OptiMSM

The discovery of MSM

Over forty years ago, Dr Robert Herschler, a chemist at the Crown Zellerbach Corporation paper mill, was asked to find a use for lignin, one of the factory’s waste products. Lignin oxidation in a reactor was found to yield DMSO (Dimethylsulfoxide), a natural, organic form of sulfur. DMSO was not a new substance, as a Russian scientist had already managed to create it in 1867 and described it in a German magazine. Initially, Crown Zellerbach focused his research mainly on the application of DMSO as a… pesticide solvent(!). One day, Dr Herschler and a co-worker got some pesticide dissolved in DMSO on their skin and subsequently became very ill. Investigations showed that the pesticide – which normally could not be absorbed through the skin – had inexplicably entered the men’s bodies. By that time, Dr Herschler had come into contact with Dr Jacob, who was particularly interested in using DMSO specifically as an antifreeze for transplant organs. They discussed the aforementioned incident and came to the conclusion that DMSO apparently had an important property that nobody yet knew about: it was able to dissolve chemicals and transfer them through the skin into the human body. Dr Jacob wondered whether DMSO could also be utilized as a transporting agent for pharmaceuticals, and commenced a series of small-scale experiments. DMSO applied to the skin was absorbed so quickly that, after just a few minutes, the subjects could taste a bitter flavour in their mouths, and their breath acquired a garlic-like odour. To his surprise, Dr Jacob discovered that DMSO itself also possessed active properties that support the skin’s regenerative abilities. Upon this discovery, Dr Jacob requested that a local highly regarded rheumatologist, Dr Rosenbaum, try DMSO in his practice. Dr Rosenbaum applied DSMO to 15 test subjects’ skins and was stunned to conclude that 13 of these patients’ conditions had improved considerably within the hour.

DMSO became a much-discussed substance. The pharmaceutical industry primarily saw it as an ideal means of transporting drugs into the body through the skin. However, in the early 1960s, the world was shocked by the ‘Thalidomide affair’. Thalidomide, a substance prescribed to pregnant women for nausea and vomiting, was found to cause congenital limb abnormalities in the fetus. In response to this affair, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decided to suspend the approval of new drugs until further notice. As a result, the pharmaceutical industry lost interest in DMSO.

DMSO has been the subject of various international symposia. According to Dr. Jacob, over 12,000 scientific publications have been released over the years regarding the biological applications of DMSO, and 28,000 about its chemical properties. In 1970, DMSO was approved in the United States as a medication for joint problems in dogs and horses. In 1978, it was approved in the United States as a human medication for interstitial cystitis, a rare bladder condition that primarily affects women.

However, due to its bitter taste and pungent odor, DMSO never became popular among the general public. Moreover, it was found to easily cause skin irritations when applied topically. In the late 1970s, Robert Herschler initiated further research into the natural metabolites of DMSO. The research was conducted at the Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, under the leadership of Professor Stanley Jacob. Previous research had already revealed that MSM is the main metabolite of DMSO. After being absorbed by the body, approximately 15% of DMSO is converted into MSM. Urine tests showed that orally administered DMSO was no longer detectable in the urine after 120 hours. However, MSM was still detectable after 480 hours. The delayed excretion is likely caused by MSM forming a stronger bond with body tissues than DMSO. The researchers discovered that many of the medicinal properties attributed to DMSO are likely due to its metabolite MSM. Additionally, they found that MSM is much more user-friendly than DMSO: it is more stable, odorless, and does not cause skin irritations.

For a long time, the application of MSM remained limited to the veterinary market and cosmetics. Fear of the stringent FDA regulations was the underlying reason. It was only after the FDA relaxed its rules in the 1990s that MSM became available as a dietary supplement for humans.

MSM: natural or synthetic?

Many people seem to struggle with the question of what exactly the source of MSM is. Is it natural or synthetic? Is it plant-based? Some producers claim that their MSM is ‘distilled from pine trees.’ We also frequently encounter the claim that MSM is of ‘natural origin’ or even ‘organic.’ Recently, we even heard from a distributor claiming that their MSM is entirely plant-based, produced from plant oils such as flaxseed oil.

MSM is a natural substance found in the human body and many foods. The richest source of MSM is breast milk, in concentrations of no more than a few milligrams per liter.

In theory, MSM could be extracted from pine trees. However, we would then have to cut down most of the pine trees on Earth to obtain a reasonable amount of MSM. Practically, this story is therefore impossible, as is the claim that MSM is of ‘natural origin’ or ‘organic.’ All MSM available on the market today does not originate from trees, plants, or oils. You cannot isolate, extract, or cultivate MSM; it requires a chemical reaction to produce it.

The American producer Cardinal Nutrition (now: Bergstrom Nutrition) was the first to use wastewater from the paper industry as a raw material for the production of MSM. Lignin was extracted from this wastewater, which was further converted into DMS (dimethylsulfide) by binding it to sulfur. It was then converted into DMSO and then into MSM.

This is what the production process looks like:

Natural ingredient (lignin) in wastewater→ CH3 (methyl groups)

CH3 (methyl groups) → chemical process → DMS

DMS → chemical process → DMSO

DMSO → chemical process → MSM

Question: how ‘natural’ can you call MSM that is produced in this way? You can’t even call it ‘half-natural’ because it is entirely synthetic, produced through a number of production steps, starting from a ‘natural substance’ in wastewater from the paper industry.

Anyone who considers the above production process understands that it is pure deception to claim that such MSM is ‘natural’ or ‘plant-based,’ or even ‘organic,’ even if lignin from wastewater from the paper industry is used as a raw material. Instead, we must accept that all MSM sold today as a dietary supplement is synthetically produced.

A major disadvantage of wastewater is that it contains many other substances that we do not want to find in our dietary supplements, including various contaminants. For this reason, Bergstrom Nutrition decided years ago to move away from wastewater and to use DMSO from the pharmaceutical industry instead. DMS and DMSO are small and relatively simple molecules that can be easily produced synthetically and are identical to what is found in Mother Nature.

All MSM offered today is synthetically produced from DMSO and hydrogen peroxide. Because all DMSO is synthetically made, the origin of DMSO is irrelevant.

It is a misconception to believe that one MSM is ‘more natural’ than another. All commercially available MSM is synthetically made from the same raw materials. However, there is a difference, but then we must look at the quality of production and the purity of the end product.

Bergstrom Nutrition’s focus on quality and purity elevates its OptiMSM® above all others. From the beginning, Bergstrom Nutrition has pioneered the distillation process to ensure purity and safety. Experts worldwide recognize that Bergstrom Nutrition uses a superior, multi-distillation method to purify the MSM. The end product is biologically identical to MSM found in nature.

The quality of MSM

MSM has traditionally been produced by Bergstrom Nutrition in the United States. This high-quality MSM is supplied by Bergstrom Nutrition under two brand names: OptiMSM® for humans and PurforMSM® for animals.

Both qualities are equally exceptional and are the most premium available on the market today. They surpass the MSM produced by factories in China and India over the past few years. Such MSM is almost always unbranded and anonymous, making it very difficult in practice to trace the producer.

OptiMSM® and PurforMSM® stand out because they are purified through quadruple distillation. This process removes any potential impurities, leaving only pure MSM. They are supplied with certificates guaranteeing the absence of molds and bacteria, and the levels of various heavy metals are negligible or almost undetectable:

Mercury (Hg): < 0.001 ppm (mg/kg)
Cadmium (Cd): < 0.005 ppm (mg/kg)
Lead (Pb): < 0.01 ppm (mg/kg)

All other producers opt for the inexpensive Crystallization Method, where MSM is dissolved in water and then dried. This is not truly a ‘purification,’ although it is often referred to as such. Not all impurities are removed but remain present. Moreover, the water used usually contains additional contaminants that end up in the MSM crystals.