Recent study finds that MSM improves quality of life in subjects with mild knee pain

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A recent study published in the journal Nutrients found that supplementation with a branded Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), called OptiMSM for Balchem Human Nutrition & Health (Montvale, NJ), improved the quality of life in subjects with mild knee pain. In the study, 88 subjects were randomized to receive either MSM or a placebo, of which they tool 10 tablet, each containing 200 mg of MSM or lactose, per day for 12 weeks. The primary outcome of the study was the total score of the Japanese Knee Osteoarthritis Measure (JKOM) at 12 weeks. Subjects were evaluated with JKOM at baseline, 4, 8, and 12 weeks.

Results showed that after 12 weeks, the JKOM total scores of the MSM group were significantly lower than the placebo group. When compared to baseline scores in each group, the difference in scores after 12 weeks was not statistically significant. Health condition scores at 12 weeks were also statistically lower in the MSM group compared to the placebo group at 12 weeks. In each group, the JKOM health condition scores were also lower compared to baseline, but there were no significant between group differences in the amount of change before and after other JKOM items.

According to the researchers, the “pathophysiology of KOA [knee osteoarthritis] includes inflammatory and degenerative processes associated with oxidative stress.” They explain further that inflammatory changes decrease the antioxidant activity in biofluids and cartilage, which increases oxidative stress to negatively impact the proteins in knee joint structural strength to create an interdependent relationship between oxidative stress and inflammation.

“Although the subjects in this study were not KOA, they were aware of the deterioration of the QOL of their knees, suggesting that the level of oxidative stress in the knee joints may have increased,” the researchers wrote. “Since MSM is known to exhibit antioxidant activity and free radical scavenging, it is speculated that the antioxidant activity of the MSM also improved the QOL of the knee joint in this study.”

“We are particularly excited about this study as it was the first carried out on healthy adults, and to highlight OptiMSM’s potential to be effective at just two grams per day,” says Eric Ciappio, PhD, RD, strategic development manager and nutrition scientist for Balchem Human Nutrition & Health, in a press release. “We are fully committed to leading the way with industry-leading clinical studies, and this trial provides us with the confirmation that all the benefits reported from clinical and pre-clinical studies on patients with ostheoarthritis could be applied to healthy adults, changing the landscape of joint health formulations.”

“Joint health is a priority for people across multiple generations who are proactively seeking ways to ensure a good quality of life as they age,” says Lauren Eisen, strategic marketing & BD Manager. “In addition, according to the World Health Organization by the end of the decade, one in six people worldwide will be over 60, which presents the opportunity to prioritize staying active. High-quality, innovative ingredients like OptiMSM will play a pivotal role in joint health segment growth.”

Reference

Toguchi, A.; Noguchi, N.; Kanno, T.; Yamada, A. Methylsulfonylmethane Improves Knee Quality of Life in Participants with Mild Knee Pain: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Nutrients, 2023, 15(13), 2995. DOI: 10.3390/nu15132995