Los 10 importantes beneficios del Metilsulfonilmetano (MSM)

Top 10 Benefits of Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM)

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is currently considered as a dietary supplement for different purposes, but mainly as an anti-inflammatory agent.

Based on clinical trials and experiments, the administration of MSM supplements is said to improve a number of specific health indicators such as inflammation, muscle and joint pain, oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity. Based on these results, the applications are broad.

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is a naturally occurring organosulfur compound that is used as a complementary and alternative medicine under a variety of names including dimethylsulfone, methylsulfone, organosulfur, or crystalline dimethyl sulfoxide.

History

MSM gained prominence in the 1950s due to its unique biological properties of penetrating membranes with or without the aid of a carrier or other agents, as well as its antioxidant capabilities, effects on coagulation, anticholinesterase activity [which decreases the breakdown of acetylcholine (a chemical messenger in the brain) and can be used in conditions where there is an apparent lack of transmission of this messenger, such as in Alzheimer's disease]; and an ability to induce the release of histamine from mast cells. ( 1 )

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Dr. Robert Herschler of Oregon Health & Science University, USA, was granted a utility patent in the United States for the use of MSM to soften and smooth skin, strengthen nails, or as a blood thinner [1] . In addition to the applications set forth in Herschler's first patent, subsequent patents claimed that MSM relieved stress and physical pain, treated parasitic infections, increased energy, boosted metabolism, improved circulation, and enhanced wound healing, although there is little scientific evidence to support these latter effects. ( 2 )

On the other hand, the scientific literature does suggest that MSM may have clinical applications for arthritis ( 3 ), inflammatory disorders such as interstitial cystitis ( 4 ), allergic rhinitis ( 5 ), and exercise-induced acute inflammation ( 6 ), among others.

Natural and synthetic MSM

Synthetically produced MSM is available commercially because it makes the product easier to manufacture and distribute than its natural counterpart. MSM is manufactured by oxidizing DMSO with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and is purified by crystallization or distillation. Although distillation requires more energy, it is recognized as the preferred method and is used to manufacture a product that, biochemically, would have no detectable structural or safety differences from the naturally produced product. Since the concentration of MSM is in the hundredths of a ppm in food sources, synthetically produced MSM allows for the ingestion of bioactive amounts without having to consume terribly exaggerated amounts of food.

MSM absorption and bioavailability

External sources of MSM enter the body through supplementation or consumption of foods such as fruits, vegetables, cereals, beer, port wine, coffee, tea and cow's milk. Along with MSM, absorbed methionine, methanethiol, DMS and DMSO can be used by the microbiota to contribute to the aggregation of MSM within the mammalian host.

Once consumed, either in food or as a supplement, MSM takes less than an hour to be absorbed by the human body. What is not excreted in feces or saliva has a fairly homogeneous tissue distribution and a biological half-life of more than 12 hours in general, but about 7.5 hours in the brain.

Actions of MSM in the human body

Anti-inflammatory

MSM may indirectly have an inhibitory role in mast cell mediation of inflammation. With the reduction of cytokines and vasodilatory agents, immune cell influx and recruitment to local inflammation sites is inhibited.

Elimination of antioxidants and free radicals

An excess of EsRO (Reactive Oxygen Species) or free radicals can wreak havoc on various intracellular components, but a certain amount is required to activate the appropriate pathways in normal cells. The antioxidant effect of MSM was first observed when neutrophil-stimulated EsRO production was suppressed in vitro, but was not affected in a cell-free system. Therefore, it was proposed that the antioxidant mechanism acts in the mitochondria and not at a chemical level. This is very positive because it means that MSM does not interfere with the function of the mitochondria which are our energy factories.

Immune modulation

Chronic exposure to stressors can have detrimental effects on the immune system as it becomes desensitized or over-stressed and unable to elicit a typical immune response. The broad effects of IL-6 (interleukin 6, a pro-inflammatory cytokine) have been implicated in the subsistence of chronic inflammation. MSM has been shown to reduce IL-6 in vitro, which may mitigate these chronic deleterious effects. In one study where MSM was pre-treated to participants prior to exhaustive exercise, it prevented immune cell overexertion as blood treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was still able to elicit a response through cytokine secretion ex vivo, an effect not seen in the placebo group.

In addition, MSM may serve other immunomodulatory effects related to cell cycle and death. In vitro studies indicate that MSM can induce apoptosis (self-destruction of cancer cells) in gastrointestinal cancer cells, liver cancer cells, and colon cancer cells.

While few studies have examined the efficacy of MSM in wound healing, the innate immune system may also benefit from improved wound closure, as assessed by an in vitro assay. Although further studies are needed to confirm these results in vivo. [2]

Main uses of MSM

As a therapeutic agent, through its ability to cross cell membranes, MSM can alter physiological effects at the cellular and tissue level. In addition, MSM has the ability to act as a carrier or co-carrier for other therapeutic agents, further expanding its potential applications.

  1. Inflammation and arthritis

Arthritis is an inflammatory joint disease that currently affects an estimated 58 million adults, with an estimated increase to 78.4 million by 2040. This inflammation is characterized by pain, stiffness, and reduced range of motion regarding the arthritic joint(s). MSM is currently a complementary and alternative medicine treatment for arthritis and other inflammatory diseases. MSM, as a micronutrient with enhanced penetrability properties, is often integrated with other anti-arthritic agents such as glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, and boswellic acid.

Some human studies using combination therapies report positive results. For example, pain and stiffness associated with arthritis were significantly improved with the use of glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate (GCM), and MSM. Only marginal improvements in pain and stiffness were seen when a combination of GCM was supplemented in addition to dietary and exercise modifications in sedentary, obese women diagnosed with osteoarthritis (OA). MSM was also shown to be effective in reducing arthritis pain when used in combination with boswellic acid and type II collagen.

  1. Preservation of cartilage

Image from Dr. Sammy Orozco's Arthroscopy page

The medical establishment has long considered cartilage degradation to be the precursor to osteoarthritis. Articular cartilage is characterized by its dense extracellular structure, with little or no blood supply that drives the extraction of nutrients from the adjacent synovial fluid that reduces friction between cartilage and other tissues in the joints to lubricate and cushion them during movement.

In vitro studies suggest that MSM protects cartilage through its suppressive effects on IL-1β cytotoxin and TNF-α and its possible normalization of alterations in cellular metabolism caused by metastatic hypoxia induced in breast cancer cells and melanoma.

  1. Improve range of motion and physical function

In studies with osteoarthritic populations administered daily MSM, significant improvements in physical function were observed as assessed by WOMAC, SF36, and Aggregate Locomotor Function (ALF) procedures. Objective changing knee measurements following eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage were inconclusive but suggest that MSM may aid maximal isometric (subjecting muscles to a movement against high resistance over a short distance) knee extensor recovery [3] .

MSM has been used in a number of combination therapies with positive results. Supplementation with glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, MSM, guava leaf extract, and vitamin D improved physical function in patients with knee osteoarthritis according to the Japanese Knee OA Measure. A GCM (Glucosamine, Chondroitin, and MSM) supplement was able to increase functional capacity and joint mobility. MSM in combination with boswellic acid was also shown to improve knee joint function, as assessed by the Lequesne index. MSM with arginine l-α-ketoglutarate, hydrolyzed type I collagen, and bromelain taken for three months daily after rotator cuff repair improved repair integrity without affecting objective functional outcomes.

Note: Boswellia serrata is a tree native to India and is very valuable for the resin that its trunk exudes when it is wounded. This resin is highly appreciated and has even been traditionally used to produce incense. So preparations with boswella or boswellic acid can be replaced with frankincense essential oil.

  1. To reduce muscle pain associated with exercise

Strenuous and prolonged exercise, as well as resuming exercise after a period of quiescence, can lead to muscle soreness caused by microtrauma to the muscles and surrounding connective tissue, which causes an inflammatory response of the exercised area. MSM is considered to be effective against post-exercise muscle soreness due to its anti-inflammatory effects, as well as its possible contribution of sulfur to the connective tissue. Muscle damage induced by cardiovascular endurance exercise was reduced by MSM supplementation, as measured by creatine kinase in one study . Pretreatment with MSM reduced muscle soreness after strenuous strength exercise and cardiovascular endurance exercise. ( 7 )( 8 )

Although the experiments were conducted with up to 3 grams of MSM consumed three weeks before the half marathon used to make these measurements, the results were more encouraging. Further studies with higher doses and for a longer period of time are recommended to obtain better results.

  1. To reduce oxidative stress

In vitro studies suggest that MSM does not chemically neutralize EsROs in stimulated neutrophils, but rather suppresses mitochondrial generation of superoxide, hydrogen peroxide, and hypochlorous acid. Furthermore, MSM is able to restore the reduced glutathione (GSH)/oxidized glutathione (GSSG) ratio to normal levels, decrease the production of Nitric Oxide NO, and reduce the production of neuronal Reactive Oxygen Species (EsROs) after exposure to HIV-1 Tat (a protein that dramatically increases viral replication).

  1. Improve seasonal allergies

In an evaluation of MSM on seasonal allergies, 2.6 g/day of MSM PO for 30 days improved upper and total respiratory symptoms, as well as lower respiratory symptoms beginning in the third week. All of these improvements were maintained throughout the 30 days of supplementation. ( 9 )

  1. To improve the quality and texture of the skin

Since the initial patent granted to Herschler in 1981, MSM has been suggested to have therapeutic uses for improving skin quality and texture by acting as a sulfur donor to keratin.

Combination studies in humans using four sessions of pyruvic acid and MSM peels once every two weeks improved the degree of melasma pigmentation, skin elasticity, and degree of wrinkling.( 10 ) A combination treatment of silymarin (milk thistle) and MSM was found to be helpful in controlling rosacea symptoms.( 11 ) A case study of a 44-year-old man with severe X-linked ichthyosis showed improvement in symptoms after four weeks of topical treatment with a moisturizer containing amino acids, vitamins, antioxidants, and MSM.( 12 )

  1. MSM against cancer

An emerging area of ​​MSM research concerns the organosulfur compound's anticancer effect. In vitro studies using MSM alone or in combination have evaluated its effects on several cancer cell lines, including breast, esophageal, gastric, liver, colon, bladder, and skin, with promising results. MSM, independently, has been shown to be cytotoxic to cancer cells by inhibiting cell viability through the induction of cell cycle arrest, necrosis, or apoptosis. The inhibition of cell growth and proliferation may be attributed to metabolic alterations induced by MSM at the transcriptional and/or post-translational stages.

  1. Hemorrhoids

In a small study published in Updates in Surgery in 2012 , a topical gel containing a combination of MSM, hyaluronic acid, and tea tree oil was found to reduce hemorrhoid symptoms, including pain, bleeding, inflammation, and irritation.

The study involved 36 adults with one to three hemorrhoids. Each participant was randomly assigned to use a gel containing MSM, hyaluronic acid and tea tree oil or a placebo twice a day for a period of 14 days.

At the end of the 14 days, both groups showed improvements, but the treated group showed a great reduction in pain during bowel movements, itching, irritation and visible bleeding. When comparing the groups, it was determined that the reduction in pain and inflammation was the most predominant.

Since it was a combination therapy, it could not be determined whether it was the MSM or the other ingredients or the combination that produced these positive effects in the treated people.

  1. Floaters in the eye

Myodesopsias or floaters are actually collagen condensations that form in the transparent gelatinous liquid (vitreous gel) that fills the eyeball, called vitreous humor . When light passes through these collagen clusters, they project their shadow on the retina and this appears in vision as a set of spots, dots or filaments suspended in the visual field.

Eye drops containing MSM have been found to be very effective in removing these clusters that appear on the eyeball. There are a lot of articles mentioning the benefits of MSM, but also people who have had no change when using MSM in the form of drops.

MSM is a supplement with several applications and so far, science has shown that it is useful for reducing pain in cases of arthritis and in exercise recovery, especially due to its anti-inflammatory capabilities.

There is now evidence that MSM strengthens the immune system and may have anti-cancer properties.

It has also been shown that consuming up to 4.8 grams of MSM per day does not produce any side effects. Studies are still being conducted because applications with MSM are very promising.

References

[1] Herschler RJ Methylsulfonylmethane and Methods of Use. 4,296,130. USPatent. 1979 Aug 30;

[2] Touchberry, C.D., Von Schulze, A., Amat‐Fernandez, C., Lee, H., Chow, Y., & Wetmore, L.A. (2016). Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) treatment enhances C2C12 wound closure and protects cells from oxidative stress. The FASEB Journal , 30 , 1245-20.

[3] Debi, R., Fichman, G., Ziv, YB, Kardosh, R., Debbi, E., Halperin, N., & Agar, G. (2007). 426 THE ROLE OF MSM IN KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS: A DOUBLE BLIND, RANDOMIZED, PROSPECTIVE STUDY. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage , (15), C231.

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2 comments

Se consigue fácilmente en Colombia? Es de venta libre? Como se le conoce?

Ximena Valdés

En Colombia se consigue MSM? En qué presentaciones? Tiene venta libre?

Yvonne Vélez O

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