Home: Top 10 Facts: Sulphur

Sulphur

That Smell

Your body has approximately the same amount of sulphur (sometimes also spelled sulfur) in it as it has potassium, about 140 grams. Sulphur is a nonmetallic element and we all know sulphur when we smell it. Though sulphur is found in four different amino acids and two of the B vitamins, thiamine and biotin, sulphur is most important as part of protein.

THE TEN FRAGRANT FACTS OF SULPHUR

1) Sulphur is can be used to help lower the dosage of pain relief medications doctors need to prescribe.

2) The protein found in the connective tissues in the human body, collagen, needs sulphur in its formation.

3) Sulphur performs a variety of functions in the synthesis of proteins and the reactions of enzymes.

4) Sulphur is needed for the maintenance of healthy skin.

5) One of insulin’s components is sulphur.

6) Heparin, and anticoagulant, contains sulphur as an important ingredient.

7) Sulphur is important in the process of cellular respiration.

8) Brain functioning is aided by sulphur.

9) Vegans are at risk for not getting enough sulphur from their diets.

10) Sulphur helps to soften scar tissue.

Rare among the vitamins, minerals, and herbs, there is rarely any reason to be concerned about having too much sulphur or too little sulphur in one’s body. In addition, there are no clearly defined or easy-to-observe signs of either an excess of sulphur or a deficiency of sulphur. A sulphur deficiency is most likely when an individual’s diet is dependent on food grown in a location where the soil has been depleted of sulphur, but because sulphur is in so many other substances that we ingest, this does not seem to interfere with sulphur’s known functions.

No specific dietary recommendations for sulphur. In general, however, it is thought that our body’s needs for sulphur can be met with a daily intake of about 850 mg of sulphur.

There is little information on the actual sulphur content of different foods and there are no supplements of sulphur sold on the market. Sulphur is easily available in foods like fish, poultry, meat, eggs, beans, and milk.

Copyright © Dennis Becker, 2004.

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