Daily dose

The scientific literature has not established a quantified requirement, but we can find dietary recommendations of 13 to 14 mg of sulphur per kg per day.

Properties

• Anti-infective action
• Hair and nail health: the keratin that makes up hair and nails is made up of sulphur, so it is essential for good hair and nail health.
• Promotes the absorption of other minerals: a large amount of sulphur is found in the bones, where it promotes the absorption of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus.
• Protein structure: sulphur is the basis for the synthesis of 2 essential amino acids: cysteine and methionine.

Indications

• Infectious diseases
• Allergies
• Arthrosis
• Dermatosis, acne
• Neuralgia
• Cardiovascular diseases
• Brittle nails

Requirement

There are few scientific studies on sulphur deficiency.

There have been reports of stunted hair and nail growth in people with sulphur deficiency.

Excess

If you consume a lot of sulphur, the excess is excreted directly in the urine. It therefore poses no real danger to the body.

Interactions with other nutrients

B vitamins improve the bioavailability and assimilation of sulphur.

It is also generally accepted that a diet rich in vitamins D, C, magnesium, zinc and manganese improves the assimilation of sulphur in the body.

Chemical properties

The chemical symbol for sulphur is S and the atomic number of sulphur is 16.

Its atomic weight is 32.065 u and its density is 2.07 g/cm-3.

It is a yellow metal belonging to the chalcogen group and is insoluble in water.

Sulphur dioxide is a gas produced by the combustion of sulphur and is converted into sulphuric acid in water.

It is an antioxidant used to stabilise wine.

Sulphur is also present in the composition of hydrogen sulphide, sulphates and oil.

Observations

Sulphur and its derivatives (such as mesulfene) are also used externally, for example in baths to treat various rheumatic and dermatological conditions.

Nutrients that contain sulphur

20 foods rich in sulphur:

• Kidneys
• Liver (liver)
• Pork meat
• Poultry
• Lamb meat
• Salmon
• Prawns
• Mussels
• Oysters
• Boiled egg yolk
• Garlic
• Onion
• Shallot
• Kale
• Lentils
• Chick peas
• Cashew nuts
• Sesame seeds
• Pistachio nuts
• Pecan nuts