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MSM has become extremely popular amongst horse owners. Amongst
other claims, MSM is believed to:
- moderate allergic reactions,
- calm upset stomachs,
- correct mineral imbalances,
- kill some parasites,
- relieve pain and inflammation, and lastly,
- be a natural antimicrobial and antioxidant.
Double Blind Trials
Now, being a natural sceptic myself, this looks to me like some
supplier of MSM claiming to have discovered a "wonder drug".
So, I did some research to see whether any of these claims could
be scientifically substantiated. To my surprise, I found that all
of these claims were actually true and had been tested to work.
Double blind studies have been done on horses and humans which
prove this.This is where two groups of patients are given either
a placebo (no MSM) or MSM and their responses are measured. Neither
the scientists conducting the trial nor the patients taking the
medicine know who is taking placebo and who is taking the drug.
At the end of the trial, it is made known which group is which
and responses are compared. In the trials that I looked at, an 80%
improvement was shown in the group taking MSM, compared to the group
taking placebos.
History
The history of MSM is interesting. It dates back to a chemist called
Herschler who worked for a paper- processing company. His boss asked
him to investigate possible uses for one of the company's by-products,
DMSO.
Herschler found that DMSO decreased inflammation and pain when
applied to horse's swollen legs. Although it became quite popular,
there were some disadvantages to using DMSO:
- It's effect is transient, as it leaves the tissue very fast
- There are possible toxicity problems
- It causes bad breath
- It causes dry, itchy skin
- It stinks!
Herschler then decided to experiment with a molecule called MSM,
which had a stabilising oxygen atom bound to the sulphur of the
DMSO. This small change in molecular structure resulted in many
positive advantages:
- It had long-term therapeutic values
- It is very untoxic (similar to water)
- No bad breath, itchy skin or stink
Biochemistry
Although it is not known exactly how MSM works, it is assumed to
be because it is a source of sulphur. Animals can't use sulphur
on its own, and MSM (which contains a sulphur molecule) can be easily
used in the body. Sulphur is a very fragile element and, although
it is present in big quantities in fresh foods, (eg. fresh hay),
even minimal processing (eg. cutting and drying of hay) or storage
causes the suplhur to be lost. This means that most horses (and
humans) are deficient in sulphur. MSM can correct this imbalance
by supplying sulphur in a form which is easy to use.
Case-Studies
Together with his veterinarian friend, Dr Metcalf, Herschler continued
to experiment. This is what he found:
- Both men suffered from respiratory allergies. When they dosed
themselves with MSM, the allergy disappeared. When they stopped
taking it, the allergy returned.
- Dr Metcalf's labrador was able to stop her daily dose of four
bute tablets per day when given MSM.
- Dr Metcalf's daughter's jumper became a different horse (no
tail swishing, ears back or refusing) when put on MSM. He since
had a lot of success with MSM in treating back pain in jumpers
and race horses, especially with sacroiliac problems.
- Fast-growing foals often develop epiphysitis, especially when
their diet is too protein rich. This is a painful inflammatory
condition when the foal's body grows faster than his bones can
develop to support the weight. A small amount of MSM fed daily
can prevent this.
- Further problems that were cured were: severe diarrhea in a
valuable Arab stallion, gastric ulcers in foals, lameness, internal
parasite (worm) infestations.
Caution
Dr Metcalf is quick to point out that MSM must not be regarded as
a cure-all. "We must determine the cause of discomfort and
make sure the cause no longer exists. Obviously, if there are joint
chips in a horse's knee, you might get temporary relief from MSM,
but it isn't going to make him sound."
He also cautions people to always consult their doctor or vet before
starting to use MSM.
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