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Methylsulfonylmethane Benefits
It has been claimed that conditions such as osteoporosis, emphysema, and pneumonia can be treated with methylsulfonylmethane. Benefits of the dietary supplement have not been fully proven, however, and it is unlikely that a single compound could be effective for treating all these different conditions. Regardless of whether there are any benefits of methylsulfonylmethane, the supplement should generally not be given to children.
Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is a naturally occurring compound found in many foods and available as a dietary supplement. People claim that the compound is beneficial for preventing and/or treating a variety of different conditions. Some of these claimed benefits of methylsulfonylmethane include:
- Chronic pain
- Arthritis
- Osteoporosis
- Bursitis
- Muscle cramps
- Stretch marks
- Wrinkles
- Wounds or cuts
- Allergies
- Liver problems
- Alzheimer's disease
- Snoring
- Emphysema
- Pneumonia
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Stomach upset
- Chronic constipation
- Stomach ulcers
- Diverticulosis
- Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
- Obesity
- Mood problems
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- High cholesterol
- Type 2 diabetes
- Systemic lupus erythematosus ("lupus")
- HIV and AIDS
- Cancer
- Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ)
- Migraines and other headaches
- Hangovers
- Yeast infections (see Can MSM Cure Candida?).
Clearly, it would be highly unlikely for any one compound to really work for all these various conditions. Indeed, there is very little evidence to suggest that methylsulfonylmethane is beneficial for most of these uses (see Does MSM Work? for more information).
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD