Foods High in Sulfur: Nutritional Facts and More to Improve Your Diet
Amounts
According to an article by Eric Yarnell, ND, foods high in sulfur must contain at least 100 grams or 80 micrograms to earn the rating of ‘high’. There is a lot of information around about foods considered to be high in sulfur, however, it is extremely difficult to find information regarding the exact amounts of sulfur they contain. Even Nutrition Data notes, “Unfortunately, sulfur is not one of the nutrients measured in the USDA food composition database so sulfur content does not appear as part of our nutritional analysis.”
The foods listed in this article are all considered to be high in sulfur, though data regarding the exact amount in each was not found at the time of publication. If found at a later date, this article will be updated with that information.
Broccoli
A member of the cabbage family, broccoli is not only high in sulfur, but it is a vitamin C-rich food. One cup of chopped broccoli contains 135% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin C.
Broccoli can be eaten raw, with dip or included in a salad. Some people prefer it cooked, with steaming being a popular option. Broccoli is commonly topped with cheese or butter when cooked.
Brussels Sprouts
Another member of the cabbage family, Brussels sprouts is commonly found on the ‘do not like’ list of many people. Brussels sprouts are most often served cooked.
Like fellow cabbage family member, broccoli, Brussels sprouts are also high in vitamin C and sulfur. One cup of raw Brussels sprouts contain 125% of the RDA for the average adult.
Cauliflower
Unlike broccoli and Brussels sprouts, this member of the cabbage family is not green, but is white in color. High in sulfur, cauliflower is also high in vitamin C, but not as high as broccoli and Brussels sprouts. It comes in at about 77% of the RDA for one cup, raw.
Cauliflower is commonly served raw in salads or cooked, often topped with cheese or mixed with broccoli.
Onions
Some recommend eating this high sulfur food raw. For some, that means eating an onion like an apple, while others just throw some raw slices of onion on their burgers, sandwiches and in salads.
One cup of chopped raw onion contains 15 grams of carbohydrates and 20% RDA of vitamin C. It also has iron and calcium.
Scallions
A member of the onion family, scallions are high in sulfur. They are known as scallions, spring onions and green onions. Technically, though, the scallion is usually ‘younger’ than a green onion and is without the bulb a green onion would have.
One medium scallion, including top and bulb, contains vitamin C, iron, calcium, vitamin A and dietary fiber.
Garlic
Touted for a number of health benefits, garlic is high in sulfur and a flavorful addition to many recipes. Nutritionally, the data available on garlic lists one clove as having 2% of the RDA for vitamin C and 1% for calcium.
Garlic is often bought as a whole bulb, and individual cloves are then pulled off and peeled for use. They may be minced, put through a garlic press or crushed. Whole garlic bulbs can be roasted in special containers and served as a warm spread, usually on bread.
Leeks
A member of the garlic family, leeks have significant amounts of vitamins A and C. They also provide dietary fiber, sodium, carbohydrates, iron and calcium.
Leeks are found in recipes for entrees as a flavorful compliment or star ingredient. Leek soup, creamed leeks and grilled leeks are a few examples of foods featuring leeks as the primary ingredient.
Eggs (yolks)
Another of the foods high in sulfur, there are also 3 grams of protein in one large, raw, fresh yolk. Some people drink raw eggs as part of a fitness regimen or hangover remedy, but most people prefer to consume their eggs (and yolks) cooked.
Egg are commonly separated in cooking or for reasons of dietary limitations. In cooking, the yolks alone may be used as an egg wash or combined with the other ingredients of a lemon pie. The whites are whipped with sugar to make meringue.
References
Sulfur-Rich Foods and Ulcerative Colitis. Eric Yarnell, ND. 2010. https://www.dryarnell.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Sulfur_ulcerative_colitis.pdf
Can Sulfur Rich Foods Help with Arthritis Pain? Nutrition Data. https://blog.nutritiondata.com/ndblog/2008/05/can-sulphur-ric.html
Sulfur. Foodscout. https://www.foodscout.org/nutrients/sulfur.html
Nutrition Data (all listed foods). https://www.nutritiondata.com/foods
