Sulfur and Methyl-Sulfonyl-Methane sulfur are commonly misunderstood substances. Many people confuse MSM sulfur with regular sulfur but the two are very different.
While they are both sulfur, the forms are different. MSM sulfur can be regarded as organic sulfur and thus 100% safe. This kind of sulfur can be safely and efficiently digested and absorbed by the human body.
Regular sulfur is also known as sulfur oxide and is processed into sulfuric acid. This form of sulfur is inorganic and is toxic to the human body. This kind of sulfur cannot be digested or absorbed by the human body.
History
This is the kind of sulfuric acid that doctors used to prescribe to people back in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. It caused many adverse reactions, especially to people’s skin. When applied externally to the skin, the skin tries to excrete the poisonous sulfur from the blood. As the body’s largest organ of elimination, the skin eliminates sulfuric acid because it is dangerous inside the body and is potentially fatal.
Sulfuric acid was used in topical ointments and creams to treat arthritic conditions and because the toxic substance was applied to the skin, it traveled into the bloodstream and then the blood used the skin to attempt to eliminate the toxic substance.
Many people refer to sulfuric acid as sulfur, so when they hear about MSM sulfur, they equate MSM sulfur with sulfuric acid, resulting in a risky situation.
Sulfur vs. Sulfuric Acid
It’s very easy to tell MSM sulfur from sulfur oxide. MSM Sulfur has a white color and sulfur oxide has a yellow color. This yellow color becomes clear when it is processed and made into sulfuric acid, an industrial product.
Sulfur. A nonmetallic, multivalent, tasteless and odorless chemical element mainly occurs in yellow crystalline form or in mass volume, especially in volcanic areas. Its atomic number is 16 and its atomic weight is 32.06. It is used to produce sulfuric acid and is used for the following industrial purposes:
- Metallurgy
- Rubber vulcanization
- Petroleum refining
Sulfur has the ability to treat the following conditions:
- Gout
- Rheumatism
- Bronchitis
Organic sulfur, along with elements such as zinc, silicon and biotin, are beauty elements that are beneficial to the skin. They help foster the structural integrity of the skin.
Dietary Sources
Sulfur
Sulfur is the key substance that makes garlic the “king of herbs.” However, there is a controversy with organic sulfur though specious in nature. The sulfur in onions is not responsible for making people cry when cutting onions. Onions produce a chemical irritant called Syn-propanethial-S-oxide, which stimulates the eye’s lachrymal glands so that they release tears.
Syn-propanethial-S-oxide starts out as a substance called Lachrymatory-factor-synthase, a previously undiscovered enzyme discovered by the Japanese in 2002. When an onion is cut, lachrymatory-factor-synthase is released into the air. The Synthase enzyme converts the amino acids into Sulfenic acid. The unstable Sulfenic acid rearranges itself into Syn-ropanethial-S-oxide and this substance releases into the air and comes into contact with our eyes.
So it is not the sulfur that makes the eyes water when cutting onions. It is another substance.
MSM sulfur is considered dietary sulfur. It is chiefly derived from the lignin of pine trees. Lignin is a molecule in plants that is part of a plant’s cell wall. MSM sulfur or Methyl-Sulfonyl-Methane is a relatively new dietary form of sulfur that is found in human tissue. It is a naturally occurring nutrient found in the human diet, especially plant-based diets. It gets into the diet via the sulfur cycle which occurs when ocean plankton release sulfur compounds that rise into the ozone where ultra-violet light makes MSM and Di-Methyl Sulfoxide return to the surface of the Earth through rain. The plants concentrate MSM and eventually return it to the Earth and the sea. Evaporation into the air results in its return to the Earth.
Benefits
MSM sulfur supports healthy connective tissues like tendons, muscle and ligaments and thus is helpful for health challenges such as arthritis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, bursitis, gout and muscle pain. MSM sulfur is actually considered the building blocks of protein. The substance also removes toxins from the blood and lymphatic system.
Sulfur, in its organic nature, is present in all cells in sulfate form. When sulfur comes into contact with sodium, potassium, magnesium and selenium, the sulfate forms.
Varieties
Sulfur is found in human hair, skin and nails.
Many amino acids have sulfur as a component. MSM has many functions that are very important for human health and overall wellbeing.
Uses
Sulfur is also needed for insulin production and is greatly recommended for so-called diabetics.
Those with arthritic conditions and athletic injuries respond well to MSM when it is ingested orally. MSM is imperative for healing because it accelerates the healing process. Many professional athletes consume MSM sulfur when they are injured and need to recover quickly.
MSM sulfur can be used to promote:
- Hair growth
- Nail growth
- Structural integrity of the skin;
- Insulin production
- Healing of damaged tendons, ligaments and muscles, broken bones and pain
- Healing of arthritis, bursitis, rheumatism, osteoarthritis, sprains and blindness
- Fertility enhancement, especially for males
- Blood purification
- Detoxification of the cells
- Removal of parasites and worms
- Nourishment of the male and female gonads
Sources of Sulfur
Sulfur is a very important element for optimal health and wellbeing and is a highly recommended by Dherbs.com. Make sure Vitamin C is consumed with MSM sulfur because Vitamin C is dependent upon sulfur for absorption.
Sulfur-rich foods include:
- Onions
- Garlic
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Kale
- Sunflower seeds
- Lentils
- Soybeans
- Turnips
- Beans
- Wheat germ
Sulfur-rich plants include:
- Horsetail
- Alfalfa
- Chaparral leaves
- Burdock root
- Dandelion leaves and root
- Catnip
- Garlic
- Red Raspberry leaves and berries
- Lobelia
- Juniper berries
This substance can also be found in the following facial skin clays:
- Bentonite Clay
- French Green Clay
- Moroccan Red Clay
And because sulfur is widely available, it can be used in chakra balancing. Sulfur is a beautiful yellow color which means its a beneficial stone to use for the 3rd chakra, solar plexus.
The 3rd chakra of the human energy system deals with issues of personal power, intelligence, ambition, drive, self-esteem and self-image and ego.
Sulfur should never be used to make an elixir, unless of course the sulfur piece is placed in a glass container or jar and placed in a bowl carrying the water (elixir), called the ‘indirect method.’ The properties of the sulfur will still impact the water this way and is best used externally.
Sulfur can be directly applied to the body for purposes of chakra balancing. It will not adversely affect the skin in this way. During chakra balancing sessions, clothes are usually worn so the sulfur piece sits on the clothing material and not directly on the human skin.
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
