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We analysed:
- Organic and synthetic MSM crystals / flakes
- MSM powder
- MSM capsules
- MSM tablets
Sourced from:
Note - MSM is not currently manufactured in the UK or Europe
so all MSM is imported from one of the above sources.
Manufacturing Facts
There are two basic methods of manufacture:
1. Crystallisation
2. Distillation
During either process the MSM forms naturally in to crystals
/ flakes of varying sizes.
Some suppliers call them crystals, some call them flakes, there
is no difference except in name.
Distillation tends to produce a smaller, more even sized crystal
/ flake, however, the latest crystallisation technology also produces smaller
crystals / flakes.
Mesh Sizes and Grades
The crystals / flakes are sieved through very specific "mesh
sizes" giving different grades of the product. Some manufacturers use particle
sizers for grading.
Powders
There are two types of "Powder"
The latest hi-tech crystallisation and distillation processes
produce naturally fine crystal / flakes which resemble powders.
To get the same effect, some lo-tech manufacturers grind the
larger crystal / flakes into a fine powder - this is where some problems may arise.
You can see the difference with a strong magnifying glass !
High quality forms of MSM will appear as mini crystal / flakes whereas the cheaper
forms look like fine chalk powder.
The fine powder produced by the grinding method tends to set
into large, very hard lumps (sometimes as hard as ice) which are difficult to
process consequently, some suppliers add flow agents like silica for ease of tubbing
and product appearance.
Once a flow agent has been added it's very easy for an unscrupulous
supplier to cut it with bulking ingredients which are also available in fine powder
form - take magnesium Stearate for example or talc (a trade term for a cheap unscented
bulking ingredient)
Potential Problems with ground down powders
So, MSM powder produced by the ginding process has three potential
problems for the unknowing purchaser:
1. It may contain a flow agent.
2. It may be cut with a cheap bulking ingredient.
3. It may be pure but generally will form large hard lumps
in the tub which can be somewhat difficult for the end customer to use.
Crystals / Flakes
In contrast, crystals / flakes:
1. Are essentially free-flowing i.e. They don't need a flow
agent as the crystals / flakes don't lock together. Note: Some "soft clumping"
will nearly always occur in product tubs and containers of even the best types
of MSM (a good sign that there are no flow agents in it !) The clumps resemble
soft snow balls which break up quite readily, a quick shake of the tub usually
does the trick. Tip - don't leave your MSM tub in a damp place or where there's
lots of steam (ie Near a kettle) or it will certainly lock together !
2. Avoid the possibility of containing a cheap bulking ingredient.
Crystals / flakes are a far superior product depending on a
further very important factor:
Purity
The quality of the manufacturing process is critical whether
crystals / flakes or powder.
There are currently concerns about the purity of synthetic MSM
imported from the Far East. This is justified in some cases however, we know of
at least one Chinese manufacturer who use pure water in their processing and has
excellent quality control.
One manufacturer of synthetic MSM in Canada uses pure water
and has good quality control (Opti MSM)
Another manufacturer in Canada, uses very pure processing for
MSM derived from natural pine tree source - (DistilPure MSM)
Assessing purity - some tips
Everyone selling MSM claims 99% purity, so how do you know!
Anyone with a home computer can make an official looking document! So lab reports
are great - if they are real !
Personally, I think it's best to have a chat with the supplier.
Find out what your supplier knows about MSM - Most suppliers
we approached didn't know there were different types or what they were actually
selling.
Ask your supplier:
- Where does their MSM come from - Country of origin?
- Is it organic or synthetic?
- Is it Crystal / flake or powder?
- Is there a flow agent in it ?
- Is there a bulking agent in it?
- Is it pure?
- What is the level of purity?
- What is your prime motive for selling MSM ?
If they can't answer all your questions, ask someone who really
knows their product!
New Horizons MSM UK held a totally independent British Customs
and Excise hi tech lab report on - to our knowledge we are the only European company
selling MSM who originally had it validated by an entirely independent official
source !
So having looked at the Crystals / Flakes and Powders debate,
lets move on to the other big question of organic v synthetic which includes the
question of bioavailability.
Top
MSM - The Importance of
Bio-Availability
To be properly absorbed and play a useful role in the body,
it’s essential that minerals are in a form that can be readily assimilated and
used at the cellular level
The common term used is - "Bio-available".
Bio in Latin means "life", "bio-available" means available
to life, or more precisely, available to the living cells of the body.
Top
Organic v Inorganic
- explained
It will be noted that herbs and herbal extracts have been used
for their curative properties for thousands of years and used correctly, rarely
cause unwanted side effects.
In contrast, chemically manufactured synthetic, substances (many
pharmaceutical drugs are synthetically produced copies of the elements found in
herbs and plants) are often incompatible at the digestive and cellular levels
resulting in the growing number of side effects experienced by people taking prescription
type medications.
The Federal Drug Administration in America publish annual figures
of 100,000 to 120,000 deaths per year resulting directly from prescription medications
with a further two million people suffering from moderate to severe side effects
! - The UK don't publish their figures !
It's hardly surprising that many people are moving away from
synthetically produced products and looking for more healthy alternatives i.e.
natural organic source products!
Consequently, some types of MSM are considered
to be more health giving than others.
1. Pine Tree Source MSM is highly bio-available \/
2. Pure fossil Fuel often called synthetic MSM is deemed to
be OK according to some doctors and researchers.
3. Impure fossil Fuel (synthetic) is not recommended !
X
So,
on to the different types of MSM and what they contain.
1. Inorganic source MSM
Synthetically produced MSM is manufactured in industrial chemical
plants and petrochemical plants in many Countries. This type of MSM, used primarily
in animal feeds (animal grade MSM), has found it’s way into multilevel marketing
(MLM) products and some well respected supplier's products.
The chemical composition is the same for both pine tree source
and fossil fuel source MSM so unfortunately a laboratory test won't tell you it's
from an organic or inorganic source. This is solely down to the trust you have
in your supplier and the motives behind their business.
Top
2.
Animal grade MSM
The basic form of MSM was discovered over 20 years ago but long
before studies were done for human nutritional use, it became widely used by race
horse owners and equine vets.
Animal grade MSM, commonly called "Horse Powder" is a basic
and impure form of MSM suitable for animal use only. It can sometimes be detected
by a slight sulphur odour, also it tends to be supplied in the ground down powder
form, usually free-flowing as it will also contain a flow agent.
A high specification laboratory report will reveal any impurities.
Top
3. MSM containing fillers
Fillers like magnesium Stearate are added to many commercial
products for bulking purposes i.e. it fills the tubs/capsules up for higher profit
!
One UK High Street brand of MSM capsules contains 25% filler.
Talc (unscented) is another popular bulking filler.
If your MSM, powder or capsules contain filler - change your
supplier !
Top
4. Filler Test
There is a simple test which you can do to check if your MSM
contains any of the basic fillers like Magnesium Stearate or talc.
How to :-
1. Depending which form it is in, simply dissolve the contents
of about 6 capsules / four tablets or 1 (one) teaspoon of MSM in a glass of warm
water (MSM dissolves more quickly in warm water).
2. In the case of Crystals / flakes, powder or capsules, after
fully dissolved, the water in the glass should appear totally clear. If it has
a milky or cloudy look it’s certain that it contains a filler/s. In the case of
tablets a small amount of Magnesium Stearate and Silicon Dioxide is generally
deemed necessary to the tablet making process !
The above test is for fillers only - silicates and flow agents
do not show up using this method - see below
Top
5. MSM containing silicates,
flow agents and anti-caking agents
Silicates, flow agents and anti-caking agents are added commercially
for product appearance and ease of packing.
If the MSM in a tub is like free-flowing powder it may contain
one or more flow agents.
Note: The latest crystallisation and distillation processes
produce naturally fine crystal / flakes which resemble powders. You can see the
difference with a strong magnifying glass ! (Quality forms of MSM will appear
as mini crystal / flakes whereas the cheaper forms look like fine chalk powder)
Top
6. MSM in tablet form
Cheaper grades of MSM are generally used in tablets. The tablet
binding process renders MSM less bio-available. However, we recently examined
some tablets containing high quality MSM which has been compressed into tablets
with a small amount of Magnesium Stearate and Silicon Dioxide.
Tablets are great to take to work or while on holiday, so although
you loose a little on quality, you gain in convenience and ease of use!
Note - We examined some absolutely pure compressed MSM tablets
but they didn't ship well and ended up in lots of sharp broken pieces which were
painful to swallow! Consequently, tablets are best with some binding agent in
for ease of use!
Top
7. MSM containing heavy metals
Some MSM contained heavy metal content - Only high specification
laboratory reports revealed these - Animal grades and impure synthetic grades
should be avoided - see 4 above
Top
8. MSM with Dubious Lab reports
!
Good Lab reports will show the precise contents of MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane)
usually displayed as Dimethyl Sulfone which is it’s more common technical name.
A Hi-tech lab report will even show absorbed moisture levels down to 0.01% (one
hundredth of one percent) and other elements like heavy metal content to within
10 parts per million.
Make sure the lab report is genuine as anyone can make an official
looking document on their home computer!
Find out what your supplier knows about MSM - Most suppliers
we approached didn't even know there were different types available or what they
were actually selling.
We've repeated the list here:
So ask your supplier:
- Where does their MSM come from - Country of origin?
- Is it from Organic or fossil fuel source?
- Is it Crystal / flake or powder?
- Is there a flow agent in it ?
- Is there a bulking agent in it?
- Is it pure?
- What is the level of purity?
- What is your prime motive for selling MSM ?
If they can't answer all your questions, ask someone who really
knows their product!
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