Are you sensitive to the sulfur (sulphur) in foods and/or supplements?

General
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Are you sensitive to the sulfur (sulphur) in cruciferous and other vegetables? Can you take the organic sulfur (sulphur) supplement MSM – methylsulfonylmethane?

I apologize ahead of time for the length of this question. And I assure you that I respect the diversity of experiences. So please feel free to share your story.

I am allergic to some “sulfa” (sulpha) drugs but not to all of them. I am allergic to sulfonamide antibiotics like sulfanilamide. However, I do not have a problem with the sulfonamide diuretic hydrochlorothiazide which is used to help control my sometimes borderline hypertension. It seems that my response to sulfur is influenced by the nature of the compound in which it is included.

I never gave a second thought to the sulfur that naturally occurs in many of the foods that I eat on a regular basis until I started trying to implement the Wahls Diet. Dr. Wahls and a few other mavericks think that most people are likely to be deficient in sulfur and in her diet she calls for three servings per day of vegetables that are high in sulfur (sulphur). Vegetables that are high in sulfur include those in the “lily family” and those that are cruciferous. The vegetables in the lily family are onions, leeks, chives, and garlic. Cruciferous vegetables – include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, collards. I have given a complete list below.

I am aware of reports that garlic can cause flares in people with lupus. I have never seen the cruciferous vegetables on a list of foods for people with lupus to avoid. The cruciferous vegetables are very high in many important nutrients. They are in fact considered to be nutritional superstars. The more they are studied the more positive press they get. One component of them has been reported to reduce the severity of lupus symptoms. This component has also been investigated as a potential approach to lupus prevention.

I have been eating cruciferous vegetables on a regular basis for most of my life and I have never experienced a negative reaction to them (except when I eat them raw – which is a problem because of my thyroid disease). I especially love collard greens. I also love turnip greens and mustard greens cooked together. Since I moved to Virginia, I have learned to appreciate kale. The Wahls Diet will require that I eat more cruciferous vegetables than I have ever eaten before. So I want to know about the experiences that other people with lupus have with eating this type of vegetable. Are you able to benefit from eating the highly nutritious cruciferous vegetables or Do you have a negative reaction to cruciferous vegetables because you have lupus?

Some foods that are high in sulfur (sulphur) are also high in thiols. Foods high in thiols cause symptoms in 50 percent of people who have toxic levels of mercury. Can your body hand “sulfur foods” that are high in thiols or Have you ever had a negative reaction to foods that are high in thiols because you have mercury toxicity?

Organic sulfur (sulphur) has become a popular supplement in the form of MSM. Many people take MSM alone or as part of a glucosamine and chondroitin supplement. Can you take MSM or DO YOU HAVE A NEGATIVE REACTION TO MSM?

Cruciferous Vegetables

  • Arugula
  • Bok choy
  • Broccoli
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Cabbage
  • Cauliflower
  • Chinese cabbage
  • Collard greens
  • Daikon radish
  • Horseradish
  • Kale
  • Kohlrabi
  • Land cress
  • Mustard greens
  • Radish
  • Rutabaga
  • Shepherd's purse
  • Turnip
  • Watercress

I left out the hyperlinks because the question is already so long. But I will supply any that you want to see.

The spelling issue – I am pretty sure that when I took chemistry in high school and college in the US, I was taught to spell the name of the element as sulphur. But now my dictionary tells me that spelling is European (read Canada and the UK) and the spell checker in my word processor and the dictionary insists that sulfur is the preferred form in the US. I tend to use whichever form makes my spell checker happy but please use whichever works for you.

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I love broccoli and cauliflower, onions and garlic. I've never noticed a problem with any of them. :)

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Blackhawks? I thought we were all Red Wing fans. Haha!

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Eggplant is one too.
Have a blessed painfree or less pain than yesterday Day

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Ann,

Well, I haven't had any negative reactions from eating cruciferous veg's and I am toxic with mercury.

Ally

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Well, I'm always concerned when I see a post about sulfur start off with the mention of sulfa. To be clear, the two are completely unrelated. Sulfa is an antibiotic, and sulfur is an essential element found almost everywhere and from which the very basics of the body are built on. To my knowledge, the only downside of consuming too much sulfur is gas. A lack of sulfur on the other hand produces the same problems as being protein deficient. It helps create bile for digestion, and insulin for blood sugar regulation. It helps form cartilage and has a role in bone mineralization. It has major benefits for the primary system of residence for Lupus - the integumentary - which is skin, hair, and nails. When you aren't getting enough, arthritis, asthma, and bone and nerve disorders can run rampant.

The food lists tell us which foods are highest in sulfur. It is found in a lot more, just in lower levels. The information about thiol is new to me, so I'll have to do some reading but I'd wager that if anyone had a bad reaction to increasing sulfur consumption that would be a good guess as to why. If you eliminate sulfur.. you die. It's that simple. It might take a while but it is essential to life. Technically (the geeky comment), if you actually eliminated sulfur from the body, it would be dead in short order. It's not possible though.

The only bad reaction I know of that some people have to taking supplements like MSM and SAM-e are a little digestive upset. It may depend on the amount and whether it's taken with food. I try not to take any supplements or medications on an empty stomach, unless the directions are to specifically do that. In most cases it is not beneficial and can be harmful. In general, when the body has reached saturation of something beneficial, it will dump the excess to avoid toxicity. Vitamin C is a prime example. Taking large doses of non-time-release C is worthless. The higher the dose, the less percentage-wise you absorb and utilize. By the time you get to around 1000mg, you're only getting about half of it. Any form of time-release is better, and Ester-C is one of the best. The only reason however to go against your body's natural flushing instinct for something like that is an extreme treatment, as has been done for some alternative cancer treatment cases. In all cases a time-release is the right choice, but it is not the right choice in all cases to take 2000mg+ a day. That said, I'm not really certain if there is a saturation point for sulfur itself.. but it seems reasonable to assume there is for one reason or another. Having "enough" is a sensible enough point. Sometimes cramming large supplemental amounts of elements into your body just makes it work too hard on overtime to process it. The same as we should stop eating at a certain evening hour before bedtime, because our digestive system requires a number of hours NOT digesting food to rest. When it never gets rest, you become fatigued and your body systems are exhausted and short on resources of energy and the ability to fight disease and injury. It also makes it harder for you to lose weight, by the way.. sleep is really important. But I digress..

I have seen that list that circulated stating that garlic was a "no-no" for Lupus patients. I called bunk on it when I first heard it and I have to do it again. There may be a point for some individuals to not consume it because they are allergic (my grandmother was), but the overwhelming number of lupies I've discussed this with not only consume garlic with no problems but find they are in better health when they do.. myself included. Some foods/herbs/plants/what have you are actually what is called an adaptogen (such as Ginseng), which means it will normalize something out of whack in your systems. Down or up regulation, whichever is needed takes place. Unfortunately, there are a lot of quacks in the "health food" industry that want to make up their own definitions and make money, and they don't stop to educate themselves properly. Some of these products end up carrying the label of "immune booster" when they are not. There are genuine boosters. Most notable are echinacea, goldenseal, reishi mushroom, shiitake mushroom, royal jelly, and red marine algae. I avoid these on principle, without a desire to experiment. I know from my research that the claims that they do boost immune activity are pretty accurate, and I know that my immune system is over-active. That's simple math. Garlic contains sulfur, and is a natural antibiotic, antiviral, antifungal, and antiparasitic. It thins the blood, lowers blood pressure, helps with cholesterol issues, and wards off vampires as well as repelling bad dates that you want to get rid of. :-> I believe there are claims that it boosts immune activity, but I have trouble substantiating that claim myself. It is kind of a nebulous statement as to what that really means, after all. I find a lot of educated evidence to the contrary, in fact. So barring a personal allergy, I do not believe that it is bad for lupies in general. That's what my research tells me.

So me, I take MSM and SAM-e both and I haven't had any problems with either.

Now if you have a shellfish allergy, you have to hunt for a safe shellfish-free glucosamine/chondroitin formula if you're going to take that.. but that's another issue altogether.

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Hello Ann,

As you know i'm surposed to be ok with Sulphur reagrding meds havcing my DNA matched but like "redwingfan" i always took garlic daily besides eating sprouts read they can harm we more and cut them out but never felt nothing different with them.

Regarding greens i have Broccoli, cauiflower, carrots, Cabbage and onions sometimes i'm ok but other times my IBS gives me some gib while eating these so there is a large ? on this issue with me.

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Wow, I was told Night Shades, eggplant, squash tomatoes were bad. We are basically screwed. We have same illness and my my on different meds. Sad

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Sorry, no one is. I say this to myself. Due to what I cant do.

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Not everyone is sensitive to nightshade plants. I don't have any negative reactions to tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, peppers, or tomatilloes... and squash is a curcubita, by the way. That's some type of subset which I'm not really sure if it qualifies as a true nightshade. Like a lot of things this is very individual. We're not screwed. We just have to make some adjustments and a lot of that is as I said individual. Everyone has to do that to get through life.

Bozz63 said:

Wow, I was told Night Shades, eggplant, squash tomatoes were bad. We are basically screwed. We have same illness and my my on different meds. Sad
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Tez - IBS is difficult to manage. Stress sets it off. Too much or too little fiber sets it off. Over-eating sets it off. Being over-tired sets it off. Sometimes you have no idea what did it. You have to figure that out for your individual needs, because we're all different. I've had it my entire life and I still have attacks. I am careful about what I eat, but it can still happen. It is what it is, ya know?

Tez_20 said:

Hello Ann,

As you know i'm surposed to be ok with Sulphur reagrding meds havcing my DNA matched but like "redwingfan" i always took garlic daily besides eating sprouts read they can harm we more and cut them out but never felt nothing different with them.

Regarding greens i have Broccoli, cauiflower, carrots, Cabbage and onions sometimes i'm ok but other times my IBS gives me some gib while eating these so there is a large ? on this issue with me.

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<3 I know it's not easy.. but you need to find a way to look at the things you CAN do more than what you can't do. You can decide where you place your focus. :-)

Bozz63 said:

Sorry, no one is. I say this to myself. Due to what I cant do.
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Love squash. Thanks u made my day

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Its confusing. Has been for 13 years. If i like it I eat it if nah I will pass that works. Im still alive.

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Half Ive never heard of. But sounds like Japanese Produce. I used to work for a Japanese produce co.

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Huh

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Hello Ann,

Well i don't eat a great deal eggs i'm fine with, red meats kick me off plus i have a right game swallowing it with my sjogren's...chicken is ok but as to have either gravy on it or some mild sauce and the only sauce my body can take is Korma now...fish is ok good job as i love it.

I don't eat duck and seeds are a no go with my sjogren's...that disease alone without IBS is a total nightmare....the ones i've mentioned do trigger the same as the vegatables.

Ann thank you for mentioning Heather's tamming tea but i've tried herbel tea and other's that ste lived on when i first met him and i can't stand the product's i just love my PG tea which i drink every 10-15mins to help the dryness besides water in between.

Ann the coughing is one total nightmare and wheather the lung infection as totally gone i don't know but i've fetched more mucus up, so the last lot of antibiotic's we was on about must have helped although they put me through some pain.

Thank You Rosefor asking how i am...that's so lovely :) xxx



Ann A. said:

Dear Terri,

Having IBS must make eating vegetables that are so high in fiber very difficult at times. I can definitely see why you would have a large question about this issue.

Some other kinds of foods are also high in sulfur. Foods that are high in sulfur tend to be sources of protein. The other foods that have high sulfur content include things like eggs, red meat, chicken, fish. duck, seeds. Do these foods give you the same kind of problem as the vegetables?

Since I made the ulcer in my stomach just before Christmas, I have been drinking Heather's Tummy Taming Peppermint Tea. Have you tried any of Heather's Teas? On amazon they have these kits called Heather's IBS kits. Every time I see them, I wonder if the teas that she puts in the kits would help you.

How are your lungs feeling today? Loving you and wishing the infection gone so that you can breathe.

Ann A.

Tez_20 said:

Hello Ann,

As you know i'm surposed to be ok with Sulphur reagrding meds havcing my DNA matched but like "redwingfan" i always took garlic daily besides eating sprouts read they can harm we more and cut them out but never felt nothing different with them.

Regarding greens i have Broccoli, cauiflower, carrots, Cabbage and onions sometimes i'm ok but other times my IBS gives me some gib while eating these so there is a large ? on this issue with me.

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All the best Ann with your final studying as you've done so well with everything you've done.

All my best wishes Hugs And KissesLove Terri :)

Ann A. said:

I have been having fun on Life with Lupus. Now I must go study for my final exam. I will check in to let you know how the experiment is going. It will probably take a year for me to complete.

Have a great day.

Ann A.

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Oh bless you Ann....fingers crossed my friend that you manage ok and Lupus gives you a break to sucide in what you need to accomplish...All the very best as you dearly deserve it in every way.

Ann A. said:

Dear Terri,

I am so sorry that the Sjogren's and the IBS make it so difficult for you to eat. I am glad the nasty antibiotic is working for you. I be back to check on you after the final for this course and before I take my comprehensives. I am asking the universe to keep you safe. Talk to you when I am done. Oh I don't really want to study for a test. I would rather sleep .... but ....