MSM is an odorless, essentially tasteless, water-soluble white crystalline substnace that serves as an important, bioavailable source of dietery sulphur. Sulphur plays an indispensible role in human nutrition that is unfortunately often overlooked. It is an essential dietery component responsible for maintaining the bonds between certain amino acids. It has a critical role in maintaining the integrity of connective tissue. Thiol (i.e. sulhydry) groups are vital for the catalytic function of many of the body's enzymes. To perform peroperly our bodies need a constant intake of easily available sulphur.
MSM may be effective in ameliorating gastrointestinal upset, such as that produced by parasitic infection or the ingestion of certain pharmaceuticals. Individuals with gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhea, chronic constipation, nausea, hyperacidity and/or epigastric pain, or inflammation of mucous membranes have also experienced dramatic relief.
In vitro and in vivo tests suggest that MSM has activity against a variety of medically important parasitic problems of the intestinal and urogenital tracts. For example, MSM is active against Giardia Lamblia ("travelers diarrhea"), trichomonads and round worms. It may affect such infections by competing for binding sites at the mucous membrane surface, presenting a blocking interface between the host and the parasite.
