Okay... so if you are here, you've probably heard about MSM (which is NOT to be confused with "MSN"! <grin>). You've probably had someone tell you that it is the "cure-all" for everything wrong with you and you're not buyin' it! <smile> Or perhaps you've seen the commercials for the "Super Blue Stuff" or "Blue Emu" creams and you are wondering what all the hype is about.

I will do what I can to clear things up and to give you other sources to check for some answers.

First of all, MSM doesn't "cure" anything! The purpose of methylsolfonylmethane is to carry water (that you drink, preferably) to all the cells in your body. Our cells can be thought of as engines or fireplaces. When they do their job, they burn fuel and power something. When fuel is burned, there are by-products that have to be cleaned out. Look at a fireplace sometime... there are ashes in the grate from the wood that have to be cleaned frequently and there are sooty residues that have to be cleaned from the flue. If you don't clean that fireplace, you can have SERIOUS damage.

So it is with our cells. The by-products of cellular activity are known as "toxins". Our cells use water to wash out the toxins and then our body tries to eliminate these toxins, using more water, through the liver, kidney, bowels, and skin (to name a few). Everyone "knows" how important it is to drink a lot of water... we hear this message from many different places and directions. But perhaps we have never stopped to wonder "why" it is so important.

Yes, it's true that the blood carries the toxins away from the cells in many cases. But when the blood gets too thick, it cannot hold as many toxins as it should and toxins get left behind to continue to toxify (i.e. "poison" or corrupt). And if the cells themselves don't have enough water to flush the toxins in the first place, the toxins hang around to damage the cell.

Now... think about how MANY cells you have in your body! wow... it kinda starts to feel creepy. But not to worry! The body is a marvelous creation that if fearfully and wonderfully made. God has created our bodies to be able to handle a LOT of abuse and still keep functioning.

But by now you are probably thinking about various illnesses and diseases and conditions... maybe having questions like "why"? Now, can you imagine how the body might react if ALL the cells in the body were working correctly? Wouldn't a condition like that sound like... a healthy body? no pain?

Exactly! THAT is what MSM does... it brings the water that we drink to all the cells of the body, encouraging the cells to flush their toxins and to work correctly. And when the cells of the body work correctly, then many, if not all, conditions that body is suffering are relieved and often eliminated.

So, MSM cannot be (and should NOT be) called a "cure-all", but it can be seen as a promoter of good health.

Commercial MSM is derived primarily from pine trees. There are different manufacturers of MSM, but I prefer the Lignisul MSM. You may find a great source of MSM at http://reinbath.com/supplies/index.htm#MSM  Anch Grinins will fix you up!

For questions and answers about using MSM, you can join the MSM-DIY Yahoogroup (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MSM-DIY) I own that list and we have several very knowledgeable members who are also very friendly and helpful.