MSM: The Foodie Hero You’ve Never Heard Of (But You Need To Know About)

Pic credit: food52.com

Have you heard of MSM? Not to be confused with S&M or any type of BDSM for that matter (blame Fifty Shades, but we totally #kantkope with acronyms right now), methylsulfonylmethane is a sulphur compound that’s found in virtually every cell in the body. Should this interest you? Defo – it’s vital for our overall wellbeing.

Y’see, MSM doesn’t have just one job – it’s a round-the-clock, works Sundays and bank holidays, kinda staffer. This baby beats dandruff, dermatitis, acne, rosacea and psoriasis. It kicks eczema to the curb, and it’s an all-singing, all-dancing energy booster. Guess what? Despite the stinky connotations, sulphur is also a brilliant detoxifier. The anti-inflammatory properties of MSM round off the compound’s can-do attitude, meaning you’ll want to get it into ya Cynthia if you suffer from joint pain or stiffness.

MSM is a round-the-clock, works Sundays and bank holidays, kinda staffer.

Like all amaze-o nutrients, you’ll find lots of MSM in the Godly greens – broccoli, spinach, kale… you see where we’re going with this. Thankfully, for those of us who don’t like a morning Mean Green, Green Glow or Dr. Green Love (those are actually juice names), or have yet to join the cult of Nutribullet, it’s reassuring to know that tea, coffee and beer contain MSM too, but in much smaller quantities (sadface).

Just in case we’re coming across a little extremist in our loads and less comparison, do remember that MSM is found in most foods, and to ensure adequate amounts are consumed to give our bodies the best chance of getting the most nutrition from our meals, like all things in life, we need balance. So a bit of fruit here, some veg there (especially tomatoes), a chunk of creamy dairy delight, a little bowl of bone broth (surprisingly yum), and a handful of wholegrains is a recipe for success. If you can eat as much raw food as possible, even better.

Tea, coffee and beer contain MSM too (yay!).

But if you prefer to cook your dinner over 40C, a little supplementation might not be a bad idea. There are few reported side effects from taking MSM in pill form – heck, some folk swear by it. Just read the instructions and check with your doc or the helpful healthfood shop advisor first to make sure it won’t jar with other medications (prescription and non) you’re on.

One last piece of advice about this wünderkind? If you do decide to knock back the tabs (with your green juice, natch), you might feel a bit ick to begin with (we did). And our skin was mad with us for a bit too – think spots and weird dry patches. You’ll be glad to know, these minor issues cleared up in about a week or so. If you’d prefer to avoid these problems altogether, just up the ante on healthy, clean foods for MSM benefits you’d be cray to miss out on.

• diet
• health
• MSM
• nutrition