Organic Sulfur - Healing mineral
Organic Sulfur- Healing mineral
Sulfur is the third
(after
calcium and phosphorus). An adult human body is ~4% sulfur ( ~100mg).
How does sulfur affect our health?
Sulfur is needed to regenerate cells.
Sulfur's primary function is to enable oxygen transport across cell membranes;
also used to make amino acids / protein;
Known as a healing mineral, a
sulfur deficiency often leads to pain and inflammation associated with various
muscle and skeletal disorders. Sulfur is especially known for its role in
the disulphide bridge (S_S) between peptide chains, a structural component of
many proteins, E.g. in skin's collagen,
GAGs (E.g. chondroitin sulfate) in cartilage, and keratin in nails and hair. The
high sulfur content / # of S-S bridges in nails makes them hard, whereas
fewer S-S bridges provide desirable flexibility/softness in skin and cushioning
in cartilage.
Where do we obtain sulfur
An essential mineral, we must obtain sulfur from
our diet or an external source. The body can not make or store it;
Main dietary input is from:
Fish, beef, poultry, eggs
For therapeutic use, we can also obtain organic sulfur from
MSM and/or
DMSO
Two forms of sulfur
Inorganic sulfur (A non-metallic, lemon yellow mineral)
Useful forms of inorganic sulfur:
Sulfates - Inorganic sulfate (SO4 2- )
provided in food and wate r, is required for the synthesis of
many important sulfur-containing compounds in the body:
GAGs
(glycosaminoglycans) chondroitin sulfate and keratin sulfate in cartilage.
Sulfate component of
methionine and cysteine in dietary protein,
Cysteine component of the body's
major "in house" antioxidant glutathione ;
Dietary supplements, such as
glucosamine and chondroitin sulfates, and bath salts, such as magnesium sulfate
(Epson salts), ammonium sulfate (used as fertilizer)
TOXIC Forms of inorganic sulfur:
Sulfur oxide processed into sulfuric acid.
Sulfuric acid is toxic and poisonous to
the human body and cannot be digested, absorbed, or assimilated by the human
body;
Eg. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) /Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
- esters of sulfuric
acid, commonly used in many soaps, shampoos, detergents, toothpastes; mimic the
estrogen hormone ;
Sulfites.
Sulfur preservatives, such as sulfites and sulfur dioxide,
inhibit the growth of microorganisms and prevent discoloration of foods. Sulfur
preservatives are used in fruit juices, dried fruits, vinegar and wine to extend
the shelf life of products.
Organic sulfur (Organosulfurs/ molecules
contain carbon)
Organosulfur in amino acids E.g. methionine, cysteine, components of
protein;
Organosulfur MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane).
Found in rain water, fresh fruit and
vegetables, raw milk from pastured cows
Earth's sulfur cycle
Ocean algae and several forms of
plankton absorb massive amounts of inorganic sulfur from seawater converting it
into an organic form . When these algae and planktonic organisms die, enzymes
break down their organic sulfur molecules into DMS (Dimethylsulfide). Poorly
soluble in water, this volatile compound collects in the stratosphere, where it
is oxidized via the sun's UV light into DMSO (Dimethylsulfoxide), and then
further converted into MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane). DMSO and MSM are highly
soluble in water and concentrate easily in atmospheric water vapor, returning to
earth in the form of rain, where these sulfur sources are concentrated (up to a
hundred-fold within 4 hours) by plant roots, which convert it into
sulfur-containing amino acids methionine and cysteine .
The sulfur cycle is
symbiotic and vital for life as we know it.
The sulfur cycle may have "broken" in countries
that exchanged manure for chemical fertilizers. In 1954, chemical fertilizers
were mandated by the U.S. government, but the agribusiness fertilizers such as
ammonium nitrates and sulfates lack bioavailability. Sulfur, with an atomic
number of 16, bonds easily with many elements and molecular compounds, weakening
the sulfur's bio-availability. Concerned about rising disease rates, and
thinking that it was related to cadmium levels in chemical fertilizers, Finland
banned them in favor of organic fertilizers and their disease
rates are reported to have since dropped dramaitcally. Newer studies strongly
suggest that it is in fact the increase in sulfur intake that has wrought the
beneficial health changes.
The
Effects of Sulfur Amino Acid Intake on Immune Function in Humans, Univ
of Southhampton, UK, 2006
