Dear Member,
Do your joints hurt? I’ve seen active, productive people struck down by joint pain. Some have trouble just getting out of bed in the morning.
But go to a doctor and they’re likely to hand you a prescription for a COX-II inhibiting pain killer like Celebrex or Bextra. Aside from the increased risk of heart attack and death attributed to drugs like Celebrex, there’s really no evidence that they’re any more effective than aspirin! But doctors continue to dole out prescriptions…
In a quest to find a pain reliever – without the side effects – I researched just about every formula that’s hit the market since the 1990’s. And I have to say, I was disappointed with 98 percent of them.
Today, I’ll tell you my number one natural choice – MSM.
MSM stands for Methylsulfonylmethane. It’s the bio-available form of sulfur and can be found in many foods. It’s also in your body.
One interesting study at the Arthritis Health Center in Arizona tracked 50 adults over the age of 40 with knee osteoarthritis. One group took MSM twice a day – the other group took a placebo. Those who used the MSM enjoyed a dramatic decrease in arthritis pain and impaired physical function. The MSM also improved their ability to perform daily activities.1
What’s more, the MSM group saw reductions in both homocysteine – a risk factor for heart disease and malondialdehyde – a marker of oxidative stress. (Not only is MSM a powerful pain reliever, it’s also a remarkable antioxidant!)
In a future Doctor’s Call, I’ll tell you about some other nutrients you can combine MSM with to make it more effective at lower doses. By itself, I use a dose of 850mg per day.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
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1 Kim L. et al. Efficacy of Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) in Knee Osteoarthritis Pain: A Pilot Clinical Trial. Press Release. Sep 2005.