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Sulfur Rich Vegetables Are Superior For Your Health

By June 9, 2014April 11th, 2022Nutrition Information

cruciferous    alliums

What’s So Great About Sulfur Rich Vegetables?

You hear so much in the media about eating antioxidants but not so much about the importance of getting plenty of sulfur.  In The Wahls Protocol, Dr Wahls recommends eating 3 cups of sulfur rich vegetables each day for healing and maintaining vibrant health.

What is so great about sulfur?

First of all sulfur is one of the most abundant minerals in the human body.  It is responsible for hundreds of physiological processes.

Sulfur is important for these processes in your body:

Sulfur rich foods nourish the mitochondria. Mitochondria are often referred to as the powerhouses of the cells. They generate the energy that our cells need to do their jobs well.

Sulfur synthesizes glutathione, which is a potent intercellular antioxidant. Glutathione neutralizes free radicals and helps the liver process toxins.  It also plays a role in DNA synthesis.  Sulfur-rich vegetables therefore help your body to be more efficient in eliminating toxins.

Sulfur is important for producing collagen, which make up all your connective tissues.  To keep your joints fluid and pain free you need sulfur.   Many arthritis sufferers take a supplement called (MSM) (methylsofonylmethane) to help with joint pain, but I prefer to get my sulfur from food even before I have any joint pain.

Sulfur helps give you strong, beautiful skin, hair and nails.  We all want that, right?

Sulfur rich vegetables help prevent the narrowing of blood vessels, preventing atherosclerosis.  They  keep your blood vessels free from any blockages which is especially important for draining toxins out of the brain.  Sulfur rich vegetables help keep the blood flowing freely in our system bringing nutrients to every cell.

 Which foods contain sulfur?

Sulfur is found in beef, chicken, fish and diary.  Eggs are high in sulfur as you can sometimes tell from their smell.

Even if you eat the foods mentioned above it is still important to get sulfur from vegetables.  There are two reasons; the first is the vegetables are highly alkaline.  Animal proteins are acidic.  You want to eat lots of vegetables to keep your pH in balance particularly if you eat animal products.   I recommend 70% of your plate be full of vegetables.

Second, and most importantly, sulfur-rich vegetables have potent organosulfur compounds that have benefits not available from the animal sources. The animal foods contain plenty of the sulfur-rich amino acids, but they don’t contain the organosulfur compounds.

Sulfur rich vegetables fall into 3 categories:

Cruciferous2The Cabbage Family

These are often referred to as cruciferous or brassica vegetables.  They include vegetables like kale, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, radishes, and turnips.  You can read about how they help reduce belly fat in my blog post.

The cabbage family of vegetables contain many organic sulfur compounds known as glucosinolates  which the research has shown to support detoxification, reduce oxidative stress and protect brains cells.  These vegetables also contain potent antioxidants which help reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.

 

Cruciferous vegetables are good when raw and cooked are combined.  Some of the compounds in these vegetables are released when raw and others need to be heated to be bioavailable.  Myrosinase, an enzyme that is released when the cell walls are broken (by chewing, chopping, blending or juicing) triggers the bodies own antioxidant system. The best ones to eat raw are kale, spinach and cabbage.  Cooking kills the myrosinase but some of their other nutrients are more bioavailable when cooked.  The nutrients in broccoli and cauliflower more available cooked.  So have a raw kale salad along with your stir fried broccoli to get the maximum benefits.

HEALTH NOTE:   If you have any thyroid issues it is best to always cook your cruciferous vegetables.  The cruciferous vegetables have a goitrogens which can interfere with normal thyroid functioning.  Don’t worry, if you cook them for a few minutes you reduce their goiterogenic effect.  Since I have a thyroid condition, I like to steam my kale for 2 minutes before I put it into my smoothie.

The Onion Family Also Knows as Alliumsalliums1

These vegetables include both red and yellow onions, garlic, leeks, scallions and shallots.  They have been used in many cultures because of their medicinal properties.  Alliums reduce the risk for heart disease, cancer and dementia.  They contain antibacterial properties and greater fluidity of the blood.

The onion family of vegetables help fight against neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s. They also enhance detoxification by reducing toxins.

To get the most health benefits from garlic and onions, let them sit for a minimum of 5 minutes, optimally 10 minutes, after cutting and before eating or cooking. Waiting 5-10 minutes allows the health-promoting alliicin to form. If you do not let it sit, alliicin is never formed, so it is worth the wait.  By allowing your garlic and onions to sit for 5-10 minutes, you can cook it on low or medium heat without destroying the alliicin.

mushrooms3 The Mushroom Family

Mushrooms have been used medicinally in Asia for thousands of years.  They are rich in sulfur, B vitamins, minerals and compounds not found in other foods.  Components of the cell walls of mushrooms contain natural killer cells that support the body’s natural defenses by balancing the immune system. Mushrooms protect against cancer and auto-immune diseases.

Mushrooms are best eaten cooked. Mushrooms have very tough cell walls which are hard to digest if you don’t cook them.  Cooking them releases the nutrients they contain.  Mushrooms also contain mild toxins which are destroyed when cooked.

HEALTH NOTE:  Individuals with medical conditions such as ulcerative colitis may experience an increase in symptoms after eating foods high in sulfur because of an inability to breakdown the mineral correctly, according to Northwest Naturopathic Urology.If you have trouble digesting sulfur vegetables It is best to eat them cooked. Start adding them in gradually allowing your body to gently process them.

List of Sulfur-Rich Vegetables

  • asparagus
  • bean sprouts
  • bok choy
  • broccoli
  • brussels sprouts
  • cabbage
  • cauliflower
  • chives
  • collard greens
  • daikon
  • garlic
  • green beans
  • horseradish
  • jicama
  • kale
  • leeks
  • mushrooms
  • onions
  • peas
  • radishes and radish greens
  • rutabaga
  • sauerkraut (raw)
  • scallions
  • shallots
  • spinach
  • tempeh
  • turnips and turnip greens

There are so many delicious sulphur-rich foods and recipes, you will love adding more of them into your diet.

Please leave a comment below to let me know which one you are planning to add in.

 

14 Comments

  • Irma says:

    Dear Ingrid,
    except bean sprouts, daikon and jicama, I use all of the listed sulfur rich vegetables. And here I am, dealing with arthritis, falling out of hair, exhaustion, and waking spells during the night. I take MSM occasionally, but after a while give up because it makes no noticeable difference. Eggs are also part of my diet as I stay away from red meat…

    • Meg says:

      Hi Irma, that sounds awful, sorry. Are you certain it is arthritis alone? It also sounds a lot like a connective tissue disorder such as EDS. I thought I had arthritis, but it turned out I didn’t at all, it was a combination of a connective tissue disorder & a nerve issue. Your hair & skin & exhaustion sound very familiar to me!

  • Ingrid says:

    Hi Irma,

    Thank you for your reply. I am so sorry for your pain, it sounds difficult.

    Arthritis is an indication of inflammation. I can’t exactly say what is causing the inflammation as I don’t know your complete diet. I would suggest you take out the eggs as they tend to be inflammatory to many people. If you eat dairy and gluten I would also remove them for a few weeks. If you want you can follow my protocol for an elimination diet in this blog post. https://eatwellenjoylife.com/top-5-worst-foods-for-your-joints/ to discover if you are sensitive to diary or gluten.

    Once you remove the foods causing inflammation you may want to work with someone to examine your diet to see what else may be causing this inflammation. You also will want to bring in some healing agents to heal your gut. If you are up for it you could do the Nourishing Foods Summer Cleanse in August to begin your healing process.

    Let me know how you feel as you take out the eggs, gluten and diary. I send you healing energy from my heart to yours.

  • Judy Wray says:

    Nearly 8 years ago it was suggested to me to take MSM supplements to fight off Alzheimer’s. My mother, her father and 3 of her sisters all died from Alzheimer’s. I started taking it and within a couple of weeks I started thinking that I I was not biting my nails which I have done compulsively my whole life. I brushed it off but subconsciously watched and eventually I could see the nails were growing and I was not biting them off. I called my remaining aunt and asked her if her sister’s were nail biters. I knew my mother was a nail biter and my aunt confirmed that all three of my aunts had been nail biters. She is not! She takes Move Free and has for many years. The Move Free has MSM in it. I forgot to take it with me on a trip a couple of years ago and was nibbling at my nails by the time I returned home and started taking the MSM again. I just passed the age my mother was when my dad could no longer care for her in their home and had to move her into a care center. I can’t be the only one who has had this work for them and hope someone will do some research to see if some cases of Alzheimer’s are simply sulfur deficiency’s.

    • Ingrid says:

      Hi Judy,

      Glad the MSM supplements are helping you and your family. Also eat plenty of sulphur rich foods. The food has marcro and micro nutrients you can’t get from supplements. Thanks for sharing your story.

  • Freya says:

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    You certainly realize how to bring a problem to light and make it important.

    A lot more people should check this out and understand this side of
    your story. I was surprised you aren’t more popular
    given that you most certainly have the gift.

  • Christie says:

    Aw, this was a really nice post. Spending some time and actual effort to make a superb
    article? but what can I say? I hesitate a whole lot and
    never manage to get nearly anything done.

  • Alba Arana says:

    Hello Ingrid,
    I came across your blog when doing research on the benefits of sulfur rich vegetables to help with hormonal imbalance. I have recently been diagnosed with with PCOS- polycistic ovarian syndrome and I just want to make sure that I am staying healthy so that my hormone levels do not create any more trouble in my body. Thank you for this information!

    • Ingrid says:

      Hi Alba, sorry to hear about your health challenges. Sulphur rich vegetables will be very beneficial on your journey toward wellness. Be kind to yourself and honor your body for everything it’s doing well. Lots of love and healing.

  • Rhonda says:

    Fabulous blog! It was a blessing to find. I have been on Carnivore for 5 days and love it. However after reading your blog, I will be now be adding sulfur rich greens!

    • Ingrid says:

      Hi Rhonda,
      I’m thrilled to have inspired you to eat more vegetables. They are filled with nutrients and help you body function optimally. Thanks for sharing.

  • Jojo says:

    Hi, I, too found your site after searching for benefits of sulfur. I have Hashimoto’s and have had a flare for last 3+ wks post eating eggplant. Trying to add more sulfur rich foods. Thx for sharing your ideas and knowledge.

    • Ingrid says:

      Hi Jojo, I’m so glad you enjoyed this post. Sorry to hear about your flare up. Do your best to be nice to yourself. Don’t be mad at yourself for eating the eggplant instead see it as something helpful. Thank your body for sharing the information that eggplant isn’t working for you right now and wants more love from you. This is what has help me get rid of Hashimoto’s. Your body is your friend and is trying to guide you to more love and joy. Help your body relax with a 2 minute breathing meditation. You can find one here https://eatwellenjoylife.com/breathing-meditation-to-reduce-stress/. Sending you love and healing.

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