Consumer Research Reveals Need for More Information About “Third Most Common Joint Health Supplement”

VANCOUVER, Wash. USA (September 25, 2006) – MSMGuide.com, the first and only independent website to focus on the joint health supplement MSM, launched today.  The educational portal offers a wealth of scientific fact and research information to foster greater understanding and confidence of MSM as a nutritional component.  

Sponsored by MSM manufacturer Cardinal Nutrition, the site has no company information, product links or brand recommendations and exists solely as an information resource for consumers, retailers, researchers, practitioners and the media. The content was created by the MSMGuide.com Advisory Council: Jeremy Appleton, N.D., C.N.S., and chairman of the council, Jason Theodosakis, M.D., M.S., M.P.H., F.A.C.P.M. and Stanley Jacob, M.D., F.A.C.S.

“Nearly every leading joint health brand contains MSM and yet there is a tremendous lack of knowledge and awareness about the effectiveness and safety of MSM.  MSMGuide.com has been created as a resource for MSM science and research.” says Dr. Appleton.

The site features include:

·         Consumer Section with MSM Facts, FAQs, Dosage Tables, Manufacturing, and Safety
www.msmguide.com/msm-facts

·         Practitioner Section with FAQ’s and Interactions with Medications 
www.msmguide.com/msm-practitioner

·         Arthritis and Joint Pain Section with cause/treatment of common and sports joint pain
www.msmguide.com/msm-joint-pain

·         MSM Research Section with annotated research from as far back as 20 years
www.msmguide.com/msm-practitioner/msm-research-papers.html

Consumer Survey Identifies Need for Education

A recent consumer survey with nearly 1000 responses looked at the perceptions and habits of people over 40 years of age who take vitamins and supplements.  Of the total, 61 percent reported symptoms of arthritis and 42 percent had taken some form of a joint health supplement.  Among joint health supplement users, MSM was the third most common supplement used, closely following  chondroitin and glucosamine forms.  The survey, conducted by Mainspring Marketing, also found:

·         Among joint health supplement users, 40 percent were aware of MSM.

·         Non-joint health supplement users who also reported symptoms of arthritis identified a “lack of credible information on joint health supplements” as the one of the top reasons for not using them.

·         Word of mouth was the primary way consumers heard of MSM, followed by articles and Internet (This supports previous research, funded by Cardinal, that consumers first seek information online about supplements before making purchase decisions.).

“We have a responsibility to provide credible information to consumers and practitioners about what we continue to learn about MSM so they can make informed decisions,” says David Lakey, president of Cardinal Nutrition, which has sponsored rigorous clinical studies, testing, and education of MSM since introducing the supplement for human use in 1989. 
                                                            
About the MSMGuide Advisory Council

Jeremy Appleton, N.D., C.N.S. is a writer and educator in the field of evidence-based integrative medicine and co-author of MSM—the Definitive Guide, with Stanley Jacob, MD, FACS. Dr. Appleton        has been widely published in health journals and newswire services, and is a frequent lecturer on topics relating to MSM, clinical nutrition and botanical medicine.

Jason Theodosakis, M.D., M.S., M.P.H., F.A.C.P.M. is considered to be one of the world’s foremost authorities on the clinical use of dietary supplements for arthritis. His book, The Arthritis Cure, immediately became an international #1 best seller. He is assistant clinical professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine and frequently lecturers on sports medicine and joint health.

Stanley W. Jacob, M.D., F.A.C.S has held the Gerlinger Chair in Surgery at the Oregon Health & Sciences University Medical School since 1981 and is widely considered the leading medical authority on MSM having pioneered its clinical use in patients and documenting case studies of its efficacy for more than 20 years. He was chief resident in surgery for Harvard Medical Service at Boston City Hospital, and also served as an instructor of surgery at Harvard Medical School.

About the Sponsor

Cardinal Nutrition is the world wide leader of MSM manufacturing. It operates the world’s only facility solely dedicated to production of patented MSM and exceeds industry standards for optimal purity and consistency.  The Vancouver, Washington-based company pioneered the use of MSM for human consumption in 1989.  Their proprietary MSM, sold under the trademark OptiMSM®, is the only MSM backed by U.S. published clinical research and can be found in leading joint health products in all major channels including Holland & Barrett, Vitamin Shoppe, Move Free Advanced W/MSM, OsteoBiFlex, Salonpas, Emergen-C and Natural Factors among others. For information on Cardinal Nutrition or OptiMSM, call 1.888.733.5676 or visit www.cardinalnutrition.com.

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