The Arthritis Foundation
No comments:
Post a Comment