Sulfur, A Very Vital and Special Element For Our Life.
Today's topic is the mineral Sulfur. This particular mineral is one that is fast rising up the list of important minerals that has to be used in both Agricultural setting as well as direct human health needs. In this discussion I want to discuss both aspects. Keep in mind that we are talking about the Nutritional type of Sulfur and not the Industrial versions of Sulfur. Key phrase; Nutritional Sulfur. In fact all the elements discussed here are the nutritional versions of the elements unless otherwise noted.
Sulfur is closely associated with Selenium. As with most minerals, when one gets low, another steps in to take it's place. However, another little secret is that the one that gets depleted first is usually the one that controls the one that steps in to take it's place. Perhaps it is better understood by comparing it to say the military. When a higher ranking Officer or NCO is in command of the situation, then when he is taken out, then the next in command below him steps in and fills in for the one that was taken out. Does that make sense? So when the Sulfur gets low, Selenium steps in to help out and in the process. Since Sulfur gets depleted much faster than Selenium, normally anyway, this is generally what happens. But since most people are Selenium deficient anyway, well, I will explain later what happens. But like any position, each position has a wide range of responsibilities and Sulfur has those wide range of responsibilities. Overall, Sulfur is known to be a healing type of mineral. It really fixes many core short comings. One thing that I find really good about Sulfur is the antibiotic effect that it has. It really is one of the leading natural antibiotics in the natural solutions arena. It does all the good stuff that a typical antibiotic will do and not really any of the bad stuff.
Now when we take a look at some of the various aspects of Sulfur and its contribution to various diseases, we see a strong connection to Sulfur, or rather a lack thereof or imbalance to a number of diseases of the mind, namely; Nerves and regulation/coordination of the brain, (does that make sense? (A mineral controlling the brain and running the day to day operations of the brain), heart functioning and impulsiveness.. We also see some very defined connections with Type 2 Diabetes, such as hypoglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, cardiovascular disease, obesity, circulatory problems, and even elevated cholesterol, (oh and here we have the Vitamin D production at the very base level). Other general issues would be things like cracking joints, (which has a strong Nitrogen connection), arthritis, (which has a strong parasite connection), allergies, which as a strong connection to digestive issues), and even a higher than normal rate of infant mortality, (which as a strong connection to a long list of other nutrients not working, for what ever reason, but same end result). Of course there are many other more issues that Sulfur will play at least a minor role with. Oh, lets not forget about the varicose vein issues that many people have. But then again, that could be classed with the circulatory issues. But who is keeping score, right?
But one of the typical issues is the cartilage in the joints. Since Sulfur tends to spend most of its time in these type issues, we will find Sulfur working or not working with the knees and ankles. Many people that studies this stuff will make the claim of the first thing to go with a lack of Sulfur issue is the knees. I can attest to that, yes I can. In my own case, where I spent my years up until 19, we had plenty of Selenium in the soil. So that wasn't an issue as a general rule, but we had, well, basically no Iodine in the soil or ability to get any. Remember that I said Sulfur doesn't work well without Selenium? Well that is in a vertical sense. Iodine and Selenium works together, side by side, in a horizontal position. But we did have a moderate level of Sulfur in the soil, although it was near the low end. So the Sulfur didn't really work very well because the Selenium wasn't working because of the lack of Iodine working with the Selenium. Then 2 years in England, where the Selenium load is horrible. Sulfur is moderate, about what I was used to back home, but plenty of Iodine. In my case it was the two main elements were reversed, IE; the Selenium and Iodine load was reversed, which in the sense of my knees, amounted to the same result. Then back to where I live now, Selenium load is basically nonresistant, no Iodine and the Sulfur load is not really there to do a lot of good. Now, after after 40 years of living here, I ran out the clock, my knees have been shot for the last 5 or 6 years. So if you re-arrange the deck chairs, as has been done in my case, you end up with the same thing, even though the source of the issue can be attributed to different causes. Perhaps this is why we see people getting in knockdown-drag out fights over the cause of some particular disease and the solution of the issue. What could be the real problem here? Perhaps a lack of understanding and a perspective of not seeing the whole, big picture.
When it comes to essential oils, we get all kinds of warnings about the Photo-toxicity of the Citrus oils. To fully get out heads around this situation, we need to go to the donor plants to get that understanding. Which I will cover some of those perspectives in the next few paragraphs. But first I would like to throw out an idea that you can mull around with in your mind as you read about the donor plants and the soil in which they grow. The idea that I want to throw out is that one of the main contributing factors in this Photo-toxicity of the Citrus oils in the lack of Selenium in this Selenium/Iodine/Sulfur triad of the driving control of the nutrient of the plants, as applied to the Citrus plants. In this case, the Selenium is missing, as many plants do not really use any Selenium, (at least that is what some so called experts claim), so the plant isn't observed to have a deficient appearance in this are. Same with Iodine, at least not much Iodine is needed for plant growth and protection as compared to human/animal needs, but a lot is there for purposes of being carried with the essential oil. At least some citrus essential oils will have a good usable amount of Iodine. Sulfur is required for both plants and animals (including humans). Anyway, the Sulfur is there and without the 3 in balance, the oil that is extracted is not complete in this sense of these 3 that are needed by the human and animal. So the protective properties of oil does not have what it needs to protect against photosynthesis interaction of the extracted product when used on the skin of humans.
So the side note here is that if you are using a citrus oil that requires a Sulfur promoter/activator, then most will work, but not all. If you need the oil needing a Iodine promoter/activator then some will work, but not all. If you need a citrus oil that requires a Selenium promoter/activator, then you need to go look else where because very few, if any, citrus oil will work in this area. With this team of these 3 not being in balance or with the right ratios, then you have a real struggle to make these type work. Plus, you have Boron that is needed. Boron sort of acts as a referee of the previously mentioned three. So now we have 4 front line elements involved with the Photo-toxicity aspect af the Citrus oils.
Now lets look at the Plant aspect of Sulfur;
Plants need Sulfur. Sulfur is closely associated with Nitrogen in both plants and animals. In most situations in the current time frame, Sulfur is generally the number 4 nutrient in most fertilizer balancing programs for the soil. In the NKP, the big 3, which are Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium, then Sulfur follows these 3. One of the good things that has happened over the years is that many policies have almost forced a cleaning up of the environment. This means pollution factors have become very restrictive. As this "cleaning up of the environment" has made the conditions better for the most part, it has created some real serious issues. It has created a Sulfur deficiency issue across the board with plants and the soil. I have talked about this issue a number of times in the past articles, but it is so serious that it needs to be talked about here to really understand Sulfur. To put it in simple terms, cleaning up the air pollution caused by burning coal has caused a serious Sulfur deficiency with plants and really within the soil it's self. So now Sulfur has become the number 4 item needed, as indicated in soil analysis reports. In the past, the plants received their Sulfur from pollution, yes, pollution, in the form of SO2 gas. So that is how that worked. Seems like Nature controlled for that aspect well in advance. Then when this S02 is further progressed/converted to S03, we have acid rain, which brings us to a discussion of Aluminum, but for another day. As long as Sulfur doesn't make the trip to S03, we won't have the Acid rain that is associated with Sulfur. Seems like with these minerals, many of them are really good and necessary when they are on one side of the road, but horrible disasters when they cross over to the other side of the road. This causes a lot of confusion to the novice as to minerals or elements.
When looking at the Periodic Table Of Elements, when locating Sulfur on the scale, just below it is Selenium. In many of these elements and how they work they are always trying to push up. Most of the ones along the bottom are loaded with massive amounts of energy. So when you have a Sulfur deficiency, Selenium will try to push up and fill in the lack of Sulfur in that position. But since most people are Selenium deficient, you have a "nothing" trying to fill in the spot. Well that is the way it appears. But when Selenium can't move up to fill in Sulfur, then the Sulfur spot will sometimes pull in from the sides. in Sulfur's case, we see Phosphorous or Chlorine trying to take the place of sulfur. In this type of substitutions, it is not a good thing. So when you take into account the massive connecting web of cause and effect, well, one can only guess what confusion could potentially take place. Then we wonder why things don't work, we are sick and on and on. However, in short, just keep in mind that the horizontal movement is a last resort and doesn't happen very easily. But the vertical movement to fill in, usually upward, happens very easily and does so on a whim.
Mostly this is an upward movement and very seldom a downward movement. Just for perspective and is more commonalty known is the upward movement of Aluminum when you have a Boron deficiency. We absolutely need Aluminum, in the nutritional form, but not in the industrial form and we need Boron to keep Aluminum in control. Since most people are Boron deficient, and in reality Aluminum in the nutritional form, the industrial form will move in and that ends up with a disaster taking place in the Brain. Another situation, just to point out the similarities is with Magnesium and Calcium. Calcium is just below Magnesium. Since most people are deficient in Magnesium, with Calcium being in abundance, the Calcium will move up to fill in. When they happens we see an imbalance appearing of the ratios. The Brain requires about a 50-50 ratio of these two elements and the soil requires around a 80% Calcium and 20% Magnesium ration. So the more of a plant based diet you eat, the more you throw off your Calcium-Magnesium ratio/balance and well, I plead the 5th when suggesting what the mental outcome as well as the physical outcome of the individual ending up manifesting. When one sees an imbalance of the few before mentioned elements in the Brain, we see all sorts of mental illnesses and those illnesses are serious. Usually these illnesses are more of the daily operational aspects of the Brain other than some of the more organic types of mental illnesses. Anyway, as long as these "plant only eaters", control for this aspect, they are going to be in great shape, but if not, all bets are off.
Sulfur is under this same kind of "management" of other elements, usually Oxygen controls Sulfur and really needs to be at proper ratios in relationship with other elements to work properly. In the before mentioned soil analysis reports one might find the Sulfur levels are sufficient. So supplementation is not necessary. This can be misleading as other factors might cause a locking up effect. This means that it is not available, even though it is there. One of the more simple "locking up effect" is affected by pH. Sulfur really loves a more acidic setting to work most efficiently. Makes sense since Sulfur is controlled by Oxygen, an acidic and corrosive element when used in this natural setting. Usually you would need to see a pH in the 6.0 range or even lower to really observe its action potential. By the time the pH is coming up to 7.0, the action potential for Sulfur is really diminishing. When you get the pH up to 8.0, it is like being in suspended animation when it comes to the action potential of Sulfur. As a side note, most of you have been around swamps, high water table situations, and you may have noticed the smell of rotten eggs. This is Sulfur as the driving force behind this. Have you ever smelled this rotten egg smell in a desert setting? No. This is because Sulfur loves a wet environment. Wet environments tend to be lower in pH and the dryer environments tend to be at a higher pH level. Kind of a "Birds of a feather, flock together" type of situation.
Where I presently live, which is on an alluvial plain, we see this particular soil, which is high in Gypsum, the resulting soil being very Alkaline, to the tune of the 8.0 range. It works good for some crops, but man it is a difficult road to travel with many crops. So I know full well what this locking up stuff is all about from a piratical point of view. Sulfur has a really, really hard time functioning here. So as a result we pay for it when it comes to Sulfur uptake by many plants.
Now lets go back to the Periodic Table of Elements. In looking at the column where we find Sulfur, we see Oxygen above the Sulfur. Then below Sulfur we see Selenium and then below Selenium we see Tellurium. Tellurium is a key element in tumor suppression. Below the Tellurium is the element Polonium. Polonium is a very powerful element, energy wise, and will suppress both Tellurium and Selenium, which are known for being anti-cancerous. So if you remove the Tellurium and Selenium from the mix, then you have no natural suppression of cancer. In some anti-cancer treatments they use Oxygen. In theory, Oxygen should help and usually does a good job in this application. So just by taking Oxygen or Sulfur or Selenium or Tellurium to fight cancer or the cancer potential, one is likely to miss the mark, unless a detailed analysis is made to determine just which element is the offender. Although to elevate any of the 4 or all 4, would be the key to fighting cancer, well, and suppression of the one element, should be included, in this struggle. So since around 2/3rds of cancer situations are thought to be viral based, this setting would likely, in theory, help in 2/3rds of cancer cases. The other 1/3rd is from other factors. So in looking at this situation, you can see that Sulfur is vitally important for human health.
Also, one must make sure as to not confuse two different type of drugs as being associated with Sulfur. Sulfa drugs are basically antibiotics, IE: anti bacterial. They are not the same as Sulfur or Sulfate based drugs. These are Viral type drugs. In simple terms, the Sulfa drugs contain some Sulfur, but not a lot and are mixed with other compounds to target Bacteria. Sulfur or Sulfate drugs contain much more Sulfur and are formulated to target Viral based offenders and situations.
The Basic Role of Sulfur in Plants and Animals.
The main role of Sulfur in plants is in the production of key Amino Acids. Sulfur plays a role in the overall Bio-chemical reaction throughout the plant, but specifically the activation of enzymes and vitamins. It also plays a role in how efficiently the other nutrients work. And for the essential oil people, as it applies to the oils, it plays a role in the production of these type of oils. So the quality of an essential oil or a fixed oil, depending on the oil production type from the plant, Sulfur plays a definable role in the quality of those oils. Sulfur also plays a role in the whole photosynthesis process, namely the Chlorophyll formulation. It also plays a role in the Nitrogen conversion actions. Many people dealing with plants will claim that most plants will use about or around 12 parts +/- of Nitrogen to 1 part of Sulfur in their needs. Many of the crops that we consume as food respond very favorable to Sulfur fertilizer supplementation, which is very good for our benefit.
When viewing plants and evaluating for Sulfur deficiency, it can become somewhat confusing as Sulfur deficiency in many situations resembles a Nitrogen deficiency in a number of ways. A Sulfur deficiency also resembles a Boron deficiency is other ways with the Nitrogen resembling of certain signs that many times can be confused with a Sulfur shortage. This is not surprising as the 3 are closely related in many functions.
When it comes to humans and animals, the deficiencies are all somewhat the same, the same in basic causes but some of he effects might be manifesting differently. The most common is general sickness or lack of well being, stunted activity levels, skin color not quite right, a lack of ability to deal with stress, general irritability, and likely one of the critical aspects to this is the lack of or the absence of inflammatory stimulus. So a lack of Sulfur can cause a lack of response to inflammation. Overall I would go so far as to make the claim that Sulfur is very similar in action potential to an essential oil, in that Sulfur makes responding to many other issues much easier. A lack of Sulfur makes responding to many issues much harder. As with EO's , they make the use of other products, such as herbs, vitamins, and yes, even many drugs work much better. Sulfur and EO's (especially if those EO's come from high sulfur plants), will make things work much more efficiently.
Sources of Dietary Sulfur.
Eggs are a good source of Sulfur. An egg, on average will contain about 25 mg. of Sulfur in he Yoke, and 50 mg. of Sulfur in the White. I prefer the boiled eggs as there is no way for the basic elements to escape when the cooking process is used. Meat and Seafood generally contain a lot of Sulfur. Think of it this way. Sulfur does not move every easily from the soil to the plants and upward. So any of the root crops, such as Turnips, Radishes, Onions, which contain a high amount of of Sulfur, which is what makes some of these plants "Hot" as with Onions. The hotter the onion, the more Sulfur it contains. But if you take a Vidalia onion, which is very sweet, contains very little if any Sulfur. The "greens" that grow closer to the ground tend to contain more sulfur, such as Cauliflower, Cabbage, Lettuce, etc. An exception to this rule of being closer to the ground, and not moving easy, is with fruit, a lot of fruit does contain a decent amount of Sulfur. The exception to the rule of Sulfur not moving very well is explained with the role and action of the Meristem in these plants that have the fruit a long way from the soil. Which is one of the main reasons of fruit not storing well or storing well. Low Sulfur; won't store well and bruises easily. Other plants that we use as donor plants for essential oils and other types of oils are Onions, Garlic, Grapefruit, Dill, Soybeans, Cucumber, and the list goes on. But the key to any of these plants containing Sulfur is this; Is the Sulfur in the soil to be taken up by the plant? Sulfur tends to be hard to move and if the Sulfur amounts are low in the soil it makes for a harder job in moving the element to where the need is the greatest. Perhaps it might be claimed that Sulfur is so important, yes, the soil or the plant will share when there is an abundance, but everyone and everything wants to keep a little for themselves when Sulfur is in short supply.
As to my own special, personal source of Sulfur is green onions and Radishes. Another food that I make sure I have around, and have a massive (but controlled) anxiety attack if I don't have it around is Black Strap Molasses. I love to take a big swig of the stuff every now and then. I love that stuff and it has a very usable form of Sulfur in it. Another good snack food with our family is to have a cracker, put some butter on it, then a small slice of cheese, then an slice of onion on it, (of course the cheese and onion are small enough to fit on the soda cracker. I am not so sure of the soda cracker, but all of the other toppings are known to contain usable Sulfur or are high in usable Sulfur. As to the Gluten aspect to the soda cracker. As far as I know, no one in our family has a "Gluten" issue, although we do eat non-Gluten foods sometimes, maybe why we don't have serious or known Gluten issues is because we do consume a decent amount of Sulfur containing foods. IE; we also use EO's that contain Sulfur activating/promoting properties. Maybe that is the solution to Gluten sensitivity, Sulfur. This so called "Sulfur Snack" is refreshing and works wonders for a good night sleep. Some thing for someone to consider doing some research on.
Lets bring this Sulfur discussion to a close. I do hope that is of value to all of you. I am sure it is to those who reads these articles/discussions.
End of Discussion.
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