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MSM--
A nutritional aid to health
in arthritis, joint pain, stiffness,
inflammation, fibromyalgia, sports injuries, also
allergies, diabetes, digestive, skin and other
conditions.
I'm
a massage therapist. About nine years ago I had a
client with severe fibromyalgia*.
Her muscles and tendons were exceedingly tender.
I massaged her every other week for about 3
months. Then she left the area. Four months later
she was back and I massaged her again. I couldn't
believe it.
Besides
being able to feel relaxed muscles, I wasn't
getting any of her usual vocal feedback. Even
when I got to what had been her most tender area
- nothing. I went deeper waiting for her feisty,
"You go any deeper and I'll slap you."
"What
happened?" I asked, "Was Oklahoma that
good?" She explained that it was the MSM. I
had never heard of it. Not only were her muscles
better, but she claimed to have lots more energy.
She had gotten up early and cleaned the entire
house. Thinking about my stiff shoulder and
untidy place, I was curious. So here are some of
my findings on MSM.
Hilma L. Volk, L.M.T.
What
Is MSM?
One of the most important raw
materials for building healthy new cells is a
form of organic sulfur known as methyl sulfonyl
methane (MSM). This element is so essential to
life that it is found in every cell of every
plant and every animal. Sulfur makes up 0.25% of
human body weight. However neither plants nor
animals can use elemental sulfur directly. Sulfur
is not easily available to living organisms in
its inorganic form.
MSM is not a medicine, a drug, or a food
additive. It is a food. MSM is an
organic form of sulfur that can be easily
absorbed and utilized by the body. MSM is pure
and stable, without the unpleasant smell or taste
of DMSO with witch it is chemically similar.
Why
Do We Need It?
Since sulfur is a component of all
cells, it is essential that the body have a
plentiful supply of this mineral in its usable
form. When MSM is taken in combination
with vitamin C, the new cells are more
pliable and permeable, allowing fluids to pass
through the tissue more easily. This means more
efficient elimination of toxins, a reduction in
inflammation and pain - so you feel
better. On the outside it shows up as a
softer, smoother complexion, stronger hair and
nails - so you look better.
A
body made up of healthy, flexible cells will not
only feel better, it will look better too. The
body is continuously at work replacing old, worn
out cells with new ones. The process goes on 24
hours a day, 7days a week, without stop. When all
the raw materials needed for cell-building are
available, it is a very efficient process. When
there are deficiencies, the new cells may be
weak, rigid or deformed.
Sulfur
compounds play a role in many body organs and
systems. Sulfur is in the hair, skin, and nails.
Many amino acids, the building blocks of protein,
have sulfur as a component.
According
to the US Patent for MSM (Herschler), lower body
levels of MSM correlate with physical and
psychological stress, impaired organ function,
fatigue and increasing susceptibility to
diseases. Enhanced levels appear to offer a
multitude of benefits including combating a
surprising range of health problems, increasing
resistance to diseases and creating supernormal
states of health and vitality.
Do
we get enough?
We all have a continuing requirement
for sulphur for the normal working of our body,
and we need more when damaged tissues need
repair, to combat pollution or when under stress.
Small wonder that many scientists and
nutritionists believe we generally have
insufficient sulphur in our diet.
A
variety of foods contain MSM, notably meat,
seafood, milk, and in smaller amounts, fruit and
vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli. However,
like some vitamins, it has been reported that it
may be lost with processing or storage of food.
The average amount of fresh vegetables and
unprocessed food eaten is less than it used to be
too, so it may be expected that MSM intake has
generally fallen.
MSM
levels decline noticeably with age? So, the older
you get, the more important it becomes to
maintain adequate sulfur levels in the body.
Conditions
That Have Reportedly Responded to MSM Supplements
Acne
Allergies
Arthritis
Asthma
Candida Yeast Infections
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Chronic Fatigue
Constipation
Diabetes
Digestive Disorders
Fragile Hair & Nails
Fibromyalgia
Migraine Headaches
Muscle Pain & Cramps
Parasites
Skin Damage & Aging
Toxic Build-up
Ulcers
MSM
for Relief of Pain and Inflammation
Approximately half of the total body
sulfur is concentrated in the muscles, skin and
bones. One of the most significant uses of MSM as
a supplement is its demonstrated ability to
relieve pain and inflammation. When rigid fibrous
tissue cells swell and become inflamed, pressure
and pain result.
Since
MSM can restore flexibility and permeability to
cell walls, fluids can pass through the tissues
more easily. This helps equalize pressure and
reduce or eliminate the cause of pain. Harmful
substances such as lactic acid and toxins are
allowed to flow out, while nutrients are
permitted to flow in. This prevents the pressure
buildup in cells that causes inflammation.
MSM
has shown a remarkable ability to reduce or
eliminate muscle soreness and cramps
both in aging patients and in athletes. People
with arthritis report
substantial and long-lasting relief with MSM
supplements. Taken along with glucosamine,
a key substance in the process of rebuilding cartilage,
MSM can relieve pain and help repair worn or
damaged cartilage in joints, ligaments and
tendons with healthy, flexible new cells.
Acne, including
the severe acne rosacea,
responds favorably to MSM supplements. Adequate sulfur
and vitamin C are also needed for
healing. When the body is deficient in these
nutrients, the new tissue will be elevated
leaving an unattractive, raised scar. Because MSM
makes the skin more permeable and pliant, it can
also help prevent blistering and promote faster
healing from sunburn or wind
damage.
Hair,
Skin and Nails
Sulfur has been called nature's
"beauty mineral" because it is needed
to keep the hair glossy and smooth and keeps the
complexion clear and youthful. It is needed for
synthesis of collagen and is prevalent in
keratin, a tough protein substance necessary for
health and maintenance of the skin, nails and
hair.
With
MSM supplements, nails show not only an increase
in growth rate, but also increased toughness and
resistance to chipping and cracking.
Allergens,
Toxins and Parasites
Flexible, permeable cells are also
important in that they allow toxins, allergens
and foreign substances to be flushed out of the
body more easily . When skin cells are soft and
permeable, many toxins can be eliminated through
the sweat glands, which takes some of the load
off the liver and kidneys.
While
MSM is not a cure for allergies,
supplementation may reduce symptoms by allowing
allergens to be removed from the body more
quickly. Even reactions to insect bites,
poison ivy and poison oak are less
severe when the diet is supplemented with MSM
together with Vitamin C.
MSM
has also shown amazing anti-parasitic
action against Giardia, Trichomonas, roundworms,
nematodes, Enterobius and other intestinal worms.
When parasites attach themselves to the
intestinal lining, they can live, reproduce and
rob the body of nutrients indefinitely. MSM
blocks parasites by competing for receptor sites
on the mucous membrane. When parasites can not
attach themselves, they are simply flushed out of
the system.
The same is true with food allergens.
MSM coats mucosal surfaces and occupies the
binding sites that could otherwise be used by
challenging food allergens. It can also bind with
offending agents to produce harmless substances
which are then excreted from the body. This
facilitates normal digestion and assimilation and
allows the body to get maximum nutritional value
from foods that would otherwise cause a reaction.
Individuals
who experience an allergic response to certain
foods have reported improved or complete
tolerance to those foods when they take MSM
supplements. Healthy flexible colon tissues along
with improved digestion, can also relieve
constipation.
Diabetes
Sulfur is also a component of insulin, the
hormone that regulates carbohydrate metabolism
and insufficient sulfur may result in decreased
insulin production. It is also possible that a
lack of bio-available sulfur would make the cells
so rigid and impermeable that they become unable
to absorb sugar from the blood efficiently,
leaving blood sugar levels elevated. Studies
indicate that regular MSM supplements which cause
the cell to become permeable, could help balance
blood sugar and allow the overworked pancreas to
return to normal.
How
MSM Works.
MSM makes cell walls permeable,
allowing water and nutrients to freely flow into
cells and allowing wastes and toxins to properly
flow out. The body uses MSM along with Vitamin C
to create new, healthy cells, and MSM provides
the flexible bond between the cells.
Without
proper levels of MSM, our bodies are unable to
build good healthy cells, and this leads to
problems such as lost flexibility, scar
tissue, wrinkles, varicose veins, hardened
arteries, damaged lung tissues, dry cracking
skin, digestive disorders, joint problems, and
inability to defend against allergic reactions
to food, animals and plants.
MSM is an anti-oxidant that helps to clean the
blood stream and flush toxins
trapped in our cells. It is also a foreign
protein and free radical scavenger. In order to
maintain good health, we need to supplement our
diets with MSM, to enable the body to heal
itself. The body uses what it needs, and
after 12 hours will flush out any excess amounts.
How
Much is Needed?
The required amount to maintain good
health is unknown so there are still no official
guidelines. It is known that individual
requirements vary according to age, stress,
activity levels, disease or injury.
However,
2,000 to 6,000 mg. of supplemental MSM daily is
recommended. Of course, the optimum daily dosage
of MSM depends largely on body size, age and the
nature and severity of any deficiency symptoms
you may be experiencing. Vitamin C should be
taken along with MSM.
How
much is safe?
There has been research into upper safe limits
however, all of which indicates that MSM is
remarkably harmless even in unnaturally
high doses. It is far less toxic than
common salt for example, and ranks closer to
inert substances like glycerine or pure water.
People have been taking MSM safely for twenty
years.
MSM
ranks in the "extremely low" toxicity
category with a toxicity profile similar to that
of water. When oral supplements are taken, the
body will distribute MSM where it is needed.
After about 12 hours, any excess amounts will be
flushed out of the body. MSM, a member of the
sulfur family, should never be confused
with sulfa drugs to which some people are
allergic.
Persons
with kidney problems or
recurrent kidney stones may not
want to take MSM. Certain renal tubular defects
can make a person susceptible to recurrent kidney
stones.
For
those who do not want to take MSM as a
supplement, food sources of
sulfur are as follows: sunflower seeds, garlic,
lentils, soybeans, and yogurt.
*I
do need to note that when my client left for
Oklanoma, she was in the process of a divorce.
Since there seems to be a strong correlation
between stress and fibromylagia, perhaps just
getting away from accounted for some of the
tremendous improvement that she attributed to the
MSM. But at least it got me interested.
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