If you is interested in the field of nutritive medicine, you will sooner or later stumble upon the term “MSM”. The term from the USA conquered the European markets shortly after the turn of the millennium and was almost completely forgotten before then.
But now MSM is experiencing a renaissance – so what is behind this abbreviation? MSM stands for the organic sulphur compound methylsulfonylmethane. MSM is also found in our food and is contained in milk, coffee, tomatoes and apples. In addition, it has been available on the market for years in the form of dietary supplements. But does the “miracle cure” live up to its promises?
Environmental toxins such as herbicides and heavy metals damage our liver.
Alternative doctors and therapists swear by the detoxifying properties of MSM – even though the scientific evidence in this area is rather meager. Here, therapeutic practice seems to be miles ahead of research. And yet there are individual studies that describe the liver-protective and detoxifying properties of MSM. These studies deal with liver-damaging effects that can be triggered by herbicides, environmental chemicals or drugs and reduced by MSM.
It starts with paraquat. Paraquat is the most widely used contact herbicide and is used against broad-leaved plants and grasses. Due to its high toxicity – it causes kidney failure, respiratory distress, visual and liver damage and damages the embryo in the womb – it is banned in the EU and Switzerland, but not in the USA and China.
But anyone who thinks that we in Europe are safe from possible paraquat residues is, unfortunately, wrong. In November 2018, the German media and authorities became aware that a well-known manufacturer of nut nougat cream was growing its hazelnuts in Chile and subsequently importing them to Europe. And in Chile paraquat is legal. But bananas, coffee and cocoa are also typically treated with the herbicide and then shipped to Europe.
Damage to the liver and herbicides have been reduced by MSM.
Paraquat exerts point to its damaging effects through the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In contrast, MSM has both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. A protective effect against the negative effects of paraquat is apparent. This hypothesis was investigated by researchers from Iran. They exposed mice to the herbicide paraquat and gave them MSM for several days. The results were convincing: damage to liver tissue could be greatly reduced by MSM. At the same time, there were positive effects on various antioxidant protective systems and liver values.
A further study dealt with an environmental toxin from the group of chlorinated hydrocarbons, in particular with tetrachloromethane. Chlorinated hydrocarbons are also banned because they not only lead to liver cancer but can also damage the ozone layer.
Unfortunately, not all countries comply with this ban: China, for example, continues to use these chemicals. At the same time, the formation of toxic tetrachloromethane in some detergents through a reaction with chlorine bleach cannot be ruled out. Here, too, the protective effects of MSM were tested in animal models; with similar results: MSM was able to prevent the death of liver cells caused by tetrachloromethane and restore the oxidative balance. Oxidative stress was reduced, antioxidative enzyme systems were stimulated.
MSM allowed better liver function and lower glutathione reduction when taking the popular painkiller paracetamol.
A third study on the detoxifying properties of MSM focused on the drug paracetamol. As an analgesic and antipyretic, it is one of the most common painkillers in the world. Although paracetamol is both safe and effective in the recommended dosage, it has a decisive side effect: the degradation of paracetamol consumes glutathione.
Glutathione is a sulfur-containing molecule and also a component of one of the body’s most important antioxidant systems. Particularly in older people, the intake of paracetamol can lead to a lack of sulphurous amino acids. This leads to a long-term glutathione deficiency, which increases the cardiovascular risk.
The pilot study evaluated whether MSM can counteract this glutathione depletion. For this purpose, paracetamol was administered in rats, resulting in an increase in liver values and greatly reduced glutathione levels. If MSM was now taken, glutathione reduction was less pronounced. Also better liver values could be determined. The authors explain the positive effects of MSM by its ability to release sulphur, which in turn can be used for the synthesis of glutathione, for example.
Conclusion: Thanks to its antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties, MSM or methylsulfonylmethane is an effective agent for successfully counteracting the side effects of various pesticides, environmental toxins, and drugs. Although the liver-protective effect of the sulphur compound has yet to be researched further, the initial study results are promising.
