The MSM (Methyl-Sulphonyl-Methane)
THE MSM MIRACLE
WHAT IS METHYL-SULPHONYL-METHANE?
Methyl-Sulphonyl-Methane is an abbreviation of methylsulfonylmethane, an organic form of sulfur. The chemical formula of MSM® is CH3SO2CH3. It is the form in which sulfur appears in nature in all living organisms, and in which it is biologically active. Methyl-Sulphonyl-Methane is an odorless, white, crystalline powder that is highly soluble in hot water and in a wide range of organic solvents(1). Biologically active sulfur has unbelievable preventive and therapeutic properties. The medicinal activities of biological sulfur are so all-encompassing, and are based on such obvious principles, that its discovery is generally considered one of the biggest advances in orthomolecular medicine in the second half of this century.
THE DISCOVERY OF METHYL-SULPHONYL-METHANE
About forty years ago, Dr. Stanley Jacob and Dr. Robert Herschler, chemists with the pulp and paper plant Crown Zellerbach Corporation, were asked to find a use for lignin, one of the primary waste products of the plant. Oxidation of lignin in a reactor was shown to result in the formation of DMSO (Dimethylsulfoxide), a natural, organic form of sulfur. This water soluble compound has a strong and bitter taste, and is absorbed rapidly through the skin. Workers coming in contact with the DMSO-containing wastewater, noticed their perspiration began smelling like DMSO, and they tasted its bitterness in their mouths. Moreover, the water appeared to have special medicinal qualities. Many stories about miraculous recoveries and benefits still go around, but they can not be authenticated. Certain is, however, that cuts, scrapes, burns and sprains recovered more quickly when dipped in this water. Several workers also noticed that conditions caused by arthritis and asthma improved when they came in contact with the DMSO-containing water (George Bergstrom, personal information).
Following its original discovery, several thousand articles and publications have appeared in the United States discussing the medicinal properties of DMSO. Because of its bitter taste and penetrating odor, DMSO never became very popular with the general public. Another problem with DMSO was that it sometimes caused skin irritation when applied topically. For these reasons researchers began looking for a more user-friendly derivative of DMSO. Oxidation of DMSO was found to produce Methyl-Sulphonyl-Methane, a much more stable, organic sulfur compound with medicinal properties at least equal to DMSO, but without the odor and skin irritation complications(4,8,9).
NATURAL SOURCES OF METHYL-SULPHONYL-METHANE
Methyl-Sulphonyl-Methane is the natural form in which sulfur is found in the earth's sulfur cycle(3). Algae and several forms of plankton in oceans are capable of absorbing massive amounts of inorganic sulfur from seawater, and to convert this into a simple, organically-bound form. When these algae and planktonic organisms die, enzymatic processes result in the breakdown of the organic molecules into DMS, or Dimethylsulfide. This compound is volatile and poorly soluble in water. It collects in the stratosphere, where it is oxidized under the influence of ultraviolet light into DMSO (Dimethylsulfoxide), and further converted into MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane). DMSO and Methyl-Sulphonyl-Methane are highly soluble in water, and therefore concentrate easily in atmospheric water vapor, returning to earth in the form of rain. Plant roots rapidly collect and concentrate these sulfur sources. Laboratory research has shown, that a one ppm mixture of radioactive labeled DMSO and Methyl-Sulphonyl-Methane, can concentrate hundred fold in plant roots within hours(4).
Rainwater in particular therefore contains a lot of Methyl-Sulphonyl-Methane. It is also abundantly found in fresh fruit and vegetables in amounts generally ranging from 1 to 4 mg/kg(3). Raw milk from cows which graze in pastures contains 2 to 5 mg/kg Methyl-Sulphonyl-Methane. Due to the volatile nature of Methyl-Sulphonyl-Methane, it is rapidly lost due to heating during the preparation of food. It is also lost when vegetables and fruit are left for a period of time, heated or not. Pasturized milk therefore contains less than 0.25 mg/kg Methyl-Sulphonyl-Methane, roughly the same amount as found in milk from cows fed dried, artificial food(3). Due to our present day's dietary patterns, it is unavoidable that modern man suffers from a chronic shortage of Methyl-Sulphonyl-Methane.
METHYL-SULPHONYL-METHANE AND HUMAN HEALTH
The natural level of Methyl-Sulphonyl-Methane in the circulatory system of an adult human male is about 0.2 mg/kg. Normal adults excrete 4 to 11 mg Methyl-Sulphonyl-Methane per day in their urine. Several studies suggest, that the systemic concentration of Methyl-Sulphonyl-Methane drops in mammals with increasing age, possibly as a result of changing diet or body metabolism. Some research suggests, that there is a minimum concentration of Methyl-Sulphonyl-Methane that must be maintained in the body to preserve the normal function and structure(8,9). Low concentrations of Methyl-Sulphonyl-Methane in our bodies have been linked with unspecified complaints of fatigue, depression, high sensitivity to physical and psychological stress, and with a large number of degenerative diseases(5,6). Methyl-Sulphonyl-Methane is an important source of sulfur, but also has unique properties related to its chemical structure and biological activities. To understand the preventive and therapeutic properties of Methyl-Sulphonyl-Methane, a distinction needs to be made between “why humans need sulfur” vs. “why humans need Methyl-Sulphonyl-Methane”.