Re: Help i\'m scared of MSM
From what I've read, MSM is also used to help joints and joint movement. Many people say their bones don't crack like they used to b/c of msm. Additionally, people take it for arthritis relief. My guess is that's what the collagen is about. Anyhow, if you do a search on LHCF, you can find out lots of information on MSM and how it helps with hair.
Also, I read a lot about MSM before I began taking on here and on the internet. Try this link:
http://www.wholefoods.com/healthinfo/wholehealth/msm.html
Here is some additional information:
Methylsulfonyl Methane (MSM) Dimethyl sulphone or methylsulfonyl methane (MSM) is a concentrated source of organic sulphur available as a dietary supplement. The safety of MSM has been determined in clinical trials involving over 14,000 subjects. The toxicity potential is virtually identical to water. Excess intake of MSM initially, however, may cause transient side-effects in about 20% of subjects, due to detoxification reactions. This can be mitigated by taking a less potent, yet still therapeutic dose.
Studies in healthy populations have demonstrated that a range of between 100mg to 1000mg can be an effective dose to maintain health. MSM has been found to be beneficial for a wide range of health conditions, owing to the role of sulphur in a multitude of compounds found in the body that are essential to metabolism.
OVERVIEW
As a result of the popularity of the book, The MSM Miracle: Enhance Your Health with Organic Sulphur, by Earl L Mindell, RPh, PhD, a great deal of interest has been generated about the health benefits of a new dietary supplement called dimethyl sulfone or MSM.
Interestingly, the first indication of the importance of MSM was reported in the 1960's, yet not until researchers described a wide range of benefits at a meeting of the New York Academy of Science in the early 1980's did serious clinical investigations begin. Since then over 14,000 humans have been given MSM either intravenously and orally under careful supervision to study its efficacy and potential side effects.
Today a great deal is known about MSM, its safety and therapeutic benefits, when taken as a dietary supplement.
WHAT IS MSM?
MSM is a stable, natural and highly absorbable source of sulphur derived from either land or sea plants rich in sulphur. Sulphur is required by proteins to form both connective tissues and soft tissues. One class of proteins referred to as connective tissue uses sulfur to form disulphide bonds, which strengthen ligaments and other connective tissue.
Skin, hair and nails require sulfur for normal growth and appearance. This is one reason MSM has been demonstrated to benefit healing in patients recovering from surgery. A number of enzymes require sulphur, contributing to catalytic functions that are essential to human metabolism.
Sulphur is also an essential component in numerous sulphur-containing compounds found in the body. Sulphur is a component of insulin. The B vitamins, biotin and thiamine, are made up of sulphur. Three important amino acids, methionine, cysteine and taurine, that contribute to the structure of proteins are known as "sulphur amino acids" because they contain sulphur.
Glucosomine is another sulfur-containing compound that has been shown effective in treating disorders of the joints, ligaments and tendons. Glutathione is an important endogenous sulfur-containing antioxidant made up of the amino acid cysteine, combined with glycine and glutamic acid. To raise levels of glutathionine you can eat foods rich in sulfur, supplement with the stabalised form of N-acetylcysteine (NAC), or take MSM.
MSM is also found naturally in a wide variety of sulfur rich raw foods, such as garlic, onions, asparagus, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, grains and broccoli. Foods that are processed however, lose significant amounts of sulphur. Given the high intake of processed foods by consumers today, many are not receiving enough sulphur in their diet.
DOSAGE
Nature's Sunshine's MSM is offered in 750mg tablets. This dosage offers consumers the best possible dosage to determine which level of supplementation best benefits them. In Mindell's book, he suggests a dosage of 1000mg. However, medical school researchers who have worked with MSM for over 15 years believe that a wide range of doses should be offered.
Conventional wisdom suggests that it is generally better to take a supplement periodically during the day rather than take one large dose a day. This is true of many essential nutrients and it is consistent with how our body expects to handle nutrients on a daily basis. This is the reason we eat food periodically throughout the day, rather than rely on one large meal for all our nutrition.
Studies have found that up to 20% of those using too much MSM experience some degree of detoxification within 1 to 10 days. Symptoms include diarrhea, headaches, fatigue and skin rashes. To reduce symptoms associated with the detoxifying benefits of MSM, clinical researchers have found it best to start with a dose of 750mg twice a day and gradually build up the dosage. By following this advice, side effects from using MSM are significantly decreased.
For example, adolescents who take MSM in the range of 750 - 1500 mg often find a significant reduction in the degree of the acne seen on their skin. MSM is effective for even grade 4 acne, along with proven effectiveness in cases of primary and secondary pruritis, acne rosacea, and other dermatologically related conditions.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Recognition of the benefits of MSM stemmed from earlier research done on dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). It was found that MSM is a stable odourless dietary metabolite of DMSO. There are today over 50,000 published studies on DMSO. Clinical studies found that MSM possessed many of the same therapeutic properties of DMSO, even some extra ones, without the unpleasant odour of DMSO.
One of the first studies on MSM found that MSM was an effective detoxifying agent in insecticide poisoning. This finding encouraged researchers to study its other potential health benefits. After years of study, the following claims were made by research investigators of the therapeutic potential of MSM:
• Reduction in hypertension
• A mood elevator for the terminally ill
• Reduction in gastric hyperactivity
• Reduction in adverse reactions to environmental allergens
• Reduction in chronic constipation
• Reduction in urinogenital or intestinal tract infections
• Reduction in symptoms associated with rheumatic conditions, such as the inflammation, stiffness, and pain associated with arthritis.
• Reduction in muscle spasms and cramps, especially in the legs, back and induced through competitive athletics
• Reduction in symptoms associated with acne rosacea, primary and secondary pruritis, and grade 4 acne
Other benefits of MSM observed in clinical trials have included:
• Enhanced antioxidant action of vitamin c
• Enhanced ability to concentrate
• Improved nail growth
• Improved hair growth
• Enhanced resistance to sunburn
• Improved oral hygiene, including decreased gum inflammation
Further, in vitro studies have shown that MSM is anti-parasitic, especially against certain strains known to cause systemic parasitic infections in the gastrointestinal tract, including Giardia and Tricomonas vaginalis.
TOXICITY
MSM is an exceedingly safe product to consume. Other than side effects induced by taking too much MSM, or due to detoxification, MSM is nearly as safe as water.
