MSM and Sulphur .....IMPORTANT for health!

"The Vanishing Nutrient That Your Skin,
Muscle and Bones Depend On*"

As you age, the flexible tissues in your body tend to lose their elasticity, which can lead to sagging and wrinkling skin, as well as less flexible muscles and less comfortable joints. And one of the nutrients they need most to support them may be in decreasing supply.* Brand new at Mercola.com...

It's one of the most abundant minerals in your body.But researchers have concluded that its importance may be underestimated and its essential role in your overall health unappreciated.*

Why This Mineral is So Important

The greatly unappreciated mineral I'm talking about is sulfur.
Sulfur bonds are required for proteins to maintain their shape, and these bonds determine the biological activity of the proteins.*
Your hair, skin, and nails consist of a tough protein composed in significant part of sulfur called keratin.* And connective tissue and cartilage contain proteins with flexible sulfur bonds, giving the structures flexibility.*
As you age, the flexible tissues in your body tend to lose their elasticity which can lead to sagging and wrinkling skin, as well as less flexible muscles and less comfortable joints.
In addition to bonding proteins, sulfur is also required for the proper structure and biological activity of enzymes.* If you don't have sufficient amounts of sulfur in your body, these enzymes cannot function optimally….
Sulfur also plays other important roles as it…

• Helps detoxification – Sulfation is a major pathway for detoxification by your liver*
• Supports your body's electron transport system – As part of iron/sulfur proteins in mitochondria (the energy factories of your cells creating ATP)*
• Converts vitamin-B thiamine (B1) and biotin – Which are essential for converting carbohydrates into energy*
• Helps promote normal insulin function – The insulin molecule consists of two amino acid chains connected to each other by sulfur bridges, without which insulin cannot perform its biological activity*
• Synthesizes important metabolic intermediates, such as the super-antioxidant glutathione*

Of all the roles sulfur plays, I believe one of the most important is how it can enhance your glutathione levels.*

Are You Getting Enough Sulfur in Your Diet?

I truly believe that the best way for you to obtain sulfur is through your diet.
However, there are some challenges with that. Only 2 of the 20 amino acids normally present in food contain sulfur.

• Methionine – This amino acid cannot be synthesized by your body and must be supplied through diet…
• Cysteine – This one is synthesized by your body but requires a steady supply of dietary sulfur in order to do so.

These important amino acids cannot be stored by your body. Any dietary excess of methionine and cysteine are readily oxidized to sulphate, excreted in urine, or stored in the form of glutathione (GSH).

This Could Be One of the Best Sources of Sulfur in your Diet

Sulfur is derived almost exclusively from dietary protein.
And I believe one of the best sources of sulfur comes from humanely raised, pastured meat.
Meat and fish are considered ‘complete’ as they contain all the sulfur-containing amino acids your body needs in order to produce new protein.
If you don't eat meat, there are other sources of sulfur including organic pastured eggs, coconut oil, and olive oil, as well as most cruciferous vegetables (when grown in soil that contained adequate amounts of sulfur)… Other sources include:

• Brussels sprouts…
• Legumes…
• Asparagus…
• Garlic…
• Kale…
• Onion…
• Wheat germ

Another Option to Help Your Body Absorb Sulfur

A senior scientist at MIT suggests another (relaxing) source of sulfur…

• Soak your body in a warm bath with magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt)…
• Helps compensate and counter act sulfur inadequacies…
• Use twice a week with about ½ -1 cup in your bath (relax and enjoy)

This type of bath can help your skin absorb sulfur.

Why You Still May Be Coming Up Short

Regardless of whether your diet provides adequate amounts of sulfur, we probably take for granted the fact that sulfur is provided by our atmosphere and soil.
Plants obviously require sulfur in soil in order to pass any on to you. And grass-fed beef and pastured poultry that eat plants need adequate amounts in what they consume to help keep this essential mineral in the food chain as well.
However, soils around the globe are becoming increasingly sulfur-depleted… resulting in less sulfur-rich foods overall. This depletion is primarily due to over-farming and decreased sulfur deposits on crops as a result of emission-reducing technologies used at coal-fired power plants.

Why Glutathione is Important to Your Overall Health*

Free radicals are reactive particles that bounce around your cells, damaging everything they touch. They can become active (or reactive) due to stress, poor diet, environmental factors, and even as a result of metabolism. And they can accelerate aging.
Glutathione has a unique role as it is present inside every one of your cells. In fact, it seems to have claimed 'master antioxidant' status by helping all the other antioxidants perform at peak levels.*
However, glutathione is not absorbed very effectively. Plus, glutathione supplements can potentially interfere with your body's ability to produce glutathione naturally over time.
This is where sulfur can provide you with a tremendous health advantage by how it can help boost your glutathione levels.*
After age 20, glutathione levels reportedly start decreasing at about 1% a year. Even more reason to make sure you have adequate amounts of sulfur in your body.*

How to Help 'Trigger' Glutathione Production Naturally in Your Body*

Are there other ways to potentially boost glutathione production within your body? Here are a few ways that certainly can help…

• Get plenty of appropriate exercise – Exercise affects your adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels needed to help produce glutathione.
• Optimize your vitamin D levels through sun exposure – There’s some evidence vitamin D increases intracellular glutathione levels.
• Consume certain foods such as raw milk products, raw eggs, raw fruits and vegetables, and cold-pressed whey protein. Foods that are raw can provide high levels of the important and necessary amino acids your body uses to produce glutathione.

MSM can be a key compound in 'donating' its sulfur to benefit your body.* Research suggest that MSM can also function as a sulfur metabolism modifier… promoting the retention of sulfur and rapidly altering sulfur metabolism.*

What is MSM and Where is it Found?

MSM is not a drug but an organic form of sulfur and a potent antioxidant* made up of:

• 34% sulfur…
• 34% oxygen…
• 26% carbon and 6% hydrogen bonds

Trace amounts of MSM are found in foods and beverages such as those outlined in the following chart.

FOOD / BEVERAGE	AMOUNT PPM
Milk (whole pasteurized)	3.3-8.2 ppm
Coffee	1.6 ppm
Swiss chard	05-.18 ppm
Alfalfa	.07 ppm
Tomato	trace
Tomato paste	.64-.86 ppm
Mussel	.29 ppm
Asparagus	trace
Raspberries	trace

Raw milk and raw cheese made from pastured cows contain some of the highest amounts of natural MSM.

My Selection Checklist for a High-Quality Sulfur Formula

Here's my checklist to help you see the process I went through (and recommend you do the same) when searching for a high-quality sulfur supplement.

• MSM must be of the highest quality – Prefer MSM produced using an extensive distillation process to ensure purity and help eliminate ingredient inconsistencies. Since sulfur is a prerequisite for this formula, MSM is a key ingredient in that it is made up of 34% sulfur.
• Look for a low-dosage serving of MSM in the formula – Keeping the dosage low may help avoid occasional minor side effects possible in larger doses.
• Include other robust sources of sulfur that can effectively serve as glutathione precursors* – The potential benefits of glutathione as an extraordinary antioxidant within your body cannot be understated.*
• Must contain high-quality pure ingredients –Without this, inconsistency in the formula can occur potentially making the overall benefits unpredictable.
• Must be produced by a high-quality manufacturer – High preference for a dedicated facility (particularly with MSM) to help avoid introduction of potential contaminants.
• .................

I'VE  BEEN  TAKING  AN  MSM  SUPPLEMENT  FOR  A  NUMBER  OF  YEARS  NOW,  AND  YES  FEEL  CONFIDENT  IT  IS  HELPING  TO  KEEP  MY  BODY  YOUNG !!   MY  WHOLE  BODY  IS  AS  A  50  YEAR  OLD;  THE  WAY  I  CAN  SWIM,  THE  WAY  I  CAN RIDE  MY  HORSE.......CAN  DO  BOTH  AS  A  50  YEAR  OLD  OR  YOUNG,  AND  THAT  MAKES  ME  FEEL  REALLY  GOOD  WHEN  I'M  71 ON  MY  BIRTH  CERTIFICATE  COME  THIS  SEPTEMBER  11TH  2013.  MY  SKIN  IS  PRETTY  TIGHT [I  DO  CHARLES  ATLAS  EXERCISES  TO  HELP  WITH  THAT  ALSO]  INCLUDING  THE  FACE.  WHEN  PEOPLE  THINK  I'M  ONLY  50  AND  NOT  NEARLY  71,  IT  PROVES  ALL THAT  I  DO  IN  EATING,  SUPPLEMENTS,  AND  EXERCISE  IS  PAYING  OFF  BIG  TIME.

Keith Hunt