MSM, a compound, seems to have some anti-inflammatory effects when studied in cells outside the body. It does this by interfering with a molecule called NF-κB, which usually promotes inflammation.
MSM prevents NF-κB from entering the cell's nucleus and also stops the breakdown of a molecule that usually inhibits NF-κB. This has the overall effect of reducing inflammation.
NF-κB is like a switch that turns on genes responsible for making inflammatory substances like cytokines and chemicals that cause blood vessels to widen. MSM helps turn this switch off.
As a result, MSM reduces the production of inflammatory substances like interleukin-1, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α in cells.
MSM also decreases the production of other molecules involved in inflammation, like inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2. These molecules make substances that dilate blood vessels and attract immune cells to the site of inflammation. So, MSM indirectly reduces these effects as well.
At a tiny, cellular level, there's something called the NLRP3 inflammasome. It's like a sensor that responds to cell stress by promoting inflammation. MSM appears to reduce the activity of this sensor by affecting NF-κB and by blocking signals that come from cell stress.
In simpler words, MSM seems to have anti-inflammatory properties by interfering with certain cellular processes that usually promote inflammation. It's like a switch that helps turn off the body's inflammation response. This can be helpful in reducing inflammation and its effects on the body.
