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What is MSM?
MSM is organic sulfur,
a compound that occurs naturally in nature and in the human body. It is
necessary for the structure of every living cell. Hormones, enzymes, antibodies,
and antioxidants all depend on it. And because the body utilizes and expends
it on a daily basis, MSM must be continually replenished for optimal nutrition
and health.
Birth
of a Supplement
Methylsulfonylmethane,
or MSM, has been present in the oceans, soil, and atmosphere of Earth for
eons. It has been collected by plants and eaten by animals for nearly as
long. It is part of nature's great sulfur cycle, upon which all life depends.
Although the technology to produce MSM has been known for many years, the
nutritional benefits were unknown until discovered by chemical researcher
Robert J. Herschler in the early 1980s.
Where
Does MSM Come From?
MSM originates
in the oceans where microscopic plankton release sulfur compounds into
seawater, which is quickly converted to DMS, a volatile sulfur compound
that escapes into the atmosphere. In this suspended, gaseous state, the
DMS reacts with ozone and ultraviolet sunlight to create DMSO and DMSO2,
known as MSM. MSM then falls to the earth with the rain, where it is collected
and concentrated in plants. Although MSM is abundant in nature, even the
richest natural sources only provide MSM in the level of several parts
per million. Commercial "harvesting" of MSM is not possible. MSM is produced
by oxidizing DMSO. This process replicates the exact natural compound.
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