Brimstone is the old name for sulfur, its foul smell associated with demons and the fires of Hades.But sulfur is one of the minerals most crucial to life, and an organic form of it, known as MSM, hasmany remarkable therapeutic properties, from nourishing hair and nails to fighting parasites, clearingup allergies, dealing with digestive problems and relieving the pain of arthritis. Renowned healthauthority Earl Mindell shows you how to use MSM to maximize your health and well-being.

Earl Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D., Professor of Nutrition Studies at Pacific Western University in LosAngeles, a licensed pharmacist and Master Herbalist, is one of America's most widely read authorsin the health field. His Vitamin Bible has sold more than 7 million copies and has been translatedinto 30 languages. In two dozen other books he has covered children's health, anti-aging,homeopathy, garlic, herbal medicine-virtually the entire range of natural health. In addition tocontributing articles to professional and general publications, Dr. Mindell lectures extensivelyaround the U.S. and in many other countries.

The MSM Miracle

Enhance your health with organic sulfur

ContentsThe Miracle of Minerals .................................................... 7

Sulfur: An Underappreciated Nutrient ........................ 10

Sulfur-Containing Compounds ...................................... 20

Nutrition for Skin, Hair and Nails ............................... 24

Nothing to Sneeze at ....................................................... 29

Something's in You Besides You .................................. 33

Something You Can Stomach ........................................ 36

MSM and Pain Relief ...................................................... 39

Discoveries of MSM Benefits Continue ....................... 42

Bibliography ...................................................................... 46

Long before there were any animals or vegetation on earth there were huge deposits of pulverizedminerals. Primeval rains washed minerals into the seas, triggering development of the first lifeforms.

Minerals are inorganic elements. While our bodies can synthesize some vitamins, the fact thatminerals are inorganic means that no living thing, plant or animal, is able to manufacture or createthem. Minerals, however, are able to bond with other molecules in animals and plants, giving themdifferent properties without actually changing the chemical structure of the minerals themselves.

CONVERTED BY PLANTS

You can always count on Mother Nature to find a way, and she has provided an easy path forminerals to nourish the human body. Plants need minerals to function, and readily absorb them. Theytake up minerals, including sulfur, from the soil where they grow. When minerals have beenconverted and bound to carbon by plants, the human body can easily absorb them from thevegetables, fruits and other plants we eat as well as from meat and milk. All humans (excludingvegetarians) meet their mineral needs by eating both plants and animals, and drinking water. The"organic" minerals found in plants and animals are in a form easier for the body to absorb andutilize than the inorganic forms.

While humans can tolerate a deficiency of vitamins for a while, even the slightest change in thelevel of certain minerals may endanger health and survival. Vitamins cannot function withoutminerals present. When you consider that as many as 22 minerals have been recognized as necessaryfor optimal human health, you can begin to appreciate the need to eat a variety of foods andsupplements for your body to stay fully functional.

MAJOR OR TRACE BUT NOTHING MINOR

Minerals make up just four percent of body weight, yet are indispensable for many functions of thebody. There is widespread awareness of the important role major essential minerals like calcium,magnesium, sodium, potassium and phosphorus play in the maintenance of a properly functioningbody. After all, almost everyone takes a multivitamin and mineral supplement every day.

Less well known is the body's need for trace minerals, so called because the amount needed ismuch less than the major minerals. Trace minerals are sometimes called "trace elements," and thoseneeded to maintain health are called "essential" trace minerals or elements. Only tiny amounts of traceminerals are needed to keep the body functioning smoothly. For example, in the absence of only alittle over one millionth of an ounce of iodine, the thyroid gland enlarges.

v Although needed consumption of trace minerals is measured in micrograms, and needed amounts

of major minerals are measured in milligrams, it doesn't matter whether the amount required is largeor small. The fact remains, a significant, prolonged deficiency in either category can be fatal.

The minute amounts of trace minerals needed meant that their importance eluded detection untilonly recently. As recently as 1928 just three trace minerals were recognized: iron, which was foundto be needed for healthy blood; iodine, shown to prevent thyroid deficiency; and copper, found to beneeded for the absorption and utilization of iron.

In the years that followed, additional minerals were found to play a role as components of bodytissue and fluids, as cofactors for several important enzymes and to participate in blood formation,hormone and vitamin formation, immunity, muscle function, nerve signal transmission, energyproduction, and, most recently with regard to sulfur, a unique and vastly important role in tissuestructure and cell permeability, as you will learn later in this book.

The strong, consistent structure of minerals makes them essential in the body's structures, fromcalcium, phosphorus and boron, all contained in the bones, to silicon, an important component ofcollagen, the principal structural component of skin. Silicon forms long, complex molecules, whichneed to be strong and flexible. Vitamin C is another major component of collagen.

Minerals are known for their role as catalysts, speeding up chemical reactions in the body. Ascatalysts, minerals reduce the energy required for formation or breakdown of substances, so thatprocesses such as digestion and healing occur more quickly and efficiently. Minerals perform in thebody like worker ants in an ant colony, making sure everything that is needed for the colony tofunction properly gets handled efficiently.

MINERAL DEFICIENCIES

Maintaining good health and preventing disease through adequate mineral intake should be anatural result of eating the proper foods. And, up until the industrial expansion of the 19th century, thecycle of minerals was mainly undisturbed, as vegetables, meat, fish and dairy foods remained reliablesources of most minerals. Today, however, increasing air and water pollution, intensive farming,deforestation, the refined and highly processed foods we eat, along with the use of prescription drugs,have had the cumulative effect of depleting the natural availability of dietary minerals. It is my beliefthat the mineral depletion so evident in today's crop-growing soils is reflected in the depleted state ofhealth of people all over the world.

I don't want anyone fooled by those nutrition tables you see listing the amount of vitamins andminerals in foods. They don't reveal if produce was grown in a mineral-balanced soil or comes fromoverfarmed or polluted soil. Nor can they give any indication of naturally occurring variations insoils from different geographic areas. What's more, I can tell you that some nutrition tables haven'tbeen updated in over twenty years! As long as practices exist which continue to rob the soil ofmineral content, even one year can make a difference to food values. For this reason, food that mighthave been nutritious at some point in the past may well prove to be totally devoid of any food valueby the time you eat it.

The sulfur our bodies need is available in animal protein foods such as meats, fish, poultry, eggsand milk. Grains, legumes and fresh, unprocessed vegetables like onions, garlic, cabbage, Brusselssprouts and broccoli contribute lesser amounts of this important mineral. Consequently, vegetariansand other people who may have inadequate intake of protein or those with a higher protein need(growing children, for example), may also lack sufficient sulfur to meet the body's needs.

As the sciences of biochemistry, physics and geology continue to discover and define the roleminerals play-like the recent revelation of organic sulfur-we can all look forward to developing evenbetter ways of fine-tuning our bodies for healthier and longer lives. Meanwhile, since it appearsvirtually impossible to compensate for mineral deficiencies with food, the need grows daily forsupplements to assure an adequate mineral supply for anyone interested in maintaining optimal health.

It's referred to in the Book of Genesis as brimstone and, reminiscent of hellfire, it also appears in thevicinity of volcanoes and hot springs. Greeks used it as it occurs in garlic to treat arthritis and evenpsychosis. Our forefathers knew it as a component of black gunpowder. Later it proved useful in thevulcanization of natural rubber. Farmers and growers are aware of its value as a fungicide and as aphosphoric fertilizer. In springtime, Grandma and Grandpa may have downed a little with somemolasses for their combined tonic effect. It's widely distributed in nature in iron pyrites, galena,sphalerite, cinnabar, gypsum, Epsom salts, celestite and barite. It's even found on the Moon.

I'm referring to that pale yellow, brittle, nonmetallic mineral sulfur. And while it is the fourth mostplentiful mineral in the body, and so essential to life that it is found in every cell of every animal andplant, sulfur has not received the nutritional attention it deserves. Sulfur has been overlookedprobably because it occurs not as the smelly, inorganic form we're all familiar with, but is usuallyreferred to in the context of its presence in certain amino acids that form part of the proteins weingest. As a result, despite the vital roles that sulfur itself plays in the body, its value as a criticalnutrient has gone underappreciated. This book is about to change that by turning the spotlight onsulfur, more specifically organic sulfur, the kind your body can absorb and use. This form of sulfur iscalled methylsulfonylmethane, for simplicity usually shortened to MSM.

Long before the first living thing ever set foot or fin on land, algae and phytoplankton were livingin the surface layer of Earth's ancient seas. Scientists explain that these very simple forms of marinelife assimilate and convert inorganic sulfur into organic molecules which then release a volatilesubstance called dimethyl sulfide, eventually to lodge in the upper reaches of the atmosphere in theozone layer. There the dimethyl sulfide, catalyzed by ultraviolet light, is oxidized into DMSO(dimethyl sulfoxide) and into MSM. Both these compounds dissolve in atmospheric moisture, arecaught up in clouds which move over land surfaces, and return to earth dissolved in rain. When itrains, plant roots attract and voraciously absorb sulfur-rich MSM. When researchers added MSM tosoil around plants at five parts per million in water, in only a few hours the root concentrationreached levels exceeding 100 parts per million. Little wonder that it's possible to obtain the sulfurour bodies require from the fresh plants we consume as food.

It's hard to imagine that some of the sulfur that is now a part of your body may have originated fromalgae growing in some warm, far-off tropical sea that was eventually absorbed by plants and used tobuild amino acids and other organosulfur compounds. Yet it is this miraculous, never-endingchemical process that occurs thousands of feet above us and returns as raindrops that supplies thesulfur needed for all living things.

As noted earlier, animal protein_foods have a comparatively high content of sulfur and grains,legumes and such vegetables as onions, garlic, asparagus, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and broccolihave significant but not abundant quantities. About the only foods with enough sulfur content to evendarken a silver spoon are eggs and red peppers. Unfortunately, most of the volatile MSM present in

unprocessed foods is lost in the washing, cooking or steaming that is involved in the modernpreparation of these plant foods for consumption.

WHAT IS MSM?

MSM is a safe and natural, assimilable food derived from the ocean. Dr. Stanley Jacob of theOregon Health Sciences University discovered that, when heated, DMSO would crystallize andisolate 99.9 percent of the beneficial component MSM. While they are chemically similar, you cannotcompare DMSO with the derivative. Each is unique. MSM is a pure, natural, stable, white crystallinepowder without the unpleasant smell or taste of DMSO. MSM is odorless and does not produceintestinal gas or body odor which may occur with other forms of sulfur. MSM is a dietary elementderived from many raw foods. DMSO is not.

MSM is neither a medicine nor a drug. It is a member of the sulfur family but should never beconfused with sulfa drugs, to which some people are allergic. MSM has been used as a dietarysupplement for several years, with no reports of intolerance or allergic reaction. Acute, intermediate,and long-term studies indicate that MSM exhibits very low toxicity no matter how it is administered.How low? Its profile is similar to that of water! Within limits, you cannot overdose with MSMbecause the body will take and use whatever it needs, and after a 12-hour period, will flush anyexcess amounts from the body.

Sulfur is highly important. Approximately half of the total body sulfur is concentrated in themuscles, skin and bones. It is present in keratin, the tough substance in the skin, nails and hair. Sulfuris necessary for making collagen, the primary constituent of cartilage and connective tissue. It isresponsible for the conformation of body proteins through the formation of disulfide bonds, whichhold connective tissue together. You'll also find 1.2 milligrams of inorganic sulfur compound in every100 milliliters of blood.

In conjunction with vitamins and amino acids, MSM provides the body with the necessary rawmaterials to create healthy new cells. Optimal health is dependent on maintaining the process forproducing healthy and flexible cells. It's a 24-hour-a-day job because the body never stops producingnew cells. Without proper nutrition, however, the body can run short of the materials it needs.Lacking sufficient MSM, the body is a compromised system, deficient in its ability to repair orreplace damaged tissue and organs. The inability of the body to do its work causes it to producedysfunctional cells which can lead to illness and disease.

The nerves that sense pain are located mainly in the soft tissues of our bodies. Many types of paincan be attributed to pressure differential involving the cells that make up tissue. When outsidepressure drops, cells inflate and become inflamed. Nerves register the inflammation and weexperience pain symptoms. Did you ever hear of anyone predicting weather changes because of painthey feel in their joints? Often, what contributes to the pain is the lack of flexibility and permeabilityin the fibrous tissue cells. Use of MSM has been shown to add flexibility to cell walls while allowingfluids to pass through the tissue more easily. This softens the tissue and helps to equalize pressurethereby reducing if not totally eliminating the cause of the pain. Later we'll learn how this

extraordinary property of MSM can help treat a wide variety of conditions that afflict millions ofpeople every day.

It is important to recall that we lose a great deal of MSM in the normal preparation of food and asa result may be denying our body a critical nutritional tool it needs

EFFECTIVE DOSAGE

Due to its positive wide-spectrum effect, particularly in maintaining healthy cell formation, dietarynutritional supplementation of MSM is recommended at a daily rate of 2,000 to 6,000 mg. Theoptimum effective dosage would depend on body size, age, the MSM blood level prior toadministration, and the nature and severity of the condition you are treating. This means you canexperiment with different doses to find out what works best for you. Studies suggest that the systemicconcentration of MSM declines with age, so you would want to boost your supplementation as yougrow older.

As MSM is largely inert, nontoxic and nonallergenic, the precise amount of daily dosage is notcritical. Please be aware that a single dose of MSM has not been found to be an effective treatment. Itgenerally needs to be taken for at least a few days when you're treating a specific condition, andsometimes for up to three weeks. I include it as part of my daily supplementation regimen.

When it is taken by mouth with meals in powder or caplet form, the body will distribute MSMwhere it is needed. Worth noting is the positive synergistic effect on the building of healthier cellswhen MSM is taken in combination with vitamin C. In the continuous process of forming new cells,the body uses up a little of our vitamin C and, without MSM to bond with it, our tissues would berigid and less permeable.

In lotion form, MSM can be applied topically to the areas where it may prove most beneficial forreducing localized inflammation. Special MSM blends incorporate complementary natural skinsofteners and moisturizers. For eye-specific problems, you'll want to look for eyedrop formulascontaining MSM that you can apply directly to the eyes. As the uses for MSM become better known,you can expect to see other forms of this miraculous supplement.

AMINO ACIDS

While sulfur is required by both plants and animals, neither can use elemental sulfur directly. Theinorganic form of sulfur is not well utilized by our bodies because it is not readily bioavailable toliving things. Our need for sulfur is met more from organic compounds, notably amino acids. Whenplants absorb DMSO and MSM from rain water, they convert these compounds into the amino acidsmethionine and cysteine. The acid-forming mineral sulfur is part of the chemical structure of boththese amino acids. (Taurine and cystine, the only other two known sulfur-amino acids, are synthesizedfrom cysteine.)

Methionine and cysteine, along with other amino acids, are the building blocks of protein. Proteins

are chains of amino acids linked by what are known as peptide bonds. The principal reason sulfur isso vital is that protein cannot hold its molecular structure without these sulfur linkages.

The body manufactures about 80 percent of the amino acids it needs and these are classified asnonessential. The remaining 20 percent, called essential amino acids, must be obtained from food youeat or through supplementation. In addition to methionine, the essential amino acids are lysine,tryptophan, isoleucine, leucine, valine, phenylalanine and threonine. If just one of these essentialamino acids is missing from the body's reserves, the production of proteins would stop, leading to arange of debilitating physical disorders and eventually death.

The Sulfur Amino Acids

Methionine: This may have been one of the very first organic substances. In experimental origin-of-life studies, methionine was shown to be a product of a spark discharge in an atmosphere designedto simulate that which prevailed on primitive Earth.

By increasing production of lecithin, this essential amino acid works to break down fat, and as aresult helps prevent accumulation of fats in the liver and arteries that could restrict the flow of bloodto the heart, brain and kidneys. For this reason methionine is used in the treatment of certain types ofliver damage. It is also required for protein synthesis and the formation of DNA/RNA, and plays animportant role in detoxifying harmful agents like lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic.

Methionine helps diminish muscle weakness and has proven beneficial in the treatment ofrheumatic fever and osteoporosis; it also promotes the excretion of estrogen.

Recent studies involving laboratory animals indicated that a high intake of methionine might helpprevent kidney stones by counteracting free radicals. A deficiency of methionine and taurine has beenassociated with certain allergies and autoimmune disorders. Methionine is a part of the peptideresponsible for pain relief as well as various mood-elevating endorphins. By supplying sulfur, ithelps prevent problems of the hair, skin and nails, while it nourishes cartilage.

Methionine is not synthesized in the body and so must be obtained from food sources or fromdietary supplements. The minimum daily requirement for methionine suggested by the NationalAcademy of Sciences is 10 mg per kilogram of body weight for adults. Other studies indicate thatrequirements vary widely, depending on age, sex and diet.

Good food sources for methionine include beans, eggs, onions, garlic, lentils, soybeans, yogurt,fish and meat. A cup of low-fat cottage cheese will contain up to a gram of this sulfur amino acid, andone exceptionally good dietary source of methionine is sunflower seeds.

The synthesis of the sulfur amino acid taurine depends on the availability of methionine, and thebody converts methionine into the sulfur amino acid cysteine, a precursor of the important amino acidglutathione.

Cysteine: As with all other amino acids, the vital role of cysteine is to contribute to the structure of

protein, which it does in the form of cystine. Cystine is created when two cysteines oxidize and bondtogether. Cystine holds proteins in shape and determines the form and properties of animal and plantproteins.

Cysteine is present in keratin, the main protein that makes up nails, skin and hair. It aids in theproduction of collagen and provides elasticity in the skin. Cysteine is important in energy productionbecause it can be converted to the sugar glucose which the body can burn. This sulfur amino acid,along with methionine, is important in manufacturing the antioxidant lipoic acid which can reducediabetics' need for insulin.

Like its sister sulfur amino acid, methionine, cysteine appears to possess the extraordinarycapability to render toxic chemicals and carcinogens harmless, according to recent studies.Moreover, it promotes healing from respiratory disorders and severe burns as well as helpingprevent damage from the free radicals generated by radiation and chemotherapy. Cysteine is oftenadministered in hospital emergency rooms to prevent liver damage from drug or alcohol overdose.Cysteine is currently being used successfully to raise T-cell levels in AIDS patients. Recent studieshave indicated relative deficiencies of sulfur-bearing cysteine in some psychotic patients. Foods thatcontain high levels of cysteine include onions, garlic, yogurt, wheat germ and red meat.

Taurine: This lesser-known sulfur amino acid can be synthesized from cysteine in the liver andfrom methionine elsewhere in the body. For vegetarians, this internal synthesis is crucial, sincetaurine is not found in vegetable proteins. It is one of the most abun dant amino acids in the body andis considered conditionally essential for adults. Taurine is essential to infants, in whom it is criticalto development of the central nervous system and muscle tissue. Cysteine and vitamin B6 are the mostcritical nutrients to support the manufacture of taurine.

Taurine is not incorporated into proteins, yet is key to metabolism. It does not appear to function asan antioxidant but to provide a stabilizing effect on cell membranes, helping maintain their integrityand strength. Taurine facilitates the transition of calcium, potassium, magnesium and sodium in andout of cells. Taurine lends its protective ability to particularly sensitive tissues and is found inrelatively high concentrations in white blood cells, the kidney, brain, heart and the retina of the eye.

Taurine is the second most important inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. This helps accountfor its anticonvulsant and antianxiety properties and its use to treat epilepsy and seizures.

Taurine is also the most important and abundant free amino acid in the heart. A double-blind studyby Dr. J. Azuma and colleagues in 1983 found that taurine brought improvement to 19 out of 24congestive heart failure patients. Where it is involved in the metabolism of calcium in the heart,taurine is thought to affect the transmission of nerve impulses.

In 1982 Dr. M. J. Voaden and colleagues found that people suffering from the eye disease retinitispigmentosa showed reduced levels of taurine in their blood as well as within the eye. Cats make lessof their own taurine than humans and become blind on taurine- or methionine-deficient diets. Thisblindness is due to degeneration of the light-sensitive cells in the eye and is reversible when detected

early and the cat's diet is supplemented with taurine. To date, however, no conclusive evidence existsto indicate the role taurine may play in treating or preventing this cause of blindness in humans.

Excessive consumption of alcohol is associated with urinary loss of taurine and causes the body tolose its ability to properly use the amino acid. Diabetes increases the need for taurine, butsupplementation with it along with cysteine may decrease the need for insulin. Taurine is also acomponent of bile, which is utilized in the digestion of fats, absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, andcontrol of cholesterol levels.

Taurine is highly concentrated in animal and fish protein, particularly in organ meats. As notedearlier, it is not found in vegetable proteins. I should emphasize that with conditions linked to taurinedeficiencies (depression, hypertension, hypothyroidism and kidney failure, for example), or when thebody produces inadequate supplies, dietary sources by themselves will not furnish sufficient amountsof taurine. In these cases, supplements would almost certainly be necessary. Effective oralsupplementation ranges between 500 mg and 5 grams (5,000 mg).

The minimum requirements for total sulfur-containing amino acids have been reported byresearchers to be as high as 1400 mg per day but will vary in relation to diet, age and gender.

PROTEIN: IT'S ALL IN HOW IT'S ARRANGED

Each type of protein is made up of a unique collection of amino acids in a specific combination.There are approximately 28 known amino acids, including the sulfur ones just discussed. The waythey are linked is what determines the composition of all the different tissues found in the bodyincluding muscles, ligaments, tendons, organs and glands. Many body fluids, plus the enzymes andhormones that regulate all bodily processes, are also proteins.

The properties of specific forms of protein vary according to the number and type of individualamino acids and their arrangement. For example, muscle is made up of fibrous proteins aligned inlong parallel chains, while spherical globular proteins will be found in hemoglobin (which carriesoxygen and nutrients to the tissues via red blood cells) and insulin. Peptides are what determineswhether your hair is curly or straight. It is the presence of sulfur in keratin, found in skin, hair andnails, that provides strength, shape and hardness to these particular areas. Did you ever accidentallysinge your hair? It is the cystine in keratin in the hair that's responsible for that sulfur smell.

COMPLETE PROTEINS PROMOTE GROWTH

After water, protein is the most plentiful substance in our bodies and represents about 20 percentof our weight. The functions of protein are growth and maintenance throughout the body, regulation ofbody processes, and supplying energy. Proteins are nutritionally classified as either complete orincomplete. When complete, the protein is capable of promoting growth and health.

As proteins are the major part of all living cells, and cell building and regeneration is the basis forlife, it is clear that a continuous supply of protein must be maintained. Yet because the essential

amino acids are not synthesized in sufficient amounts by the body, they must be secured from the foodwe eat. Foods that furnish all the essential amino acids are high in animal protein such as meat,chicken, fish, milk products and eggs. Plant foods such as grains and legumes provide protein butmust be combined to provide all the essential amino acids. Strict vegetarians may not get sufficientamounts of the essential amino acids even though onions, garlic, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, andbroccoli contain important sulfur compounds.

Because sulfur-containing amino acids are among the most limited of all amino acids in our diet,supplemental sources are necessary. Here again I want to emphasize that the body is able to addressthe health challenges it faces when given the nutritional tools it needs to repair, regenerate and defenditself.

SULFUR AND THE B VITAMINS

Need more proof just how mighty and indispensable sulfur is to human nutrition? Then considerthat as a component of the B vitamin biotin, sulfur contributes to the process of metabolizing fat and,of special significance to diabetics, as a part of thiamine (vitamin BI) and of insulin, sulfur is alsorequired for carbohydrate metabolism. Both biotin and thiamine, along with pantothenic acid andpotassium, aid the body to assimilate sufficient amounts of MSM nutritional sulfur.

Vitamin C and all the B vitamins-including biotin and thiamine, riboflavin (B2), niacin, pyridoxine(B6), cobalamine (B12), folic acid and pantothenic acid-are water soluble and are more easily lostthan fat-soluble vitamins. These vitamins move within the body's blood and lymph systems and areultimately eliminated in the urine.

The B vitamins in general are vital to maintaining healthy nerves, skin, hair, eyes, muscle tone andliver. The so-called Bcomplex vitamins work synergistically: they perform better taken together as agroup. For particular illnesses, individual B vitamins are taken in larger individual doses. Whileavailable in a wide variety of foods, most B vitamins are sensitive to light and heat and as a result arelost in normal food processing.

BIOTIN

Biotin assists in cell growth and in the metabolism of fat and proteins. This vitamin is a criticalpart of glucokinase, the enzyme involved in the utilization of glucose. A biotin deficiency, while rarein adults, can cause high blood sugar. Diabetes is a condition brought on in part due to poormetabolism, resulting in excess blood sugar and insufficient production of insulin. Sulfur is acomponent of insulin, the protein hormone secreted by the pancreas that is essential to carbohydratemetabolism. A lack of nutritional sulfur in the diet may result in low insulin production.

Diabetics should note that a diet containing plenty of sulfur may enhance the body's ability toproduce enough insulin to allow reduction of insulin injections.

Biotin has been shown to be useful in the treatment of pain, tingling or numbness as a result of

nerve inflammation particularly when the condition is diabetes related. Adequate quantities of biotinare also needed for maintaining healthy nerve tissue, skin, hair, and bone marrow. Both plant andanimal foods contain biotin and good dietary sources include organ meats, cooked egg yolks and milk.

THIAMINE (Bl)

Thiamine is essential for converting carbohydrates into energy by burning starch and sugar. Thisvitamin assists in blood formation and enhances circulation and proper digestion. It is needed formuscle tone of the heart and intestines. Thiamine also serves as an antioxidant, protecting the bodyfrom the degenerative effects of excess alcohol and smoking.

Antibiotics, alcohol abuse and oral contraceptives may cause the level of thiamine to decline. Inaddition, if the diet is high in fats and sugar, chances are that vitamin Bl intake is not adequate.Symptoms of thiamine deficiency include fatigue, weight loss, constipation, muscle atrophy, numbnessin the extremities, and enlarged liver. A prolonged deficiency could result in permanent damage to thenervous system. Vitamin Bl is not stored in large quantities in the body and must be frequentlysupplied in the diet. The vitamin is plentiful in pork, beef, liver, brown rice, whole grains, nuts, fish,and egg yolks.

SULFUR AND SULFITES

Earlier we reviewed and underscored the biological importance of the sulfur-containing aminoacids methionine, cysteine and taurine, all of which are organic. Most inorganic forms of sulfur are oflittle value to the body and may even cause harm. Sulfites are one example. We are all familiar withsulfites because they are used as an additive in many processed foods as a preservative to retardspoilage or prevent discoloration. Sulfites can also be found in many wines, where they are used toprevent bacterial growth. Sulfites are just one of the many food additives or artificial ingredients thefood processing industry has been using for years that I've constantly warned people about.

At best, additives and preservatives offer no nutritional benefit. At worst, they represent a threat toyour health and may even prove fatal. Sulfites, for example, destroy vitamin BI, bring on asthmaattacks and stimulate allergies. Normally, sulfite is converted to a harmless sulfate form in thepresence of the trace element molybdenum. If, however, molybdenum is deficient or missing, the keyenzyme responsible for this conversion cannot be activated. Watch out for sulfites in foods such asdried fruits, processed potatoes and other prepared items, where it may occur as sulfur dioxide,sodium sulfite, or sodium or potassium bisulfite (and metabisulfite).

Those who are susceptible and react negatively to inorganic forms of sulfur as sulfites or sulfadrugs, are typically not similarly affected by beneficial organic sulfur compounds, some of whichwe'll be discussing in the following chapter.

A number of nutritional supplements that benefit nearly every part of the body contain sulfur. Thesulfur groups that MSM contributes to participate in a variety of ways. Some of the major sources andcompounds whose activity are dependent on sulfur are summarized in this section.

GLUTATHIONE

This amino acid is a tripeptide made from the sulfur-bearing amino acid cysteine plus glycine andglutamic acid. Glutathione is produced mainly in the liver. It is found in the cells of nearly all livingorganisms on Earth, and its principal function is waste disposal. When there are free radicalsthreatening to start an oxidation reaction, glutathione neutralizes them and often transfers them toanother antioxidant such as vitamin E. In the liver, glutathione attaches to toxic substances and bindsto them in a form the liver can excrete without being damaged. Glutathione also prevents red bloodcells from being damaged by neutralizing unstable forms of oxygen.

This remarkable antioxidant also plays a role in cellular repair after a stroke, fighting cancer,stabilizing blood sugar and preventing oxidation of LDL cholesterol which damages the arteries. It'salso crucial in protecting the lymphatic and digestive systems from unstable fats and oils. Whenglutathione levels drop, the burden of toxic stress goes up. A study done in England in a community ofelderly people showed that low glutathione levels were associated with a 24 percent higher rate ofillness and death, higher cholesterol and higher body weight. Glutathione is known to promote goodeye health and low levels accompany almost every type of eye disease.

Our level of glutathione drops as we get older. Levels can also be depleted by excessive intake ofpolyunsaturated and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, overexposure to toxic substances such aspesticides, and by pharmaceutical drugs that stress the liver. Since glutathione often passes off itsneutralized waste products to antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin E, a deficiency of thesevitamins can diminish its full function. I should also emphasize that low dietary intake of eithercysteine or methionine can result in depletion of glutathione, which is needed to create taurine,another sulfur amino acid. When it is necessary to heighten glutathione levels, you could eat foodscontaining sulfur amino acids, but the best way is by taking a cysteine supplement, preferably in themore stable form of NAC (N-acetylcysteine) which is a building block of glutathione.

GLUCOSAMINE

Glucosamine is the building block for ligaments, tendons, fluid in the joints, digestive andrespiratory tract membranes, heart valves, eyes, nails, skin and bone. It is manufactured in the bodywhen the simple sugar glucose combines through enzyme action with glutamine. The result of thisaction is then sulfated by other enzymes to form glucosamine. In this form it gives cartilage itsstrength, structure and resiliency.

Sulfur bonds are required as essential structural components of all connective tissue. And whilewe don't often think about it, the fact is that our connective tissue system is literally what holds ustogether. This tissue runs from head to toe, supporting and connecting our internal organs, forms thewalls of blood vessels, and attaches muscles to bones. One component of connective tissue iscollagen, which holds water and gives connective tissue its flexibility. Proteoglycans are anothercomponent of connective tissue, and they are the basic substance of joint cartilage.

Taken by mouth glucosamine has been found to be well tolerated, with no side effects,contraindications or drug interactions.

HOMOCYSTEINE

Homocysteine is a natural amino acid that exists temporarily in the body as a by-product when thesulfur amino acid methionine is metabolized. Homocysteine is toxic but in a healthy body it is quicklytransformed into harmless substances before it builds up. If you have a deficiency of certain Bvitamins, or a genetic predisposition that interferes with the metabolism of homocysteine, the levelsof it in your blood will rise, as will your risk of heart disease and stroke. Your risk of cardiovasculardisease is significantly increased when homocysteine levels are just 20 percent above normal,according to Dr. Mason of Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston.

Most people will never hear about elevated levels of homocysteine from a doctor because thetreatment is so simple and inexpensive, involving only a few common vitamins. Nobody's going tomake a lot of money from this treatment! Even so, there are more than 20 studies involving over 2,000patients that have shown homocysteine levels are significantly higher in people who have coronaryartery disease and strokes. Some researchers estimate that high levels of homocysteine may accountfor the 30-40 percent of people who have heart disease without exhibiting any of the better-knownrisk factors such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and obesity.

While it's known that homocysteine damages arteries, nobody yet has figured out how. Whatevidence exists suggests it causes certain kinds of arterial cells called endothelial cells, to literallyfall apart. This is the kind of damage that would attract cholesterol in an attempt to repair it.Unfortunately, the "bad" cholesterol accumulates and eventually clogs the arteries. Antioxidants willhelp significantly in reducing the amount of "bad" cholesterol in the blood, but when homocysteinelevels remain high, the damage to arterial walls will continue.

One large Canadian study compared homocysteine levels in 584 healthy people and 150 peoplewith coronary artery disease. Their levels of vitamin B12, B6, pyridoxal phosphate and folic acidwere also evaluated. The results clearly showed that the higher the homocysteine, the lower the levelsof folic acid, B12 and pyridoxal phosphate (a form of vitamin B6). Those with low levels of these Bvitamins and high homocysteine had a greater risk of heart disease.

High homocysteine levels can also be caused by drugs, particularly those that interfere with folicacid like methotrexate, an immunosuppressive drug given to patients with cancer, rheumatoid arthritisand psoriasis, and the anticonvulsant drugs phenytoin (Dilantin) and carbamazepine (Tegretol,

Epitol). Even cholesterollowering drugs such as the bile acid sequestrants cholestipol (Col- estid)and cholestyramine (Questran), prescribed to reduce heart disease, may actually cause it by raisinghomocysteine levels!

The good news is homocysteine can be easily and inexpensively lowered by taking certain Bcomplex vitamins. If your homocysteine levels are high, in addition to your regular vitamin intake,you should take 200 mg daily of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) and 1-4 mg of folic acid daily until yourhomocysteine levels are back to normal. Adding betaine to your supplements, in the form of betainehydrochloride, can also aid in lowering homocysteine levels when combined with the B vitamins.

LIPOIC ACID

Lipoic acid is a potent antioxidant and vitamin cofactor that enhances the action of vitamin E,vitamin C and glutathione. It also plays a role in the generation of energy and in glucose balance. InGermany, lipoic acid has been used for nearly 30 years to treat diabetes. Aipha-lipoic acid (alsoknown as thioctic acid) directly supports the detoxifying abilities of the liver and has been usedsuccessfully in cases of exposure to heavy metals, to treat alcohol-induced liver disease and viralhepatitis. Diabetics should use alpha-lipoic acid with caution as it can cause hypoglycemia.

COENZYME A

Pantothenic acid, a B vitamin, is converted to coenzyme A, its only known biological form. It isimportant in the oxidation and synthesis of fatty acids, and synthesis of cholesterol and the substancesmade from it (bile, vitamin D, and steroid hormones). Coenzyme A also functions in the making of redblood cells and the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. The Greek word "pantos" means "everywhere,"which befits the wide presence of this vitamin in the body as well as in the diet. It's no surprise thatcoenzyme A deficiency in humans is relatively rare.

FIBRINOGEN

Fibrinogen is a component of blood which like cholesterol is a vital substance unless it occurs inexcess quantities. It is a benefi cial clotting agent, but when there is too much of it, your bloodbecomes overly sticky. In this state, fibrinogen can add to existing plaque deposits and compoundrestricted blood vessels. Excess fibrinogen would be particularly harmful to people under stress, whosmoke or who are obese. In a study of 652 subjects between the age of 40 to 60 who had at least oneknown cardiovascular risk factor (blood pressure, smoking, cholesterol) the extent of atherosclerosiswas found to be related to the levels of fibrinogen and triglycerides. In another study of 664 men withno prior history of myocardial infarction, it was found that fibrinogen was a predictor of prematuredeath and coronary artery disease in middleaged men and nonsmokers. It goes without saying thatquitting smoking, stress reduction and weight loss are positive steps in the direction of healthyarteries and managing the level of fibrinogen. You could also try eating more garlic, olive oil, cold-water fish, a little red wine and fiber-rich foods like whole grains.

SKIN AND COLLAGEN PROTEIN

Skin is your largest organ. It has two main layers, a thin outer layer called the epidermis and aninner one known as the dermis which is about four times thicker. The epidermis itself consists ofthree sublayers. The outermost layer consists of scaly, dead cells, rich in protective keratin. Thislayer is constantly shedding dead cells. New cells are always moving toward the surface, replenishedfrom the deepest, or basal, layer of the epidermis. The basal layer also contains the pigment, ormelanin, which gives skin its color.

The thicker dermis layer anchors blood vessels, sweat glands, sense receptor cells, hair folliclesand oil-producing sebaceous glands. Sebaceous glands open to hair follicles in the skin while sweatglands release perspiration through different holes in the skin known as pores. Beneath the dermis is afinal layer called the subcutis which is an insulating layer of fat.

Something has to bind all the structures of skin together, and this is done by a tough protein calledcollagen. Collagen is a major component of connective tissue, which is found wherever differenttissues and body parts need to be bound. This protein is produced by cells in the connective tissuecalled fibroblasts. Collagen is formed in fibers which align themselves in various ways to fit specificfunctions. In skin, collagen fibers lie in a flat crisscross pattern.

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body and the dominant component of tissue and bones.It is high in silicon, a mineral that forms long, complex molecules, suitable for parts of the body thatneed to be strong and flexible. Collagen works with fibers of another protein called elastin, whichgives skin its elasticity. The two types of fibers together account for the degree of resilience and skintone found in skin.

MSM is responsible for the flexible bond between cells, including those that make up the skin. Itacts to block undesirable chemical and physical cross-linking or bonding of collagen which isassociated with tough, aging skin. Consequently, MSM enhances tissue pliability and encourages therepair of damaged skin. Tests conducted among laboratory animals indicated that wound healingoccurred faster with a group receiving MSM, but the fastest healing was among a group receivingMSM plus vitamin C. If there is insufficient MSM in our body when new cells are beingmanufactured, the new cells become rigid. This rigidity can contribute to cracking, wrinkles, and scartissue. When sufficient MSM is present, it serves to make the skin softer, smoother and more flexible,allowing it to stretch easily with movement.

Scars are overgrowths of collagenous tissue that appear on skin as the cut or wound heals.Normally, the wound heals flat and firm leaving little sign of the injury. However, when the body isdeficient in MSM and vitamin C, the new tissue will be elevated leaving an unattractive, raised scar.With adequate MSM along with vitamin C, these unsightly scars have been observed to disappear

over time.

Some plastic surgeons and dermatologists will recommend collagen injections for minimizingwrinkles and scars. Injected collagen, however, will be broken down by enzymes in about two years.Money that people spend on cosmetic products with collagen as an ingredient is equally wasted,since skin cannot absorb the protein. Nutritional support of our body's own collagen, including MSMsupplementation, is a much better idea, as the following case history clearly illustrates.

Hank was trapped in a burning car for twenty minutes, leaving parts of his body badly burned. Foryears afterward he would lie awake nights from the pain caused by the scarred tissue and adhesions.Finally he heard about nutritional sulfur (MSM) and after only a few days of applying it on his flatand purple burned areas, Hank's pain dramatically subsided, the scar tissue virtually disappeared andthe purple areas returned to a healthy pink. This is the result of the effect of MSM stimulating theproduction of healthy collagen while bringing elasticity back to his skin.

The, minerals that nourish healthy skin, including nutritional sulfur or MSM, and copper can beobtained from eating raw, dark, leafy vegetables, shellfish and whole grains, or via convenientsupplements. Iron is another nutritional mineral important to skin and found in organ meats, poultryfish and parsley. Vitamin C, required for the production of collagen, is abundant in a variety of fruitsand vegetables. A good multiple vitamin and mineral supplement will provide most of your dailyrequirements, but MSM is not included and must be obtained separately. As a daily dietarysupplement, I suggest taking 1,000 mg of MSM with each meal.

DETOXIFICATION BY THE SKIN

By keeping cells and tissue soft and permeable, MSM allows the skin to serve as an "auxiliarykidney," as millions of sweat glands excrete substances that are toxic to the body. With vigorousexercise or at high temperatures our sweat output increases from an average of about a pint a day toseveral quarts!

There are two types of sweat glands. Eccrine glands eliminate mostly water and excess mineralsalts, including sodium chloride, which is why sweat tastes salty. These sweat glands work hardestwith exercise, high temperatures or under stress. Apocrine sweat glands are found in the genitalregion and the armpits. They excrete nitrogen-containing wastes, as well as water and salts, throughthe pores of our skin. Apocrine glands are the ones to blame for body odor. The sweat from theseglands creates body odor when mixed with bacteria and is produced at times of stress.

ACNE

Acne involves overproduction of sebum and consequently breaks out in the most dense locations ofsebaceous glands. Male sex hormones such as testosterone stimulate production of keratin and sebum,enlarging the sebaceous glands. Hormone levels increase at puberty in both boys and girls, but arehigher in males, which are the reasons why acne afflicts mainly teenagers and is most common inmales. Teenagers will be heartened to learn that studies have been conducted which indicate that

acne, including the severe acne rosacea, responds favorably to a diet supplemented with MSM.

Good nutrition helps the skin carry out its detoxification role and keeps down the levels of toxins ithas to manage. Poor diet can be a contributory factor to pores and sweat glands getting clogged.Sweat itself can become loaded with material that feeds bacteria. Antibiotics destroy B vitamins,including biotin, and hinder the natural ability of our intestines to produce this nutrient. One symptomof biotin deficiency is dry skin. As noted earlier, both plant and animal foods contain biotin, and gooddietary sources include organ meats, cooked egg yolks and milk. To aid synthesis of biotin in the gut, Ialso recommend that you eat yogurt or take acidophilus supplements.

HEALTHY HAIR

The only side effect of MSM, if you want to call it that, is that it will make your hair and nailsstronger. That's because the sulfur amino acid cysteine, one of the building blocks of protein, ispresent in keratin, the main protein found in large amounts in your hair, fingernails and toenails.While all the B vitamins are important to healthy hair and nails, sulfur-bearing biotin is especiallyimportant. Look at the ingredients of many shampoo brands and you'll see biotin listed. Be aware,however, that it will do you more good on the inside than the outside. Although a biotin deficiency israre, it can cause hair loss and fragile nails.

Like plants in pots, hair grows from tiny sacs called follicles located just below the surface of theskin. On average, a healthy head will number 100,000 hairs. The root of the hair is surrounded by abulb that feeds each strand the tough, fibrous protein keratin. Just above the bulb and below the skinare sebaceous glands which produce an oily substance called sebum which lubricates and protects thehair.

Every follicle has its own blood supply, which is why good circulation is important for healthyhair. The size of the opening in the follicle determines the thickness of the hair. Attached to eachfollicle are tiny muscles called erector pili muscles. When you're cold or scared, they contract. Whenyou're frightened, it's what makes hair stand on end and when you're cold, they'll give yougoosebumps.

The shaft of hair is made of three layers, the center core or medulla, the thicker middle layer calledthe cortex, and the tough outer layer called the cuticle. Relative to its circumference, hair is verystrong-stronger than a copper wire of the same thickness. Hair is straight, curly or wavy depending onthe shape of the hair shaft. Straight hair has a round shaft, curly hair has a kidney shape and wavy hairhas a slightly curved shaft.

NAILS AND KERATIN

The nails are 98 percent composed of a tough protein with a high sulfur content called keratin,produced by the cells under the nail. Fingernails and toenails grow from near the bone about a quarterof an inch past the base of the nail. This area is called the nail root. Forming a protective barrierbetween the nail and the skin is a small flap of tissue called the cuticle. Under the nails is the nail

bed, which is rich with blood vessels and very sensitive. The pink color of the nails is caused byblood vessels close to the surface.

Fingernails grow about an eighth of an inch per month, and toenails grow about a sixteenth of aninch per month. Once we believed that eating gelatin would create strong nails, but this is not so. Bothhair and nails are composed primarily of protein, and gelatin is far from being a total protein. Neitherwill calcium build stronger nails, because the amount of calcium in nails is minimal. Actually, thereis very little you can do to create hard nails from outside the body. Good nutrition and genetics willdetermine your nail strength. Nonetheless, if you have brittle or soft nails, it is important to make sureyou're getting plenty of MSM and B vitamins not just from dietary sources, but also in supplementform.

I should also point out that vitamins A and E are key nutrients for healthy skin and hair and nails.One of the signs of vitamin A deficiency or excess is hair loss and soft or brittle nails. If you're eatinga balanced diet of yellow and orange vegetables and fruits, and dark green leafy vegetables, chancesare good that you're getting sufficient vitamin A. In supplement form, you should be taking 10,000 to15,000 International Units of beta-carotene in your daily vitamins, which the body will convert tovitamin A as needed. Food sources of vitamin E are olive oil, whole grains, avocados and nuts. As asupplement, take 400 IU of vitamin E daily.

If you are an allergy sufferer, you've got a lot of company. Over 40 million people are affected byallergies with reactions ranging from somewhat bothersome to potentially fatal. That's why it's soimportant to learn as much as you can about prevention and treatment and why you'll be excited tolearn about the role of MSM in helping bring relief to your suffering.

An allergic response occurs when the body's immune system, ever ready to do battle with virusesand bacteria, goes a little haywire and reacts to otherwise harmless substances we call allergens.Your body will produce antibodies to fight the allergens. The antibodies then attach themselves tospecial cells in the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts where they eventually explode, releasingchemicals including histamine, a powerful compound that actually causes allergic symptoms. Onceour immune system decides that a particular type of pollen is a hostile invader, it becomes"sensitized" to it, and can react with allergy symptoms for years, and perhaps a lifetime.

Allergy drugs only suppress symptoms rather than treating the cause of the allergy and often resultin unpleasant side effects. Antihistamines, for example, such as Chlor-Trimeton (chlorphenir- amine)and Benadryl (diphenhydramine) suppress histamines but also cause drowsiness. Newer, nonsedatingantihistamines such as Hismanal (astemizole) and Allegra (fexofenidine) also function to suppresshistamines but they have a long list of other possible side effects, including potentially fatal abnormalheart rhythms.

Pollen, dust, mold or animal dander in the air get in your face and result in sneezing, runny nose,tearing eyes, sore throat, ear infection, stomach cramps, itchy skin or hives, headaches, urinaryfrequency, stuffiness, fatigue, diarrhea, and possibly asthma-a chronic and sometimes life-threateningrespiratory problem that is close kin to allergy.

Allergy symptoms are simply your body's reaction to something foreign in your system. Symptomsare actually caused by a specific antibody called immunoglobulin E or IgE, a protein molecule thatthe body produces to fight off foreign substances. When there is sufficient MSM in your system, yourcells become more permeable, enabling your body to quickly flush out any undesirable foreignparticles. If your body is sulfur deficient, the cell walls become hard and stiff, hindering the flow offluid through the cell walls. MSM softens the cell walls, allowing allergens, foreign proteins and anyfree radicals to be moved out of your system.

The tendency to develop allergies may be inherited, but almost every human has the potential to beallergic to something sometime. It's just that we all have different thresholds to allergens. Allergyshots don't get rid of the allergy, they simply raise the threshold so we can tolerate more of whateveris bugging us before any symptoms show up. Moreover, the threshold level of individuals will varydepending on age, stress, viral illness, overexertion, exposure to chemicals, and even weatherconditions. In the case of hay fever, for example, the allergy may be year-round, seasonal or random(episodic).

ENVIRONMENTAL ALLERGENS

There are medical allergies, food allergies and skin allergies but arguably the most vexing are thesneaky airborne particles that gravitate towards your nose. I'm talking about such common, everydaythings as pollen, grasses, mold spores, mildew, dander from furry or feathered creatures, smoke,exhaust, perfume, aerosol sprays, pesticides, cosmetic products, cleaning solvents, mothballs, paintsand varnishes, glues and adhesives, dyes, woodburning fireplaces and "new carpet syndrome" ... ourreaction to the formaldehyde found in carpets and old insulation.

DUST MITES

Certainly the most common allergen we're all exposed to is plain old everyday house dust. About80 percent of house dust is us. By that I mean the millions of dead cells every one of us continuouslysloughs off. People shed about one gram of skin flakes per day. That's about the weight of a regularpaper clip. The more people in a house, the more dust contributors. A family of four could fill a quartBaggie in a month. And dust mites eat the flakes of skin we involuntarily and relentlessly serve up.One ounce of house dust can host a veritable metropolis of 13,500 mites.

Allergic reactions are not caused by the mites themselves, but by a protein that is secreted in thefeces of the mite. A single mite can excrete twenty fecal pellets a day which, in the lifetime of a mite,amounts to 200 times its own body weight. It's actually the mite particles and any dander in house dustthat trigger the classic runny nose and headachy allergic reactions. Thomas Platts-Mills, director ofAsthma and Allergic Diseases at University of Virginia, believes the dust mite is the single mostimportant allergen. Mites affect a substantial portion of the 26 million Americans with hayfever typeallergies and the 15 million with asthma. Experts estimate that if there were no mites, many peoplewould not have year-round allergy symptoms.

Mites are not insects but microscopic arachnids, nasty looking eight-legged spiderlike scavengersthat teem in carpets, beds and upholstery, doing their bit to make the world a cleaner place while theyundermine the health of the allergenic. About the size of a sharp pencil dot, mites under magnificationlook like miniature hairy dinosaurs complete with armor plates but also with pincers. The number ofmites in a home has nothing to do with the cleanliness of the home or the presence of animals. It isrelated to the amount of cozy fabric (in carpet, chairs, blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, etc.) and thehumidity level found in the house (mites require a relative humidity of 50 percent or more).

You might imagine mites would find the couch where people sit and eat potato chips and shed skincells for hours, to be a great home for mites and a place to contract a case of "couch potato allergy."But the very best home in the house for mites is your bed. After all, in bed is where you spend at leastone-third of your life, all the while shedding a smorgasbord of spent skin cells. It's warm there andit's humid, the result of approximately one pint of water vapor we provide for them each night throughperspiration and breathing.

All in all, the bed is an ideal breeding ground for these gross bedfellows. A double-bed mattresscan easily hold 2 million mites, and a six-year-old pillow may count 10 percent of its weight in mites,

dead mites and their droppings. Sleep research studies show that most people toss and turn up to 60times during one night of sleep. This action catapults mites and their little mementos into the air,where they remain suspended for up to 24 hours. In the air, they are easily inhaled and ultimatelycause allergic reactions. Multiply the 2 million mites in your bed times 20 droppings a day and youcan begin to understand the magnitude of the socalled "dust allergy" problem. It also helps explainwhy some people wake after a good night's sleep feeling stuffy and tired.

Unfortunately, there is no way to totally remove the supply of mite food, and it's not alwayspossible to control bedroom humidity. Using plastic coverings on mattresses, pillows and box springswill help. But because your perspiration will no longer be absorbed, using plastic covers will makeyou feel cold and clammy. It'll cut down unwanted population if you wash your bedding regularly inwater that's at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Wholehouse filtration systems work better on dander thanon the smaller mite pellets, but neither allergen floats around in the air long enough for filters toprovide much relief. It's a constant battle to control mites because the development of the house dustmite from an egg to adult takes only three or four weeks. The adults live for about six weeks, duringwhich time females produce 40 to 80 eggs each.

A direct correlation between concentration of MSM used and resistance to allergens has beenestablished. And although MSM alone may not totally eliminate allergic responses, subjects withchronic to severe cases of allergies to environmental materials report substantial to complete relief oftheir symptoms after successive daily doses of MSM. Additionally, a majority of subject individualswith allergic asthma reported equivalent or better control of symptoms with one-fourth or less theamount of antiallergy medication they had been taking when concurrently ingesting MSM.

If you're suffering from allergies, I recommend you begin taking at least 6,000 mg of MSM per dayfor three weeks and then drop back to a 3,000 mg daily rate. In addition to taking MSM to help thebody flush out allergens, I recommend that allergy sufferers also drink more water and increase theirintake of vitamin C to lower histamine levels. I further suggest that you add to your daily supplementplan the antioxidant quercetin plus the B vitamin pantothenic acid to strengthen the adrenal glands.

Many parasite-based illnesses can mimic diseases more familiar to the doctor. As a result, anysymptoms that puzzle doctors are frequently misdiagnosed and are actually the result of the activitiesof several types of parasite in the body. Additionally, making an accurate diagnosis gets tricky when apatient's symptoms come and go, possibly mirroring the irregular reproductive cycle of the parasite.Untrained or unfamiliar with the field of parasitology, it is easy to inaccurately diagnose parasite-related syndromes, which include chronic fatigue, hypoglycemia, hypothyroidism, hypoadrenalism,chronic upper respiratory tract ailments, endometriosis, decreased libido, and depression.

When you are hosting uninvited guests in your body, sometimes for as long as 30 years, you are ineffect sharing all your nutrients. When there are parasites feasting in your intestines and depriving youof needed nutrients and energy, is it any wonder you might get sick? Specific symptoms attributed tothe presence of parasites (but often associated with other causes) include itching, lethargy, slowreflexes, unexplained gas or bloating, heart pain, blurred vision, muscular pain for no good reason, aburning sensation in the stomach, numb or cold hands, unexplained menstrual problems, sexualdysfunction, loss of appetite and overeating.

Parasites are not just some Third World phenomenon that only affects people in undevelopedcountries traditionally associated with poor hygiene and malnutrition. It is estimated that 85 percentof Americans are hosting at least one parasite in their body. It is a silent epidemic of which mostdoctors in this country are generally unaware. The fact is that worms, from the microscopic amoebato tapeworms which can exceed 30 feet in length, are a fundamental cause of disease in Americatoday and are responsible for health problems that go beyond the gastrointestinal disturbances weexpect. Roundworm infection, for example, has been misdiagnosed as peptic ulcer. Diabetes andhypoglycemia can be caused by tapeworms.

Internal parasites have become prevalent to the point where Americans today are host to more than130 different kinds of parasites. The principal reasons for the recent rapid increase in parasiticinfestation are the rise in international travel (including the return of armed forces from overseas),contamination of our water supplies, the huge influx of immigrants and refugees from highly parasite-infested areas, the growing popularity of exotic foods, a higher pet population, the use ofimmunosuppressive drugs, increased sexual contact and increased use of day-care centers. All ofthese developments serve to increase the likelihood of exposure and accelerate the transmission of avariety of parasitic diseases.

Forgive me if I'm opening a can of worms (and for phrasing it that way!), but you should be awarethat parasites come in hundreds of shapes and sizes, capable of instigating almost an equal number ofsymptoms. Most parasites invite themselves in by way of the nose or mouth and move on to theintestinal tract. However, some come aboard and migrate to the bloodstream, joints and muscles or godirectly to organs like the liver and lungs. The body is capable of defending itself against minorparasitic invasions when your immune system is strong, your diet is good, and your intestinal tract

isn't burdened with excess mucus.

World travelers are familiar with the short-term effects of parasitic invasion in the form of extremediarrhea and cramps. You should know, however, that some parasites can and will lie low in yoursystem for months and even years, waiting for an opportune time to cause major distress. And they aredifficult to detect in your body. You could spend a lot of time and money on stool tests and still notfind the culprits. Some parasites would show up only intermittently due to erratic reproductivecycles. Others might just cling to the lining of the intestines while other parasites may not be hangingaround in the intestines at all and so wouldn't show up in a stool test.

A blood test could reveal eosinophilia, indicating an increase of a specific kind of white bloodcell caused by inflammation and tissue damage and therefore the possible presence of parasites.Measuring a parasite-specific antibody in a saliva test might also detect parasites or eliminate thepossibility.

Once verified, there are several natural ways to deal with parasites. One of the most traditionaland effective is to simply take the herb garlic either as part of your diet or as a supplement in capsuleform. Another herb that can kill a variety of parasites, including Giardia (often found in freshwaterrivers and streams frequented by animals), is goldenseal, which contains a powerful compound calledberberine. Grapefruit seed extract, black walnut, mugwort, butternut root bark, thyme and,appropriately, wormwood are all antiparasitic herbs.

The most recent natural treatment is organic sulfur or MSM which has demonstrated amazingantiparasitic action against Giardia, Trichomonas, roundworms, nematodes, Enterobius and otherintestinal worms. Tests indicate that MSM may present a blocking interface between the parasite andhost by competing for binding or receptor sites at the mucous membrane surface. It's as though MSMputs down a coating on the lining of intestines like Teflon that parasites find impenetrable and can'tcling to. And if they can't get attached, then they can't chow down at your expense, can't excretetoxins, and can't reproduce. Unable to hang on, the parasites are simply flushed out of your system,preventing the symptoms usually ascribed to parasitic infestation.

If you are hosting uninvited guests, put out the unwelcome mat by taking 10,000 mg of MSM dailyfor three or four weeks. You could then drop back to a regular rate of 3,000 mg per day. One subjectspecifically diagnosed with Giardia was given only 500 mg of MSM by mouth three times a day fortwo weeks. By the eighth day he was symptom free and stool samples confirmed that no organismswere present.

Mainstream medicine will typically treat parasites with potent antifungal drugs such asmetronidazole (Flagyl) and quinacrine. Both subject people to the risk of highly unpleasant sideeffects, several negative drug interactions and the possibility of a rebound yeast infection. Avoid themif at all possible. After any parasite treatment, it is a good idea to take a probiotic containingacidophilus for at least a couple of weeks to help correct the imbalance and restore beneficialbacteria in your intestines. As a preventative measure before traveling to a suspect country, get yourintestines in fighting form by taking some acidophilus up to three weeks before you visit. And don't

forget to pack the MSM.

If your house were infested with cockroaches, you would know what action to take. And now youknow what you can do to rid your body of unwelcome infestation.

Good digestion and absorption of nutrients is one of the keys to good health and longevity. It's allabout how we process fuel. And, just as with a car, if it isn't done properly, you're not going to getvery far. Naturopathic doctors estimate that some 60 percent of the patients they see with previouslyunexplained symptoms are suffering from a dysfunctional gastrointestinal system. Fortunately, one ofthe major pharmacological benefits to be derived from taking MSM is the positive effect it has on theutilization of the food we eat.

To begin with, use of MSM has been shown to add flexibility and permeability to most forms oftissue. Tissue malfunction anywhere along the gastrointestinal tract can result in long-standingdigestive disorders including inflammation of the mucous membranes, diarrhea, constipation, nauseaand hyperacidity. People with these gastrointestinal symptoms often experience dramatic reliefthrough oral administration of as little as 100 to 500 mg of MSM supplementation daily, but to start Isuggest you take 3,000 mg a day.

Food allergies can be a source not only of immune system deficiencies and fatigue but of majorindigestion problems. It is noteworthy that individuals who experience an allergic response to certainfoods (e.g. cereals, shrimp, milk, citrus and wheat) report an improved or complete tolerance to thesesubstances when they take MSM. The digestion process benefits from the ability of MSM to coatmucosal surfaces such as those lining the digestive tract, occupying the binding sites that challengingfood allergens would otherwise use. MSM will bind with the offending agent and through sulfurconjugation produce harmless substances which are then excreted from the body. This facilitatesnormal digestion and assimilation and allows the body to extract the maximum nutritional value froma variety of foods that might otherwise prove allergenic.

Enzymes secreted by the pancreas and small intestines are the primary catalysts of the digestiveprocess but they don't work alone. They require an amino acid and a cofactor, such as a vitamin ormineral, to complete the job. Among these, the B vitamins riboflavin and pantothenic acid plus thesulfur-bearing vitamins thiamine and biotin help us metabolize and digest starches, fats and proteins.Both biotin and thiamine, along with pantothenic acid and potassium, aid the body to assimilatesufficient amounts of MSM, so vital to the digestion process.

CONSTIPATION

Constipation is one of the most common health complaints and contributes to many seriousdiseases. It starts, or more accurately ends, in the colon, where the body deposits digested solidwastes. If digestion is poor there will also be undigested food present. As the waste material movesthrough the colon, water is pulled out of it and by the time the wastes reach the end of the colon, theyform a compact mass that in a healthy body is easily excreted through the rectum and anus as feces.Your colon is designed to safely handle loads of toxins day after day for years. When you'reconstipated, forcing out hard, dry stools on an irregular basis, the toxins remain in the colon longer

than they should. This poses the risk they'll be reabsorbed back into the body or actually harm thecolon itself.

The colon is heavily populated with bacteria which are normal intestinal flora that keep "bad"bacteria under control. Antibiotics, steroids, poor digestion, nutritional deficiencies and stress cankill the good bacteria, leaving an overabundance of the bad guys, most of which are a fungal yeastcalled Candida albicans. An overgrowth of yeast in the intestines can cause constipation, gas,diarrhea, and a long list of secondary symptoms.

Twenty-one subjects with a history of constipation were given 500 mg doses of MSM togetherwith 1,000 mg of ascorbic acid daily. All subjects with abnormal colon function returned to normaland remained normal while MSM was a part of their diet. In addition to MSM supplementation of atleast 2,000 mg per day, some other ways to treat constipation include extra dietary fiber from freshvegetables and fruits. If that doesn't get things moving, add bran and prunes and if that doesn't helpyou can take psyllium in the morning before breakfast. Stir in one to three teaspoons in eight ounces ofwater or juice and drink it immediately.

Another step is to drink more water to assist the elimination process. When you're dried out, yourstools will be hard and dry. This is painful and can cause bleeding and hemorrhoids, so drink plentyof clean water throughout the day.

And when you get the urge, go, because chronically holding back bowel movements can also causeconstipation.

Check your medicine cabinet, too. Some drugs that can cause constipation include diuretics,painkillers, decongestants, narcotics, antihistamines, antidepressants and tranquilizers. Iron tabletscan cause constipation. It's common to become constipated when we travel-long hours of sitting,changes in diet and water, and a change in our daily routine, can make us "irregular." Pack a fewprunes.

Magnesium can cause diarrhea, which means it can also be a remedy for constipation. This isparticularly true when pregnancy is causing constipation. Taking 300 mg of magnesium is a safe andnutritional way to combat constipation.

STOMACH ACIDITY AND HEARTBURN

Your stomach starts producing digestive juices when you just think about eating. And when youstart to chew food it stimulates the gallbladder and pancreas to secrete their digestive juices andenzymes. The better you chew your food, the better chance it has of being broken down into smallenough particles to be absorbed easily into the bloodstream from the small intestines.

Contrary to what you hear, stomach acid is your best ally when it comes to breaking down foods inthe stomach. Hydrochloric acid strong enough to etch metal is released as you chew, along with theenzyme pepsin which begins to break down proteins. The acid also kills undesirable bacteria and

parasites, allows the body to absorb minerals, and sets the stage for the absorption of B12 and folicacid in the small intestine. If the stomach doesn't contain enough hydrochloric acid, the valve to thesmall intestines won't function properly, which will cause food to remain in the stomach for hours.

If sufficient hydrochloric acid is the first step towards good digestion, then why are we taking somany antacids and H2 blockers such as Tagamet (cimetidine) and Zantac (ranitidine), which blockhydrochloric acid? Because when food sits undigested in your stomach for hours, it can cause painnot only in the stomach, but from reflux, or burping, which burns the lining of the esophagus. That's thesymptom we call heartburn. Antacids and H2 blockers will temporarily block those symptoms, butover time these medications may actually make matters worse. Antacids neutralize the acid in thestomach, preventing proper digestion and interfering with the absorption of minerals and some Bvitamins, which leads to continued indigestion. Moreover, aluminum-based antacids can causeconstipation, and those with calcium carbonate can cause a rebound effect, resulting in the stomachproducing more acid once the antacid's effect wears off.

One study reveals that at least 75 percent of subject individuals taking one or more antacids or H2histamine receptor antagonists were able to sharply eliminate or reduce such medication within aweek of initiating MSM as a dietary supplement. The study points out that the fact that MSM often ismore effective than even combinations of H2 blockers and neutralizing antacids suggests that gastricacid secretion and digestive enzyme release is a more complex process than previously believed.Start with a dosage of 3,000 mg per day.

A simple solution to deficient hydrochloric acid is to take it as a supplement called betainehydrochloride. But before you do that, review your eating habits. Maybe you're eating in a hurry?Eating big meals? Eating a lot of fried and fatty foods? More spicy foods? Drinking a lot of coffee ordrinking cold liquids before or with meals? Perhaps the family dinner table has become a stressfulgathering. Could citrus or tomatoes be causing your upset? If the answer to any of these questions is"yes," try changing the circumstance to see what happens.

Pain of any kind is your body's warning signal that something is wrong. Your first response to painshould be to determine exactly what's causing it and if possible, eliminate it. It might be as simple aswarming up before you exercise to avoid pain caused by straining your muscles. If you suffer fromarthritis pain, you could try an elimination diet to find out if a food sensitivity is causing theinflammation in your joints. A headache could be the result of allergies, stress, or perhaps it's a sideeffect of some prescription drug you're taking.

ARTHRITIS

Arthritis is the inflammation of the knees, wrists, elbows, fingers, toes, hips and other joints of thebody, characterized by pain, swelling, stiffness and a restricted range of motion. The physiologicalstructure of all joints is basically the same: two or more adjoining movable bones, whose adjacentsurfaces are covered with a layer of cartilage, are surrounded by a fluid-filled capsule encasingligaments. More than 50 million Americans suffer from osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, andrelated conditions.

Earlier it was noted how glucosamine helps keep cartilage strong and flexible, and how it can alsoplay a role in repairing damaged cartilage. In recent clinical studies, glucosamine has not onlyrelieved the symptoms of osteoarthritis, but actually appears to reverse the disease. In a healthy body,when the cartilage found in tendons, ligaments and other connective tissue becomes damaged, it isslowly replaced by new cartilage. As we grow older, it appears that our bodies become less efficientat repairing cartilage. Glucosamine is a key substance in the cartilage rebuilding process.

Several studies have been done comparing the effects ofglucos- amine versus NSAIDs(nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen and aspirin. In each study the NSAIDs groupimproved faster during the first two weeks, but after a month the effectiveness began to wear off andside effects such as stomach and digestive problems began to appear. In contrast, after four to eightweeks the glucosamine groups showed a high degree of relief from pain, joint tenderness andswelling. Before-and-after electron micrographs of cartilage taken from both a placebo and aglucosamine group showed continuing arthritis in the placebo group and nearly healthy cartilage in theglucosamine group. None of the glucosamine groups reported any significant side effects.

One of the most significant applications of organic sulfur, MSM, is its demonstrated ability toalleviate pain associated with systemic inflammatory disorders. People with arthritis reportsubstantial and long-lasting relief while supplementing MSM in their diet with daily dosages rangingfrom a low of 100 to a high of 5,000 mg. This beneficial effect is due in part to the ability of MSM tosustain cell flow-through, allowing harmful substances (lactic acid, toxins) to flow out whilepermitting nutrients to flow in, thereby preventing pressure buildup in cells that causes inflammationin the joints and elsewhere.

In one study, eight people suffering various forms of intractable pain were given MSM by mouth indiffering amounts for periods up to 19 months. All reported reduced levels of pain. If you aresuffering from osteoarthritis, bursitis, joint pain, swelling or tenderness, you might want to try thesulfur sisters, MSM and glucosamine. It can't hurt.

MUSCLE SORENESS AND CRAMPS

The nerves which sense pain are mainly located in the soft tissue of our bodies such as themuscles. Many types of pain can be attributed to pressure differential involving the cells that make uptissue. When outside pressure drops, cells swell and become inflamed. Nerves register theinflammation and we experience pain symptoms. Often what's contributing to the pain is rigid fibroustissue cells which lack flexibility and permeability. Use of MSM has been shown to restore flexibilityto the protein layer of cell walls, allowing fluids to pass through the tissue more easily. This softensthe tissue and helps to equalize pressure thereby reducing if not totally eliminating the cause of thepain. MSM, by equalizing cell pressure, treats the cause of inflammation, unlike an aspirin whichwould treat the symptom by shutting off the nerve.

MSM has demonstrated the remarkable ability to reduce the incidence of or eliminate entirelymuscle soreness, and leg and back cramps, particularly in geriatric patients who have such crampsduring the night or after long periods of inactivity, and in athletes after high physical stress.

Marathon runners and other athletes who compete or exercise vigorously can learn from trainers ofmillion-dollar racehorses. Trainers will administer MSM to their prize horses both before a race toprevent muscle soreness and afterward to lessen the risk of cramping. Postathletic fatigue syndrome,which generally follows intense athletic activity and usually persists for eight to ten days, was gone intwo to three days in individuals who had taken 1-2 grams (1,000 to 2,000 mg) of MSM per day insplit dosages for the preceding six months. It's just good horse sense to take advantage of the naturalpreventative benefits that can be derived from MSM.

We have reported how the mighty sulfur supplement, MSM, is a unique substance with healingproperties that only now are beginning to be fully identified. What's making MSM so hot in nutritionalcircles is that it brings a multitude of exciting health benefits and relief to those suffering from avariety of ailments but who never had a clue that sulfur possessed such a broad influence innormalizing the functions of the body. Study after study has shown that a low concentration of MSM isassociated with tissue and organ malfunction, a heightened susceptibility to disease, and adversephysical as well as psychological stress. Every day I hear of more applications for this amazingmineral.

DIABETES

Diabetes is a condition brought on in part by poor metabolism resulting in excess blood sugar andinsufficient production of insulin or cell resistance to insulin. As noted earlier, a deficiency in thesulfur-bearing B vitamin biotin can cause high blood sugar. This vitamin is a critical part ofglucokinase, the enzyme involved in the utilization of the sugar glucose. Sulfur is also a component ofinsulin, the protein hormone secreted by the pancreas that is essential to carbohydrate metabolism.Lack of nutritional sulfur in the diet can result in low insulin production. Of special interest todiabetics is the fact that a diet containing plenty of organic sulfur might enhance the body's ability toproduce insulin to the point at which injections of insulin can be reduced.

Experts theorize that with diabetes the cells in the body may have become rigid and impermeable.Consequently, when insulin carries the blood sugar to your cells, it can't be absorbed. The pancreasmust then work harder and faster to compensate for the deficiency, but then becomes overworked andstops functioning properly. The blood sugar that is not being used saturates the bloodstream, creatinga high level of blood sugar. Studies indicate that taking MSM regularly (I recommend a minimum of2,000 mg per day) causes cells to become permeable and the pancreas to return to normal as bloodsugar is absorbed through cell walls, balancing the sugar levels.

THE EYES

Think of your eyeball as a balloon full of water, but instead of being rubber, it is a proteinmembrane. Optical tissue normally allows fluids to flow through the membrane wall which acts like afilter, cleaning out harmful particles, keeping your eyes clear and your vision good as it allowsnutrients to permeate. But should the membranes become tough like leather, the fluids are trapped andparticles begin to accumulate. If this buildup continues, your vision will seem as if you're lookingthrough frosted glass, a condition known as cataracts.

When eyedrops containing the proper amount of MSM are applied, the membrane becomespermeable, and this has reversed the problem. It is also important that the eye remain flexible so thatthe muscles can alter its contour and focus as needed. In the event that its membranes and muscles

become rigid and tough, the eye will not be able to focus properly, resulting in blurred vision. TheMSM in eyedrops soothes and softens the membranes, permitting fluids to pass through the opticaltissues to stabilize the pressure, repair any damage, clear up red spots and bloodshot vessels, andremove floaters and other particles in the eye.

In one case, a 15 percent solution of MSM in isotonic saline was a soothing treatment for the eyefollowing accidental injury due to particulate matter in the eye. In a test with an irritated eye of arabbit, the eye cleared when treated every hour with a 10 percent aqueous solution of MSM. Beassured, the concentration in the MSM eye drops you get will be sufficient. Follow the instructions onthe label.

As noted earlier, the B vitamins in general and the sulfur-related amino acids and compounds arevital to maintaining healthy eyes. Specifically, we've learned that glucosamine is the starting materialfor the eyes, that glutathione promotes good eye health and low levels accompany almost every typeof eye disease. We also know that people suffering from the eye disease retinitis pigmentosa showreduced levels of taurine within the eye.

STRESS

While stress is often considered either a mental or psychological problem, it has very real physicaleffects. You've heard people attri bute stress-related symptoms to "nerves," and there's no doubtstress usually affects parts of the body that are related to the nervous system particularly through thedigestive organs. As we learned earlier, use of MSM can be beneficial in many digestive disorders.

I have a fish story to tell you. One stress study quoted in the literature for MSM involves 50goldfish in a large aquarium. Half of them were removed and placed in a small aquarium (designatedA) and the other 25 were placed in an identical aquarium (designated B). The fish in A were fedregular goldfish food and those in aquarium B received the same food treated with MSM. The fish inboth aquariums were then stressed equally by manipulation of their confinement, movement, andtemperature range. By day ten, 11 fish died in aquarium A but only one went belly-up in the MSM-treated tank.

Stress, both physical and psychological, is an unavoidable part of life. We've learned how MSMhas proven to be useful in the treatment of a number of physiological problems, and now limitedevidence suggests that low levels of MSM have been associated with adverse psychological stress aswell. For now, we'll just have to wait for confirming evidence on this potentially excitingapplication. I recommend beginning your stress control program with 3,000 mg of MSM daily.

MENTAL NORMALCY

Mental normalcy in humans is demonstrated by alertness and an inner calmness that is not subjectto sharp mood swings. What literature exists suggests that individuals on MSM generally reportincreased alertness, a plateau of mood changes, and very infrequent depression. A few subjects takingdepression medication observed that MSM relieved their depression within hours rather than days, as

had been their prior experience with the antidepression medication. Students report that while onMSM their ability to concentrate is enhanced. The most useful application for MSM seen to date inthe field of mental normalizing is as an aid to the terminally ill to relieve anxiety and depression. Tryup to 9,000 mg per day to start then taper down to 3,000 mg.

LUNG DYSFUNCTION

In one study, seven subjects with respiratory deficiency were given MSM to take by mouth. Fivehad emphysema, and two had lung tumors plus fluid accumulation. Before and during the test period,at two-week intervals, the five subjects with emphysema were required to walk a measured distancecompatible with their physical capabilities. Within four weeks of beginning to take MSM, allemphysema sufferers had at least doubled their walking distance. The two subjects with lung tumorswere assessed by attending physicians and nurses and their family as being more alert and with abetter attitude than before the test. The lung fluid had disappeared during the first months of the testperiod. MSM could be introduced into the lungs and bronchial tree as a solution in aerosol form.

ORAL HYGIENE

Subjects who had not had professional dental cleaning for at least four to six months and whodemonstrated minor yet discernible gum inflammation, probably due to plaque irritation, were given acommercial toothpaste or powder mixed 50/50 with MSM, which they used twice daily. Followingone week of use, the oral mucosa were free of signs of inflammation. In other tests, subjects with badbreath associated with smoking or food such as onion or garlic reduced or eliminated the bad breathby cleansing the teeth and mouth with a preparation containing MSM.

Begin with a dosage of up to 10,000 mg of MSM per day then, once results are observed, graduallyreduce the dosage to 3,000 mg daily.

INSECT BITES AND SUNBURN

MSM reacts with foreign protein, such as venom and toxins injected by insects, by locking themup, neutralizing the poisons, which can then be harmlessly eliminated. Subjects in a test who tookMSM daily had much milder reactions to insect bites, with a significant reduction in post-biteirritation and itching. MSM is also reported to take the itch out of poison ivy and poison oak. BecauseMSM contributes significant permeability and pliability properties to all tissues, including the skin, itprevents blistering and promotes faster healing from sunburn or wind damage. People who took from0.5 to 2 (500 to 2,000 mg) grams of MSM suffered only mildly after about four hours of exposure tosummer sun and wind, while their companions who took no MSM were severely sun- andwindburned. In cases involving the skin, lotions containing MSM would be the preferred form ofapplication.

SNORING

While the snore wars are fought externally, snoring is really an internal problem generally caused

by the narrowing of the nasopharyngeal airway such that turbulent airflow during relaxed breathingvibrates the soft parts of the oropharyngeal passage. That's when you kick someone or they kick you!

Experiments to determine the effectiveness of the instillation of MSM as a snoring reduction agenthave been carried out with an initial sampling of fifteen individuals with a known history of snoring.In each case, the subjects were instructed to instill approximately .5 to 1.0 milliliters (8-16 drops) ofthe solution containing the MSM about ten minutes to one hour before going to sleep. The observationof the presence or absence of snoring was made by the subject's mate. The observing party was nottold that the subject was employing internasal MSM. The subject's mates reported the lessening orabsence of snoring in 80 percent of the cases. Subsequent experiments using higher concentrations ofMSM showed even more positive results.

If you or someone you know snores, try the recommended daily dosage of 3,000 mg per day todetermine if MSM can help everybody get a good night's sleep.

0 : ,:'"'

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