Liver toxicity (hepatotoxicity) is one of the major concerns surrounding long-term, high-dose CBD supplementation, safety data gathered to date shows. This is especially true for usage of prescription CBD products, which tend to have much higher doses compared to those sold as dietary supplements. However, a study recently published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences concluded that OptiMSM, an MSM ingredient manufactured by Bergstrom Nutrition, had a high safety profile in an animal model when combined with a potent CBD extract during a short period of time. Since CBD is still new to the marketplace, its interactions with other drugs and ingredients are not well-researched, which motivated the study.
 
Further, it was observed in the animal model that the cannabis extract and the methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) worked synergistically to increase the production of an antioxidant called glutathione, showing that MSM may be able to mitigate the hepatotoxic effects of high CBD doses.
 
“As the market for cannabis products continues to grow and become more competitive, companies are looking for ways to differentiate their products,” Rodney Benjamin, director of R&D for Bergstrom Nutrition, said. “However, Bergstrom Nutrition always wants to be thoughtful about how MSM interacts with other ingredients. This work not only demonstrates the safety of combining OptiMSM with CBD-containing products, but actually suggests a major benefit to any unwanted effects that long-term, high-dose CBD could potentially bring.”
 
The authors measured hepatotoxic effects of the combined CBD and MSM ingredients, as well as each of the ingredients alone, versus a control group. Liver glutathione levels were nearly two times higher in the group treated with both the cannabis extract and the MSM versus the group which received a cannabis extract alone, leading researchers to believe that the stronger antioxidant profile could prevent liver issues down the line in humans.
 
“MSM is already known to mitigate oxidative stress by increasing glutathione, while we also understand that CBD decreases glutathione,” Igor Koturbash, MD, PhD, Associate Professor at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, who led the study, said. “So discovering how CRCE (cannabidiol-rich cannabis extract) and MSM work together to increase glutathione, even beyond what MSM could do on its own, was the most exciting part of this study. Hopefully this will lead to future studies to determine if MSM can be used to prevent or treat toxicity issues that could be caused by high CBD doses.”
 
While none of the treated groups showed evidence of liver toxicity, both groups receiving the cannabis extract saw significant increases in liver-to-total-body-weight ratio. While this increase alone is not indicative of liver damage, the researchers said that the potential benefit of increased glutathione levels should be considered when taking CBD products.