"
Methylsulfonylmethane a big name befitting a nutritional big hitter. MSM has a long history of efficacy with conditions related to joint health particularly osteoarthritis. MSM's benefits for joint health are largely due to the presence of sulfur and the key role sulfur plays in the disulfide bonds that contribute to the physical structure of connective tissue. But sulfur does much more than that. It is a key player in detoxification and just like we wouldn't start spring cleaning in our homes without having some good (and non-toxic) cleaners on hand likewise it is helpful to maintain appropriate sulfur levels in the body to ensure optimal detoxification.
Sulfur might have a bad reputation for being behind the aromas of overcooked cabbage and rotten eggs but what it does inside the body more than makes up for occasionally offending our sense of smell. As a ready source of sulfur MSM supplementation has been shown to protect the liver from oxidative damage and chemically induced toxicity in human and animal studies. In healthy athletically untrained young men ten days of MSM supplementation at 50mg/kg body weight reduced markers of oxidative damage and enhanced glutathione levels following exhaustive exercise. It's important to note that ten days of supplementation may have primed the body with sulfur and sulfur-containing antioxidants and enzymes because another study showed that an acute single dose of MSM slightly reduced markers of oxidative stress but wasn't enough to increase levels of glutathione arguably one of the primary reasons for supplementing with MSM in the first place.