MSM

Methylsulfonylmethane, or MSM, is a safe and natural assimilate derived from the Southern Louisiana Pine. MSM is organic sulfur--the kind your body can absorb and use. Sulfur is the fourth most plentiful mineral in the body. And, it is found in every cell of every animal and plant. Sulfur is found in food; it is most abundant in eggs and red peppers, but can also be found in significant quantities in grains, legumes, animal proteins, onions, garlic, asparagus, cabbage, brussels sprouts, and broccoli. However, most of the volatile MSM is lost in washing, cooking, or steaming. Modern food processing, packaging and preparation has robbed our food of the sulfur we need.

At the Oregon Health and Sciences University, Dr. Stanley Jacob discovered that heating dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), caused it to crystallize, isolating 99.9% of the beneficial compound MSM. MSM is a pure, natural, stable, white, odorless crystalline powder without the unpleasant taste or odor of DMSO. It does not produce intestinal gas or body odor that may occur with other forms of sulfur. MSM is not a drug or medicine, and is unrelated to sulfa drugs, to which some people have an allergy.


Dimethyl Sulfone (DMSO) has long been used for the treatment of IC. Lately, Dr. Stanley Jacob at the Oregon Science and Health University has done pioneering work with MSM, particularly in the treatment of Interstitial Cystitis. He has found that patients better tolerate MSM. This is a huge consideration in Interstitial Cystitis since patients often struggle with severe reactions to treatments and foods that they consume. He has also found comparable efficacy for reducing inflammation and reducing pain and other symptoms. His treatments are a combination of IV, oral and topical methodologies. For those of you who suffer fom Interstitial Cystitis, we encourage you to discuss MSM with your medical practitioner and consider it as an adjunct to your IC treatment. If you decide to use MSM on your own for IC, please make sure you discuss and/or disclose this to your doctor.


Results vary. According to Dr. Earl L. Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D., "Due to its positive wide-spectrum effect, particularly in maintaining healthy cell formation, dietary nutritional supplementation of MSM is recommended at a daily rate of 2,000 to 6,000mg. The optimum effective dosage would depend on body size, age, the MSM blood level prior to administration, and the nature and severity of the condition you are treating. This means you can experiment with different doses to find out what works best for you." Sometimes, it takes up to 3 weeks for effects to be noticed.