DMSO is a byproduct of the wood industry with controversial medical applications. It absorbs directly through the skin into the bloodstream, and brings some medications with it. Although it is used most often in veterinary medicine to deliver doses humans can take orally, some proponents claim it can be useful for diabetics.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a condition where your body is no longer able to process sugars, either because you no longer produce insulin effectively or because your body builds up a resistance to insulin. Diabetes is a serious condition that can result in organ failure, loss of limb and death.
DMSO Basics
DMSO -- dimethyl sulfoxide -- has seen use as a commercial solvent since the middle of the 20th century. Its ability to penetrate the skin and membranes of the human body allows it to be used to treat pain and inflammation, as well as deliver medication for other medical problems. However, as of 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved its use only for a limited set of conditions. Diabetes is not among them.
Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes
A 2002 study by Richard Heikkila of the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York indicates that regular doses of DMSO protected mice from induced type 2 diabetes. This research has yet to be replicated on more complex organisms. This treatment is not ready for use by human patients of diabetes.
Reduced Insulin Requirement
Alternative medicine website AltMedicenter reports that oral doses of DMSO reduce the need for insulin in 25 percent of juvenile, type 1 diabetes cases. However, the website provides no clinical support for this claim, and this use is not approved by the FDA.
Insulin Delivery
DMSO allows medicines to enter the bloodstream with a direct rub, rather than orally or via injection. Theoretically, an insulin-dependent diabetic could use DMSO to take insulin via this method. However, this is not approved by the FDA -- nor is it common practice in countries that approve DMSO more widely.
Bottom Line
Although some sources indicate that DMSO may be used by diabetics, this is not a common practice and is, in fact, illegal in the United States. Using DMSO for diabetes is contraindicated.
