The facts in this report about Cetyl Myristoleate (CM), an exciting new patented product (US Patent #5,569,676) that offers relief to arthritis sufferers, are provided to educate manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and consumers about this unique substance. This report is made necessary because of the exaggerated and misleading claims being made about CM.

CM was discovered by Harry W. Diehl, then of Rockville, Maryland, working alone in his home lab. Diehl was a chemistry researcher employed for forty years at The National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. Some books, articles, and marketing literature have made too many misstatements about the discovery and history of CM to clarify in this report, but a few facts will help. Diehl cites 1964 as the year in which he actually identified CM. CM was never an NIH project; therefore, NIH never provided or cut the funding for its research, as some sources have stated. Diehl's laboratory experiments on CM were published in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences in March, 1994.

Harry Diehl obtained a US patent for CM for rheumatoid arthritis in 1977. He next obtained a US patent for CM for osteoarthritis in 1996. Companies licensed under this patent will be authorized to use the trademarked name Myristin^TM. (Black Mountain Stores is a company licensed under this patent.)

Several distributors of alleged Cetyl Myristoleate claim that their product is derived from a vegetable source. At the present time there are no vegetable-derived commodities or articles of commerce that contain commercially viable concentrations of myristoleic acid, a necessary ingredient in the manufacture of CM. As a practical matter, CM is made by using the myristoleic acid from bovine sources which are generally available and contain sufficient amounts of myristoleic acid. Anyone buying a CM product claimed to be from a vegetable source should demand incontrovertible proof of the vegetable source, if one of the reasons for the purchase is the alleged vegetable source.

Independent laboratory analysis of CM products has demonstrated at least one CM product claimed to be from a vegetable source is actually Cetyl Myristate, which is from the saturated fatty acid, Myristic Acid. Myristic Acid is available in vegetable sources, but its cetyl ester demonstrated negligible anti-arthritic activity in laboratory experiments. If proof is given of vegetable source, the buyer must then be sure that the product is not Cetyl Myristate instead of Cetyl Myristoleate. GCFID, a common tool for identifying fatty acid, should not be used because CM and Cetyl Myristate co-elute. Even with analysis by independent laboratories, on GC/MS, the peak for Cetyl Myristoleate is so close to the peak for Cetyl Myristate that the latter can be read as Cetyl Myristoleate if the test is not performed correctly. Only a laboratory experienced in testing CM products can be expected to produce reliable results.

CM as a dietary supplement offers great promise to many arthritis sufferers, but some of the claims being made for it are unjustified.

(1) While most people do not need to continue taking CM indefinitely on a daily basis, one "protocol" is not all that will ever be needed for one's arthritis. Like any other dietary substance, CM is excreted over time. For some people, that can be rather slowly, but for others it could be more rapid. Whatever relief is brought by CM can be expected to last for a period as short as 3 - 4 months or as long as 5 years without any additional amounts. Harry Diehl's arthritis symptoms were in remission from 1991 to 1996, when he needed additional amounts of CM to suppress pain which returned. Other factors, such as exercise or exertion, initial absorption, quantity of CM used, and consumption of arthritis-aggravating substances such as caffeine play a role too. Most people will need a repeat course in one or two years, depending on many factors.

(2) Most health care professionals who are knowledgeable in dietary supplementation with CM think that a usage range of 12 - 15 grams of elemental CM per course is about right. However, some people have reported significant improvement with as little as 3 - 4 grams, while others have used 20 - 30 grams in two courses.

(3) CM does not work in all cases, or up to 98% of cases as some claim, but it does appear to have a positive effect in 60 - 75% of arthritis cases.

(4) In its natural state, at room temperature, CM is a straw colored oil. CM can be sold as an oil in a gelcap, in a powder capsule, or in a micro-encapsulated form in capsules. Other forms such as tablets and liquids are possible also. In whatever form, the amount of CM per capsule or milliliter should be clearly stated on the label. Beware of products which do not state the amount of ingredients in compliance with dietary supplement labeling regulations. Purchasing CM products from a licensed distributor is assurance of quality and compliance with labeling requirements.

Make the comparison yourself!

For detailed dosage and diet recommendations, contraindications, usage and optimization of cetyl myristoleate click here.

Misleading the public can only result in harm to both the dietary supplement industry and the consumer. Research may show other products are of benefit in conjunction with CM or that a small daily maintenance amount is of benefit. We welcome a scientific dialog to continually allow new advances in products that relieve sufferers, make economic improvements in manufacturing, and improve the health of consumers whose interests we seek to serve.