Try The Low Sulfur Diet

So many weight loss diets have come and gone but it is a wonder how people will still grasp on to just about any new weight loss diet to lose those extra pounds fast. However, there is a real change that has occurred beyond eating grapefruit all day or following the South Beach elite. 

More science has emerged in the struggle to lose weight in a healthy, long lasting way which includes applications such as the keto diet (extreme low carb, high fat, minimal protein) or intermittent fasting (12-16 hours without food). Now, a new approach is hitting the intellectual weight loss scene and it may not only help you shed excessive fat, it may also enhance your systemic health as well.

Try the low sulfur diet which entails restricting your intake of high levels of sulfur amino acids which, studies have shown, tax the body in ways many never realized. 

Sulfur in Your Body

When you hear the word sulfur you may think of a foul smelling yellowish substance that is associated with burning and rotting. On the contrary, sulfur is, after calcium and phosphorus, the most abundant mineral element found in our body. 

Methionine (meth-eye-oh-nine) and cysteine (sis-teen) are the two sulfur containing amino acids that require dietary intake of protein to enable the body to utilize them. As Americans continue to follow a western diet that is inundated with very high protein consumption (mainly derived from animal sources), the amount of sulfur extracted from these proteins is extraordinary. Yet, when reduced, significant health benefits could arise.

CNN reported on a study by Penn State College of Medicine researchers which was published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 

“The analysis found that Met [methionine] restriction has been associated with delayed aging and longer lifespans in human cells, yeast and animals including fruit flies and rodents. Animals fed sulfur amino acid-restricted diets also had health improvements including reductions in body weight, fat and oxidative stress; fewer cancerous tumors; enhanced insulin sensitivity; and more efficient fuel-burning.”

In the past, it was assumed that high protein meant high energy, muscle repair, excessive growth and so much more making it the go-to dietary choice in almost every advertisement. Any vegetarian will tell you that the first question asked of them is usually, “Where do you get your protein from?” We are a nation obsessed with not only food, but protein rich food nonetheless. 

According to the CNN report, 

“Americans appear to be eating 2.5 times the amount of sulfur amino acid than the estimated nutritional requirement,”

It has been considered that high protein diets, which includes high sulfur, could be triggering compromising conditions and diseases in humans such as: 

• Cardiovascular risk
• Weight gain
• Joint inflammation
• Fatigue
• Mood swings
• Skin rashes
• Digestive compromise

These conditions and many more, including possible cancer growth, may be significantly diminished if humans begin to embrace a different approach to food.

Switch Up Your Eats

You can determine if a low sulfur diet is for you by simply limiting or removing high protein choices to see if you have fat reduction and, overall, more optimal health. 

Foods to avoid that create high sulfur intake include: 

• Eggs
• Dairy
• Garlic 
• Onions
• Animal products (red meat, chicken, fish etc.)
• Cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, kale, broccoli, arugula, Brussel sprouts, radishes)

You may be wondering that, according to this list, there’s not much food left to consume. Well, there are plenty of choices and according to some recent studies, replacing high sulfur choices with low sulfur choices may be a self-empowering, self-healing way to go. 

Zhen Dong, lead author of the Penn State study commented, 

“People who eat lots of plant-based products like fruits and vegetables will consume lower amounts of sulfur amino acids, These results support some of the beneficial health effects observed in those who eat vegan or other plant-based diets”

Slowly integrating plant-based choices, which are becoming more abundant and convenient than ever before, could begin to reduce your pain, system disorder, or incubating disease. 

Low Sulfur Choices

Understanding that if you are in top shape and not taking any pharmaceutical medicines, choosing to consume less sulfur foods could be your springboard to staying that way. If you are out of shape and taking medicine, check with your doctor before changing your diet. Once cleared and you add an exercise protocol to your life, here are some low sulfur choices recommended by Accent to Health, 

• Artichoke, bamboo shoots, beets, bell pepper, carrots, cassava, celery, cucumber, eggplant, fennel, lettuce, mushrooms, white potatoes, plantains, squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini
• Avocado, apple, banana, berries, cherries, citrus fruits, un-sulfured dried fruits, grapes, kiwi, grapefruit, mango, melon, nectarines, passion fruit, peaches, pears, persimmon, plums 
• Organic white rice, white rice pasta 
• Olive oil, butter, coconut oil, all seeds, fresh or soaked/sprouted nuts

Looking over these lists, you may wonder where you will get your protein intake from. Believe it  or not, these and many other plant based foods will fulfill your protein requirements while taxing your body way less than animal products.  

Try the low sulfur diet to see if your body and mind experience beneficial results. As mentioned, adding in a good exercise program is highly recommended for a one-two punch against health compromise.