Arthri-Zen Relief with MSM
MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane) is used primarily for treating pain associated with osteoarthritis and has been proposed for treating other conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation of the bladder wall (interstitial cystitis), snoring, muscle spasm, and cancer. All of these uses for MSM, including those for arthritis, are based on limited research, so its effectiveness hasn't been well established.
Many additional claims are found on MSM products, including skin-softening and nail-strengthening effects, but none of these are well supported by research.
As a veterinary medicine, MSM is used to treat muscle and tendon soreness and inflammation in horses. The mechanism by which MSM may work isn't well understood, although it's known to contribute sulfur to the body, which can then be used to synthesize certain amino acids (building blocks for proteins), and it can act as an antioxidant. MSM is also used in veterinary medicine to treat pain and inflammation, but its effectiveness has not been well studied.
MSM is necessary for collagen synthesis: skin, hair and nails. MSM keeps cells from becoming rigid. MSM softens tissue ("the beauty mineral"), and is believed to relieve stress, asthma, arthritis, inflammation, constipation, candida, detoxify the body and increase blood circulation, reduce muscle cramps, and back pain, help muscles to heal, increases energy, alertness, mental calmness, and the ability to concentrate. MSM scavenges free radicals, relieves allergies to food and pollens, helps the liver produce choline, controls acidity in stomach and ulcers, coats intestinal tract so parasites lose ability to hang on, helps with hypersensitivity to drugs, increases body's ability to produce insulin, is important for carbohydrate metabolism, and speeds wound healing.