Sponsored Content: We don’t compromise on MSM neither should you.
For 30 years, Bergstrom Nutrition’s OptiMSM® has set the quality standard for MSM in Dietary Supplements. Research on OptiMSM indicates multiple benefits for supporting healthy Hair, Skin, and Nails.
As we age, it’s essential to strengthen, protect, and nourish your hair, skin, and nails.
MAINTAINING A HEALTHY APPEARANCE
Skin is a dynamic organ (rapid cell turnover) and requires a constant supply of nutrients to help maintain a healthy structure and function. Disruption of this supply may lead to sagging, tired-looking skin or mottled pigmentation (dark spots). If compromised for an extended period, this can lead to premature aging and weakening of the extracellular matrix (ECM). External factors such as direct sunlight or pollution (for example) can also accelerate the process.
The ECM is a fiber meshwork of collagen and elastin, which keeps the skin looking healthy. If the ECM is weak (a breakdown of collagen-rich connective tissue), the skin becomes thinner and more susceptible to permanent damage (fine lines and wrinkles).
In contrast, nutrients that can increase skin membrane permeability, prevent collagen/proteoglycan breakdown, and reduce inflammation on and under the skin surface can strengthen the ECM and improve the appearance of the skin in both the short and long term.
Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is an organic sulfur-containing compound with extensive research supporting its use. MSM’s sulfur content helps the body to maintain healthy skin, hair, and nails.
Bergstrom Nutrition pioneered the use of MSM and continues to invest in research for human health applications. Bergstrom Nutrition’s trademarked OptiMSM® is the only MSM produced in the U.S. and the purest and only GRAS-designated MSM.
MSM, in the form of OptiMSM, has been shown to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin texture and elasticity, and provide overall support to the skin’s structural integrity. It may also help the skin, hair, and nails regain and retain a youthful appearance. Three primary mechanisms explain these benefits:
1. MSM is a source of sulfur that supports cross-linking of proteoglycans and collagen and serves as a building block for keratin, the chief structural constituent of hair and nails. By maintaining healthy collagen, cross-linking or “hardening” of the tissue is inhibited, allowing for healthy skin function.
2. OptiMSM improves antioxidant capacity and helps reduce inflammation (IL-6 and TNF-a), which is a cause of skin damage and degradation of the skin’s structural matrixes.
3. MSM increases the ECM’s barrier function, enabling a greater exchange of water and nutrients in the dermis.
Pre-clinical results from a gene marker study also suggest MSM can modify the genes (DSG3 and LCE3D) associated with barrier function.
In a randomized 16-week DB, PC study, 23 women (35-59 yrs) consumed 3g of OptiMSM or placebo per day for 16 weeks. Expert grading, instrumental assessments, and self-assessments were measured at weeks 0, 8, & 16.
There was a reduction in number, size, and wrinkle severity for all assessments. An overall 34% reduction in wrinkles and a 66% reduction in deep lines showed improvements within the skin.
Expert grading showed significant improvements for crow’s feet, tone, smoothness, elasticity, and firmness. These findings were affirmed by results from Clarity™ Pro digital analysis, with significant improvements in crow’s feet and total wrinkle count, length, severity, and depth. Vapometer results saw barrier function of 100% of MSM subjects improved. Positive self-assessments affirmed that the results were noticeable.
A published follow-up study of 63 women (35-59 yrs) subjects consumed either 1g or 3g of OptiMSM per day. Similar measurements displayed significant improvements in wrinkles, firmness, elasticity, radiance, and hydration at both doses and across all three measures, showing efficacy at 1g/day and confirming the results of the first study.
The follow-up study also measured hair and nail outcomes. The results showed benefits for shine, volume, and overall health of hair, plus shine, strength, and overall health of nails, giving evidence to MSM’s use for overall beauty benefits.
