Foods high in sulfur – Your body needs micronutrients in order to sustain healthy function and structural integrity.
Your metabolism, immune system and endocrine system (hormone system) all rely on micronutrient availability to drive their respective processes.
Micronutrients come in the form of vitamins and minerals.
These compounds act as components, intermediaries or precursors to all of the vital activities that go on in your body
One of the most abundant, yet not often spoken of is sulfur.
Most people know sulfur as the gas responsible for the foul smell of your farts.
But did you know that it is in fact, an essential nutrient? Here’s why
Why You Need Sulfur
Sulfur is the third most abundant mineral in the body, believe it or not.
That’s because it is contained in so many structures and plays a supporting role in so many functions.
Sulfur is largely responsible for the smell of your farts, but this is merely a byproduct of how hard it works in your body.
Protein synthesis, musculoskeletal health, hair, skin, and nails all depend on sulfur.
What Sulfur Deficiency Looks Like
A sulfur deficiency can lead to weakened bones and joints as well as a general decline in physical performance.
Muscular atrophy can also result as protein synthesis goes down.
Hair and nails are also negatively affected manifesting as brittle nails and easily damaged hair.
Foods High In Sulfur
Sulfur can be sourced from many foods. foods high in sulfur it is most abundant from animal sources sulfur rich foods, so if you happen to be on a plant-based diet, you’ll need to plan your nutrition carefully so as to avoid deficiency.
Dietary sulfur is typically obtained through consuming foods with the sulfur-containing amino acids methionine and cysteine.
Foods high in sulfur, include:
- Beef
- Black beans
- Brazil nuts
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Fish
- Kidney beans
- Pumpkin seeds
- Quinoa
- Sesame seeds
- Soybeans
- Teff
- Turkey
- White beans
- Wild rice
Sulfur is also available in a supplement known as MSM or methylsulfonylmethane. Sulfur rich foods this supplement is commonly used to treat joint pain, injury, and inflammation.
5 Important Roles Sulfur Plays In The Body
Protein Synthesis
As mentioned, sulfur has a major role in protein synthesis.
That’s because it is found in two major amino acids responsible for protein synthesis.
Methionine and cysteine are the amino in question.
They contain sulfur and are also necessary components of protein-based structures throughout the body.
Aside from their use as essential amino acids, the sulfur they contain has many uses elsewhere in the body as we shall soon learn.
Connective Tissue, Bone And Joint Health
Sulfur is a major component in the formation and maintenance of connective tissue in your musculoskeletal system.
Tendons, the tissue that connects muscle to bone, ligaments, the tissue that connects bones to each other and cartilage, the tissue that protects and allows smooth movement of bones about the joints are all reliant on sulfur.
The supplement MSM is a sulfur-rich compound often used to treat conditions of the connective tissue and joints such as osteoarthritis, helping reduce inflammation and pain while promoting healing.
Healthy Hair and nails
Hair and nails have a large sulfur component. These protein-based structures are so abundant in sulfur, you can actually smell it when heat is applied to the hair.
Sulfur based shampoos and hair treatments are often used to treat dandruff and dry, breaking hair.
All this is because the protein keratin, which is mainly what hair and nails are made of, are reliant on sulfur for their structural integrity.
Antioxidant Role
While sulfur itself is not an antioxidant, it is an important precursor to glutathione, a powerful antioxidant molecule.
Glutathione provides relief and protection from oxidative stress, a situation that results in the destruction of your cell walls, leading to degradation of tissues and functional decline in several vital systems.
An antioxidant such as glutathione helps buffer against free radicals, the unstable molecules that cause oxidative stress.
This has the benefit of boosting metabolic activity, DNA synthesis and promoting longevity of cells, ultimately slowing down the natural aging process.
Allergy Prevention
Sulfur has been shown to limit the impact of allergies and intolerances such as hay fever and some skin allergies.
These antihistamine properties have been recorded with strong evidence, but research is still in its infancy so let’s keep an eye on this one.
Conclusion
Sulfur is one of the most abundant minerals in the body.
It’s needed in almost every aspect of your daily activity, but we decided to just highlight a few of the important ones.
Sulfur allergies have been recorded, so it’s important you connect and consult with a doctor before loading up on sulfur-containing foods high in sulfur and supplements.