MSM + Glucosamine - 100 V-Caps

Joint support is a relatively new niche in the world of alternative medicine, composed mainly of SAMe (s-adenosylmethionine), hyaluronic acid, shark cartilage, methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), chondroitin sulfate, and glucosamine sulfate. Of these, methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) and glucosamine sulfate have emerged as two of the most widely accepted substances for maintaining healthy joint structure and flexibility.

Enter MSM
People don't generally think of sulfur as an essential nutrient, but nonetheless sulfur is required for human nutrition and health.

Organic sulfur is readily found in living organisms, such as human tissues, milk, fruits, and vegetables. However, it can be easily destroyed by perfectly normal handling of food, like cooking, heating, processing, or drying. And while sulfur is naturally found in most organisms, its fragility combined with modern cooking practices places our daily intake of sulfur into an increasingly precarious position.

What does sulfur do then? It holds our basic connective tissues together, forming the elemental structure of proteins, and is required for a number of catalytic functions of various enzymes (meaning that without sulfur these enzymes cannot even start their essential activity).

In humans, sulfur is present throughout the body in several organic compounds and is a factor in a number of different processes in the body. It is used to produce such vital substances as amino acids, including taurine (which stabilizes cell membranes), and methionine (which detoxifies cells and is involved in pain relief).

MSM, also known as methyl sulfone, methylsulfonylmethane, or dimethylsulfone (DMSO2), is an organic, odorless, naturally-occurring sulfur compound present in small amounts in many foods and beverages. MSM as a supplement is useful for ameliorating upset stomachs, improving people's resistance to allergies, reducing pain from inflammatory disorders, and helping the body rid itself of parasites. In the last decade, however, MSM has carved out a particular niche for itself as an effective adjunct to any formulation pertinent to the maintenance of healthy joint structure and function.

Helping the Joints via Anti-inflammatory/Anti-oxidant Pathways
Inflammatory disorders, such as arthritis, can cause persistent and sometimes debilitating pain. MSM has been shown to significantly relieve the pain and inflammation caused by inflammatory disorders. It has been shown to significantly reduce night time leg cramps, back cramps, and muscle spasms. Sulfur is concentrated in or around osseous (bone or turning to bone) structures and sulfur supplementation supports healthy muscles, tendons, and ligaments. The mechanism for MSM's anti-inflammatory action appears to be intrinsically related to it's concurrent role as an anti-oxidant against the specific free radicals of hydrogen peroxide, superoxide, and hypochlorous acid. These free radicals play an initiatory role in the inflammation process that is the underlying cause of so many maladies related to the joints.

Other Uses
MSM has also been used for a number of other ailments and to support a number of other systems in the body. Like digestive enzymes, it allows the body to absorb more nutrients from food. It also helps circulation, hair and nail growth, as well as the healing process itself. MSM also causes the body to secrete more taurine (an amino acid that is vital to cardiovascular activity) in tissues. Furthermore, MSM neutralizes the toxicity of a chemical called anticholinesterase, which is contained in many insecticides. MSM also reduces the lactic acid buildup that occurs after strenuous exercise. Lactic acid buildup occurs as muscles are exercised, but endurance training reduces lactic acid buildup, much as MSM does.

Glucosamine:What is it and how does it work?
Glucosamine is arguably the best-studied of all joint-support supplements, serving the needs of both young and old, athletic and arthritic or injured. Glucosamine is an amino sugar used to create cushioning fluids and tissues around joints. It also repairs damaged arthritic joints, reduces pain, and builds synovial fluids. It is easily absorbed into the bloodstream, and is necessary in the formation of skin, eyes, bones, tendons, nails, ligaments, and parts of the heart.

Glucosamine is also referred to as an aminomonosaccharide, meaning that it is the product of the synthesis between glucose and an amino acid -in this case glutamine. This enzymatic process is called glucosamine synthetase. Most glucose and nearly half of all amino acids are obtained through dietary sources, but the aminomonosaccharides found in our bodies are formed internally, and dietary sources for them are negligible. Glucosamine is produced naturally in the body by chondrocytes in cartilage to help maintain and build healthy joint tissue. The main basic purpose of glucosamine is to create long chains of modified disaccharides called glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), which the joints and cartilage require for repair. The GAGs are the main component of proteoglycans (PGs), which along with chondrocytes and collagen, make up cartilage. Glucosamine is also converted in the body to N-acetyl-glucosamine, which in turn is critical to the formation of hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is the central component of synovial fluid which acts as a lubricant in the joints.

Tissue Repair
In the treatment of degenerative joint diseases, the research conducted with glucosamine sulfate is extensive. With respect to osteoarthritis alone, there have been 20 randomized controlled trials involving a total of 2570 patients. The collective results displayed a 28% (change from baseline) improvement in pain and a 21% (change from baseline) improvement in function for those patients supplementing with glucosamine over the control (placebo) groups.

When used in combination, methylsulfonylmethane and glucosamine seem to produce superior results than when they are used separately. An example of this synergy has been clearly demonstrated in another study of osteoarthritis, this one examining the benefits of MSM and glucosamine both separately and in combination. It was concluded that in areas such as pain reduction, swelling, joint mobility, as well as analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity, that MSM and glucosamine sulfate worked more rapidly and more effectively together than they did separately.