Why Many Sulfuric Foods are BAD for You: Veggies and More to AVOID

Mar 23, 2024 · 16 Comments

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Why Many Sulfuric Foods are BAD for You: Veggies and More to AVOID jumps into a controversial topic sometimes debated in health circles: Are sulfuric veggies and other foods good for you or not? The answer is: They deplete Vitamin B1, impede detox, cause disease, create gas and contribute to histamine intolerance.

So even though most of us think of onions and garlic, not to mention cauliflower and broccoli, as healthy — this post shares some thoughts of moderation and insight, so we don’t overdo.

For some of us, avoiding certain foods completely or most of the time is the best route for improved health.

This article is not meant to scare you into never eating broccoli again. Nor is it meant to steal your joy in eating beautiful vegetables.

This article is intended to share the truth that is not yet widely known, and then you can decide how to handle it. I think a big takeaway is this: Do not think of these foods as super foods. If you wish to enjoy them occasionally, then do so. But don’t try to eat more of them, thinking they’re good for you. Because, in fact, they are not.

Let’s now explore why.

We’re not doing a low sulfur diet

You might think this line of reasoning has you reducing all sources of sulfur. But that’s not the case.

In fact, most of us need sulfur in our diets, and meats provide the right amount — without the side effects that sulfuric veggies and other foods cause.

This article does NOT espouse eating a low sulfur diet. As one study reminds, “Extensive work with laboratory animals has shown that growth is stunted when dietary sulfate is purposely eliminated from both the food and water supply.”

Great news: What foods with sulfur not to limit

I do not limit these food sources of sulfur, and below I share why:

meat — It’s the intake of methionine, an essential amino acid found in meats, that gently produces the sulfur our bodies need. (Non meat-eaters are low in methionine.) The building block for muscle, and critical for detox and many other functions of our body, grass-finished meat is a perfect food for most humans. As our digestive systems tell us, we are omnivores. Most people digest good quality meat very well (although for years I took this digestive support), with no gas or fermentation in the gut, and excellent assimilation of nutrients. Meat is also a great source of Vitamin B1, which we’ll talk more about below.
beans — The soluble fiber in beans makes them a valuable ally in the detox process, helping to move toxins out through the digestive system. Certain beans are higher in sulfur, but they are also a good source of Vitamin B1: black beans, kidney beans, split peas, lentils, chickpeas and white beans. I do avoid soybeans.
oats — A good source of vitamin B1 and fiber, oats have more in their favor than not.
white sourdough bread — While this food depletes vitamin B1, I include it in my diet because it’s also low in inflammatory compounds. For most people, sourdough bread made with clean flour (like that grown and produced organically in Italy) is gentle to digest. I personally supplement with Vitamin B1 so I can eat this gentle and delicious food.
ground ginger — I include this spice in my diet because most of its compounds are anti-inflammatory, and that’s actually rare in the spice world. This is one spice I choose to keep in, to add flavor to my cooking.
asparagus — While I avoid most sulfuric veggies, this is one that actually also contains high amounts of Vitamin B1. Additionally, asparagus aids detox in ways other veggies do not (it has to do with how some people can smell asparagus in their pee after eating it). Asparagus is also free of the negative compounds found in high-sulfur cruciferous veggies.

Why Many Sulfuric Foods are BAD for You: What is sulfur

Healthline tells us, “Sulfur is a mineral that your body uses for various functions, including making and repairing DNA … Sulfur is naturally found in a variety of foods and beverages. Sulfur-derived sulfite is another form of sulfur commonly added to some packaged foods … Yet, some people report feeling better when eliminating or drastically reducing sulfur-rich foods from their diet.”

Sulfur is also one of the most abundant elements in the human body and is supplied mainly by the intake of methionine from dietary proteins (meat).

Some of sulfur’s other important roles in the body include: cellular signaling, detoxification of free radicals, structural support, and assisting in energy production.

Why are some sulfuric foods bad

1. Slow down detox

Over the last five years, I’ve learned about a “superfamily” of enzymes responsible for detoxification. They’re called ALDH, which stands for Aldehyde dehydrogenase. High ALDH activity is used as a marker for normal cell populations.

We want high ALDH activity. We do not want our ALDH system slowed down.

Tested and proved, sulfuric foods slow down the ALDH system. This study on rats, using garlic, showed: “The obtained results clearly demonstrated that ALDH could be regulated by sulfur species which inhibited its enzymatic activity.”

2. Cause disease, including cancer and GI disorders

Related to point #1 above, this study concludes, “Increased or suppressed ALDH activity has been implicated in a variety of diseases, including cancer.”

It’s not hard to find scientific studies like this one. They state clearly, “Severe diseases, including alcohol intolerance, cancer, cardiovascular and neurological diseases, were linked to dysfunctional ALDH enzymes, relating back to key enzyme structure.”

GI disorders

Other studies point to the link between sulfuric foods and ulcerative colitis, IBS, IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) and Crohn’s. The treatment for this digestive disorder includes a reduced sulfur diet and avoidance of certain sulfuric foods. (1, 2, 3, 4)

Why do some “eat the rainbow” diets not help people with digestive disorders? Sulfuric foods may be largely to blame: “The gut epithelium is covered by mucus consisting of mucin polymers connected via disulfide bonds. The mucus layer limits exposure of epithelial cells to toxins and bacteria. A recent study has shown that sulfide, produced by certain bacteria, reduces disulfide bonds in the mucus network. The resulting breaks in the mucus barrier allow exposure of the epithelium to bacteria and toxins, causing inflammation.” (source)

I suspect that the creators of diets like GAPS, Wahls Protocol and AIP do not know about the above study or fully understand its ramifications.

We see that sulfuric vegetables and other foods actually cause IBD and related diseases.

3. Deplete Vitamin B1

Both human and animal studies have shown the link between high dietary sulfur intake and depletion of Vitamin B1, also called thiamine.

Thiamine deficiency is common, but the symptoms often go unidentified. Eating a high B1 diet and reducing certain sources of sulfur is key.

Learn here How to Take Vitamin B1 for Energy and other health benefits, both the foods and in supplement form.

Other good food sources of Vitamin B1 include what I consider my favorite actual superfoods: beans, oats, peeled cucumbers and beef!

4. Sulfuric foods cause gas

Eat a lot of egg whites or sulfur-rich veggies, and you’ll likely notice a lot of sulfuric smelling gas.

That’s because our bodies lack the enzymes needed to break down these foods. Instead, the bacteria in our guts eats them and produces the gas as a result. How much gas we have depends on individuals’ unique gut microbiome.

5. Link between thiamine deficiency and histamine levels

If you have MCAS or histamine overload, this may be an indicator of low thiamine levels and perhaps a diet too rich in certain sulfuric foods.

In this study, we see, “thiamine deficiency produced a significant increase in histamine levels“.

My takeaway from this one is to be cautious of eating too many sulfuric foods!, based on personal experience, and my process of totally reversing MCAS and overcoming my histamine intolerance.

I loaded up on sulfuric veggies for years. As you probably know, they’re often part of the dietary protocols on healing diets.

When I backed off of these foods, as well as other toxins (vitamin A first and then copper), my histamine levels went down.

What else to avoid: When to eat foods high in polyphenols

Surprisingly, foods high in polyphenols, should also be limited if you’re concerned about low thiamine.

As this study says, “Foods and beverages that contain high concentrations of polyphenolic compounds can also cause thiamine deficiency.” They bind with thiamine in the gut and render it unavailable.

Foods like tea and coffee (but also beer and apple juice), sometimes reputed to be healthy because of their high polyphenols, actually deplete Vitamin B1.

One solution is to enjoy these kinds of foods away from foods high in thiamine.

List of sulfuric foods to reduce or eliminate

Why Many Sulfuric Foods are Bad for You reveals an interesting list of foods, most of which have other negative compounds as well.

For example, many of the foods below can lead to vitamin A toxicity and/or are high in copper. Probably not a coincidence, I believe these are definitely foods (in some cases) to avoid completely or (in other cases) to eat only occasionally:

organ meats
cured sausages
fish and shellfish: shrimp, scallops, mussels, and prawns
dairy: whole eggs and especially egg whites (which are high in hydrogen sulfide after cooking), cheddar, Parmesan, Gorgonzola cheese (plus other stinky/strong cheeses) and cow’s milk especially
soybeans and soy flour
certain grains: pearl barley and wheat (and wheat derivatives, like couscous)
gluten: Many people who react to gluten are actually reacting to the sulfides in gluten, as gluten is a disulfide molecule. Gluten does not need to be reduced or eliminated if you’re eating sourdough breads, and they agree with you. The sourdough process breaks apart the disulfide bonds.
almonds, Brazil nuts, peanuts, walnuts, pumpkin, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds
dried fruit: especially dried peaches, apricots, sultanas, raisins, apples, dates, prunes and figs
certain vegetables, especially cruciferous: broccoli and its leaves, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, leeks, onion, garlic, scallions, shallots, chives, radishes, daikon radish, turnip roots and tops, rutabaga, watercress, arugula, collard greens, bok choy, broccoli rabe, romanesco, kohlrabi, mizuna, mustard leaves and kale
fermented foods: sauerkraut and similar
beer, wine, hard cider, (sulfite can also occur naturally as a consequence of fermentation), cow’s milk, tomato and grape juice, cola and coconut milk (this last one is surprising; keep an eye on how you feel if you eat it)
spices and condiments: horseradish, wasabi, mustard, Marmite, curry powder, asafoetida
infant formula
packaged foods with added sulfites: jams, pickles, and additional dried fruits not yet mentioned
public water supplies

Also keep in mind sulfuric supplements and medications:

certain medications and supplements, including some antibiotics, analgesics, and joint pain remedies (including chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine sulfate, and methylsulfonylmethane), and amino acids like N-acetyl-L-cysteine and taurine (another reason to show caution with energy drinks), garlic supplements, alpha lipoid acid, glutathione, carrageenan, methionine, Epsom salt baths (this ingredient is magnesium sulfate, so if these baths don’t make you feel good [I personally feel depleted afterwards], the sulfate may be depleting your thiamine).

What about ancient cultures who’ve been eating sulfuric foods

Let’s talk specifically about foods like onions and garlic, foods that have been enjoyed for thousands of years.

Ancestral communities did not have the barrage of toxins we contend with today (glyphosate and heavy metals, to name two).

Eaten in moderation, with a healthy liver, onions and garlic (and similar) are fine foods. But today, most of us need to be more intentional than prior cultures to prevent thiamine deficiency and support detoxification.

Sure, many of us can still enjoy onions and garlic. But as I mentioned at the article’s outset, it’s time to realize these yummy foods can have a very real dark side, too: They impede detox, deplete thiamine, and can be disease causing, including GI problems.

What about when people get better eating sulfuric foods

I believe this is a temporary, and never a complete, improvement.

Sometimes people get better at first because they’ve also eliminated processed foods and increased fiber.

But excess amounts of sulfur catch up with us.

Conclusion

Stay low stress about it, and then, for some: Eliminate many sulfuric foods.

For others: Reduce, and be aware.

Observe what’s best for your body for optimum health.

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