We all know that rather unpleasant smell of sulphur – often described as being that of rotten eggs, pungent, or sharp. This odour mainly comes from hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), a gas commonly associated with sulphur-containing compounds. But sulphur is also an incredibly important mineral for our health.
As a supplement, sulphur mostly comes in two forms: MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) and Sulforaphane. (There is also a valuable supplement called NAC or N-Acetyl Cysteine which contains sulphur but I am not going to get into that today).
MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane, chemical formula C₂H₆O₂S), is usually derived from pine or birch trees, though if you want to buy cheap junk there are some MSM supplements derrived from petroleum (God only knows how they can be legal!).
The second form is Sulforaphane (C₆H₁₁NOS₂) which is usually derived from broccoli sprouts, though much smaller amounts are found in raw broccoli and minimal amounts in cooked broccoli. Sulforaphane contains two sulphur atoms per molecule. These sulphur atoms are part of a chemical compound that gives sulforaphane its distinctive biological activity. In this form, the sulphur is not a bioavailable form of sulphur, and will not correct a dietary deficiency of sulphur but as a sulphur based compound it has other remarkable benefits.
It would not be possible to go into all their benefits here, as you could write an entire book on both of products, but here is some basic information on each of them.
Part I: MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane)
MSM is basically nutritional sulphur. We do not store sulphur in our bodies. It therefore needs to be consumed all the time (Vitamin C is the same in this respect). The main natural source in our diet is from raw food. Sulphur is destroyed by the cooking (heating) process. Apparently it’s also depleted by the incredibly common herbicide glyphosate, which is almost impossible to avoid in our diets as it’s used universally in agriculture. Result: Most of us are deficient in Sulphur.
Some of Sulphur / MSM’s Primary Actions:
1. Supports joint health and reduces inflammation and we often get reports of pain relief, especially joint and arthritis pain.
2. Helps with SIBO / dysbiosis / candida overgrowth / leaky gut (a high dosage is normally required initially for treating these conditions – around 5-6 grams twice per day).
3. Helps maintain connective tissue and skin, hair and nail health, strength and appearance. We have often had reports from eczema, psoriasis and melasma sufferers saying MSM has helped them.
4. May reduce muscle soreness. Can help with sports injuries, tendinitis, fibromyalgia, chronic pain etc.
5. Supports immune function. The book cited above, talks about its benefits being observed in some autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and scleroderma.
6. Can help with chronic non migraine headaches (headaches are a whole subject in itself, which I am not getting into today), perhaps in part because it can help reduce muscle spasm, though other mechanisms such as detoxification may well be involved.
7. Detoxification of blood, and lymph (more on this below).
8. Very good for removing heavy metals, inexpensively (use for at least 6 months for full benefits). Can directly aid in chelating metals like lead, mercury, arsenic. Highly recommended for example Dr Sarah Myhill for heavy metal detox.
Further benefits of MSM:
While writing this article, I was reminded of the fact that in the book “The Miracle of MSM” a Dr Ronald Lawrence M.D. discusses its benefits for stomach acidity and heartburn, and how he benefitted from taking it with his own hiatal hernia and accompanying GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease) symptoms. It doesn’t obviate the need for diet and lifestyle changes where necessary, but it can be a useful tool for non toxic relief, using a product which has good general health benefits at the same time.
Also very effective for sinus problems, hayfever, allergies, mucous conditions etc, which I will get into briefly here.
I am now going to cite Dr Stanley Jacob M.D. from his book “The Miracle of MSM”.
I have seen hundreds of allergy cases clear up with MSM, including my own. Years ago, I experienced the typical miseries of a seasonal grass-pollen allergy. From mid-April to mid-July, I required the usual antihistamine relief. In those days, the antihistamine medications often created a side effect of drowsiness. Today, they are less likely to do that. But way back then, it was a price you paid for relief. If I didn’t take medication, my eyes burned, my nose ran, and I developed nasal congestion, making it difficult to breath through my nose. Often the symptoms would persist throughout the day. I started taking MSM more than twenty years ago, and it relieved my problem entirely. No eye irritation. No runny nose. No congestion. No problem at all through allergy season. I have continued to take MSM for all these years and have not had to resort to an antihistamine even once.
The following chapter of the same book is devoted to MSM and relief of asthma. Whilst we do not have space to quote at length in this article, suffice it to say that Dr Jacob maintains that MSM brings wonderful relief for this related condition too.
We provide a range of MSM products here
Part II: Sulforaphane
Some of its Primary Actions:
1. Activating production of antioxidant and detoxification enzymes (like glutathione, catalase, and superoxide dismutase).
2. Detoxification Sulphur is essential for phase II detoxification enzymes, which help neutralise and eliminate toxins, and heavy metals. Where it comes to heavy metals, Sulforaphane does not remove them directly, like MSM, but is involved with boosting glutathione production, which is a major chelator for mercury, cadmium, and arsenic.
3. Anti-inflammatory Properties. Through the sulphur-dependent activation of antioxidant enzymes, Sulforaphane reduces inflammation and oxidative stress, both linked to various chronic diseases. Research suggests that it may have a role in cancer preventation, is anti-inflammatory, and has neuroprotective effects.
Sulforophane and Your Brain
One of the most exciting things about sulforaphane is how it protects the brain. Rather than acting as a direct antioxidant, it flips on the body’s own “defence switch” (called Nrf2) which tells your cells to make more of their natural protectors like glutathione. This helps calm down oxidative stress, the “rusting” process linked to ageing and memory decline.
Sulforaphane also reduces brain inflammation, which scientists now believe plays a big role in conditions like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and even depression. It even helps clear away excess glutamate (a brain chemical that in high amounts can damage nerve cells), and early research suggests it may support new brain cell growth in the memory centres.
It’s cheap!
One of the notable things about Sulforaphane is how inexpensive it is. A months supply on 2 capsules per day is under £12. The benefits relative to the cost are significant enough that I believe this is a supplement that punches above its weight. As I mentioned above, I take it daily as a general health tonic. I don’t feel, or even expect to feel anything specific, but I have done my homework, and I know that by taking it, I will live a longer and healthier life. (I also take Vitamin C and Vitamin D3 with K2 daily, where I also don’t specifically “feel” anything – but I almost never get colds and flus any more).
We provide Sulforaphane from Broccoli Sprout Extract here. There is also a detailed video on the web page. This is not our content, we just borrowed it to help our customers learn more about it.
Which one is better for detoxification?
Bit of a trick question this one, as both sulforaphane and MSM are widely discussed in the context of detoxification, but they work differently.
Sulforaphane is involved with activating glutathione which is vital for detox but doesn’t contribute any of the sulphur found in the glutathione molecule. MSM on the other hand does provide sulphur needed for glutathione production, which is then involved in what is called phase II liver detoxification. This is the stage where the liver makes harmful substances safe and eliminates them. So sulforaphane turns on the detox pathways, and MSM fuels the detox pathways.
Is Sulforaphane more effective than MSM?
No – it depends on your goal and you may also want to use both at the same time: Here is a quick comparison table…
Here is a quick comparison table…
| Goal | Better Option | |
|---|---|---|
| Sulphur supplement | MSM (Sulforaphane is sulphur based but is not a sulphur supplement) | |
| Cellular health & longevity | Sulforaphane | |
| Brain & heart health | Sulforaphane | |
| Healthy Cell Division / DNA protection | Sulforaphane | |
| Hair & Skin & Beauty | MSM | |
| Joint Pain & Arthritis | MSM | |
| Post Exercise recovery / tissue repair | MSM | |
| General Detox (Blood and Lymph) | Both are excellent detoxifiers in different ways. They can be used together for a cumulative effect or as stand alone products. | |
| Heavy Metal Detox | Equally valuable, but they detox heavy metals by different mechanisms. Also can be used together for a cumulative effect or as stand alone products. | |
| General inflammation | Both are highly anti-inflammatory in different ways. |
There’s so much more to say about both sulphur based products, but its meant to be a newlsetter, not a book, so I’ll stop there and wish you well.
Best wishes
MarK G. Lester
Director / Founder
Sultan of Sulforaphane / Master of MSM
The Finchley Clinic Ltd