8 Science-Backed Benefits of MSM Supplements
Written by Jillian Kubala, MS, RD on May 21, 2018
Methylsulfonylmethane, more commonly known as MSM, is a popular dietary supplement used to treat a wide array of symptoms and conditions.
It’s a sulfur-containing compound found naturally in plants, animals and humans. It can also be produced in a lab to create dietary supplements in powder or capsule form.
MSM is widely used in the alternative medicine field and by people looking for a natural way to relieve joint pain, reduce inflammation and boost immunity.
In addition, research supports its use in treating a number of conditions from arthritis to rosacea.
Here are 8 science-backed health benefits of MSM.
1. Can Decrease Joint Pain, Which Could Improve Your Quality of Life
One of the most popular uses of MSM is to decrease joint or muscle pain.
It has been shown to benefit those with joint degeneration, a common cause of pain in the knees, back, hands and hips.
Joint degeneration can negatively impact your quality of life by limiting your movement and mobility.
Studies have shown that MSM significantly reduces inflammation in your body. It also inhibits the breakdown of cartilage, a flexible tissue that protects the ends of your bones in joints (1Trusted Source).
A study in 100 people over the age of 50 found that treatment with a supplement containing 1,200 mg of MSM for 12 weeks decreased pain, stiffness and swelling in the joints, compared to a placebo (2Trusted Source).
The group receiving the supplement also reported improved overall quality of life and less difficulty walking and getting out of bed (2Trusted Source).
Another study in 32 people with lower back pain found that taking a glucosamine supplement containing MSM significantly reduced lumbar stiffness and pain upon movement, plus greatly increased quality of life (3Trusted Source).
SUMMARY
Studies have shown that MSM is effective in reducing joint pain, stiffness and swelling. In doing so, it can improve your quality of life.
2. Has Anti-Inflammatory Effects, Such as Increasing Glutathione Levels
The anti-inflammatory properties of MSM are well documented by scientific research.
It’s believed that MSM inhibits NF-kB, a protein complex involved in inflammatory responses in your body (4Trusted Source).
It also reduces the production of cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-ɑ) and interleukin 6 (IL-6), which are signaling proteins linked to systemic inflammation (5Trusted Source).
Additionally, MSM can increase levels of glutathione, a potent antioxidant produced by your body.
For example, supplementing with MSM significantly reduced inflammation in mice with stomach ulcers by inhibiting the release of inflammatory cytokines including TNF-ɑ and IL-6, as well as increasing glutathione levels (6Trusted Source).
Another study in 40 physically active men showed that taking 3 grams of MSM before exhaustive exercise decreased the release of inflammatory cytokines and prevented the over-stress of immune cells, compared to a placebo (7Trusted Source).
SUMMARY
MSM may reduce the release of molecules associated with inflammation, such as TNF-ɑ and IL-6, as well as boost levels of the powerful antioxidant glutathione.
3. Can Speed Recovery After Exercise by Reducing Muscle Damage and Stress
During exhaustive exercise, muscle damage occurs and oxidative stress increases (8Trusted Source).
This causes athletes to experience muscle soreness and pain, which can hinder athletic performance and training.
MSM can naturally speed muscle recovery after intense exercise by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress.
A study in 18 men showed that taking 50 mg of MSM powder per kg of body weight for 10 days significantly reduced exercise-induced muscle damage and increased antioxidant activity following an 8.7 mile (14 km) run (9Trusted Source).
It may also be beneficial for reducing pain after prolonged exercise.
In one study, 22 healthy women received 3 grams of MSM or a placebo per day for three weeks leading up to a half marathon. The MSM group reported less muscle soreness and joint pain than the placebo group (10Trusted Source).
Another study found that athletic men taking 3 grams of MSM daily for two weeks had lower levels of IL-6 and less muscle pain after intense resistance exercise (11).
SUMMARY
MSM may help reduce pain, muscle damage and oxidative stress after intense exercise, helping you recover more quickly.
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4. Helps Alleviate Arthritis Symptoms by Reducing Pain and Stiffness
Arthritis is a common inflammatory condition that causes pain, stiffness and a reduced range of motion in your joints.
Since MSM has powerful anti-inflammatory properties, it’s often used as a natural alternative to medications to improve arthritis-related symptoms.
A study in 49 people with knee osteoarthritis found that taking 3.4 grams of MSM per day for 12 weeks reduced pain and stiffness and improved physical function, compared to a placebo (12Trusted Source).
Additionally, it can enhance the effectiveness of other common supplements used to treat arthritis such as glucosamine sulfate, chondroitin sulfate and boswellic acid.
One study found that combining MSM with glucosamine and chondroitin was more effective at decreasing pain and stiffness in people with knee osteoarthritis than glucosamine and chondroitin alone (13Trusted Source).
Another study showed that a daily supplement containing 5 grams of MSM and 7 grams of boswellic acid was more effective than glucosamine at reducing pain and improving function in people with knee osteoarthritis (14Trusted Source).
What’s more, the people who received the MSM and boswellic acid supplement were less dependent on anti-inflammatory medications than the glucosamine group (14Trusted Source).
SUMMARY
MSM supplements have been shown to help reduce pain and stiffness in people with arthritis. They may also help improve physical function.
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5. May Help Relieve Allergy Symptoms by Reducing Inflammation
Allergic rhinitis is an allergic reaction that causes symptoms such as watery eyes, sneezing, itching, runny nose and nasal congestion (15Trusted Source).
Common triggers of allergic rhinitis include animal dander, pollen and molds.
After exposure to an allergen, many inflammatory substances such as prostaglandins and cytokines are released, which leads to unpleasant symptoms.
Studies have shown that MSM may be effective in reducing symptoms of allergic rhinitis.
It may decrease allergic reactions by lowering inflammation and inhibiting the release of cytokines and prostaglandins (16Trusted Source).
A study in 50 people with allergic rhinitis found that a dose of 2,600 mg of MSM per day over 30 days reduced symptoms including itching, congestion, shortness of breath, sneezing and coughing (17Trusted Source).
Additionally, participants experienced a significant increase in energy by day 14 (17Trusted Source).
SUMMARY
MSM may help reduce allergy-related symptoms — including coughing, shortness of breath, congestion, sneezing and fatigue — by reducing inflammation.
6. Can Boost Immunity and Help You Stay Healthy
Your immune system is a specialized network of tissues, cells and organs that protects your body against illness and disease.
It can be weakened by things like stress, illness, a poor diet, insufficient sleep or lack of activity.
Sulfur compounds such as MSM play important roles in the health of your immune system (18Trusted Source).
For example, MSM may be effective in reducing oxidative stress and inflammation that can weaken immunity. Since it’s effective in reducing levels of inflammatory compounds like IL-6 and TNF-ɑ, MSM may reduce stress on your immune system.
Additionally, it plays a part in the creation of glutathione, your body’s master antioxidant. It may also help increase levels of this important compound.
Having adequate levels of glutathione is crucial for the overall health and function of your immune system (19Trusted Source).
A test-tube study showed that MSM effectively restored glutathione levels and reduced inflammatory markers in mouse cells that had been weakened with HIV proteins (20Trusted Source).
SUMMARY
MSM may help boost your immune system by reducing inflammation and increasing glutathione levels.
7. Could Improve Skin Health by Strengthening Keratin
Keratin is a protein that acts as the main structural component in your hair, skin and nails.
It contains high levels of the sulfur-containing amino acid cysteine. That’s why burnt hair gives off a characteristic sulfurous smell.
MSM may be beneficial for skin health by acting as a sulfur donor to keratin. This, in turn, can help strengthen this important protein.
MSM also helps reduce inflammation, which can damage skin cells and cause signs of premature aging like wrinkles (21Trusted Source).
It may even reduce symptoms of problematic skin conditions such as rosacea, which can cause redness, irritation and inflammation of the skin.
One study showed that, when applied to the skin, MSM significantly improved redness, itching, inflammation, hydration and skin color in people with rosacea (22Trusted Source).
SUMMARY
MSM may improve skin health by strengthening keratin and reducing inflammation. It could even help reduce symptoms of certain skin conditions, as well.
8. May Have Cancer-Fighting Properties
One of the newest areas of research involving MSM is studying its effectiveness in fighting cancer cells. Although the research is limited, the results have been promising so far.
Several test-tube studies have shown that MSM inhibits the growth of stomach, esophageal, liver, colon, skin and bladder cancer cells (23Trusted Source, 24Trusted Source, 25Trusted Source, 26Trusted Source, 27Trusted Source).
It seems to do this by damaging cancer cell DNA and stimulating cancer cell death (28Trusted Source).
MSM also appears to prevent the spread of cancer cells, also known as metastasis (29Trusted Source).
A study in mice with liver cancer showed that those injected with MSM had fewer tumors, smaller tumor size and less liver damage than those who did not receive the treatment (30Trusted Source).
Another mouse study demonstrated that MSM inhibited the growth of human breast cancer cells (31Trusted Source).
Although these results are encouraging, more research is needed to determine the safety and efficacy of using MSM in cancer treatment.
SUMMARY
Research has shown that MSM exhibits cancer-fighting properties in test-tube and animal studies, but more research is needed.
MSM Safety and Side Effects
MSM is considered safe and is generally well tolerated with minimal side effects.
Major regulatory agencies such as the FDA have given it the Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) designation.
Numerous toxicity studies have been done to assess the safety of MSM and doses up to 4,845.6 mg per day (4.8 grams) appear to be safe (32Trusted Source).
However, some people may experience mild reactions if they are sensitive to MSM, such as stomach issues like nausea, bloating and diarrhea. When applied to the skin, it may also cause mild skin or eye irritation (33Trusted Source, 34Trusted Source).
Additionally, there is concern over mixing MSM with alcohol since other sulfur-containing medications can cause adverse reactions when mixed with alcoholic beverages (35Trusted Source).
However, no studies have explored this potentially problematic combination yet.
SUMMARY
MSM supplements are generally considered safe. However, they may cause side effects like nausea, diarrhea and skin reactions in some people.
The Bottom Line
MSM is a popular supplement with a wide variety of uses.
Research shows that it may be helpful in reducing joint pain, lowering inflammation, improving skin health, decreasing allergy symptoms and speeding recovery after exercise.
Additionally, some evidence suggests that MSM can boost the immune system and may have cancer-fighting properties.
MSM appears to be safe and studies report only minimal side effects.
Although the current findings on MSM are promising, more research is needed to understand all of its potential benefits as well as possible side effects.