Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), also known as dimethylsulfone, is an organic sulfur compoundthat occurs in animal and plant organisms. MSM differs from the synthetically produced solvent dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) in that an additional oxygen atom is attached to the sulphur atom. MSM is a white, odorless, somewhat bitter-tasting crystalline substance containing 34% sulfur.
Effect: Inhibition of messenger substances of inflammation, e.g. inflammasomes, which in turn stimulate the secretion
of interleukin (IL)-1β. Studies have demonstrated the inhibition of the release of prostaglandin E2 and the stimulated release of interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Furthermore, antioxidant effects with inhibition of the formation of free oxygen radicals were shown, as well as anti-carcinogenic effects and stimulation of bone metabolism in cell culture.
In 2022, Miller et al. demonstrated an increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in overweight patients in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study with 22 overweight patients after 8 and 16 weeks of daily administration of MSM.