I have sulfur cycle dysfunction due to impaired detox pathways, and periodically, my body over-accumulates sulfur. When it occurs, I experience severe localized pain in joints and tissues that feels like gout. In addition, I experience headaches, SIBO symptoms, feel extremely tired and lethargic, and my brain fog returns. All of these symptoms are caused by sulfur cycle overload. This post covers what sulfur dysregulation is and what to do when you experience sulfur cycle overload.
I recently experienced sulfur cycle overload after a vacation in Seattle. I had eaten eggs twice in one week, along with having a grain-based granola for breakfast every day for a week. For me, that was enough to push me over the edge into sulfur cycle overload.
So, when I returned home, I did a low-sulfur diet for two days, and quickly found relief from my symptoms. Read on to learn more about sulfur cycle dysfunction, the link between sulfur and MCAS, and what you can do if you experience sulfur cycle dysfunction.
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Table of Contents
Who is Betsy Leighton?
I’m a writer, blogger, and healer dedicated to helping individuals reconnect with their innate peace and wholeness by healing nervous system dysregulation. My personal experience with chronic illness called Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) shapes my work, and my content offers tools to empower those with chronic illness to improve their well-being and take charge of their health.
I created the Sacred Self-Healing Method and am a trained and certified Safe and Sound Protocol provider, an author, blogger, and A Course in Miracles Teacher. I hold a Master of Divinity in Spiritual Counseling and am a trained spiritual mentor, with certificates in sound healing, aromatherapy, nutrition, and Sacred Deathcare. I offer a self-study certificate program in the Sacred Self-Healing Method, provide spiritual counseling and coaching, courses, and supported subscriptions for the Safe and Sound Protocol.
What is MCAS?
Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) is a chronic condition that affects all organ systems. It can cause severe, disabling symptoms every day, including potentially fatal anaphylaxis.
The common triggers for MCAS are infections, toxic exposures including mold exposure and EMFs, trauma, concussions, and stress.
MCAS often occurs with other chronic conditions like Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). Managing MCAS is challenging because many healthcare providers are unaware of it, and diagnostic tests can be unreliable. Treatments include antihistamines and mast cell stabilizers in the form of medications and supplements, along with avoiding triggers. Check out this post on managing MCAS.
Why is sulfur cycle overload?
Sulfur cycle overload (sometimes called sulfur pathway overload or sulfur intolerance) refers to a situation where your body’s normal biochemical processes for handling sulfur compounds become overwhelmed, blocked, or imbalanced. It’s not a formally recognized medical diagnosis, but it’s often discussed in the context of functional medicine, methylation, detoxification, and gut health.
I’ve posted about the link between sulfur dysregulation and MCAS here and the connection between sulfur pathways and inflammation here.
The normal sulfur cycle
Sulfur is essential for life. In the body, it’s used for:
- Making glutathione (your master antioxidant)
- Detoxification in the liver (Phase II sulfation)
- Building proteins and connective tissue
- Supporting energy metabolism (via the transsulfuration pathway)
Key players include:
- Methionine → converted to homocysteine
- Homocysteine → can be recycled back to methionine or converted to cysteine
- Cysteine → can make glutathione, taurine, or sulfate
What happens with sulfur cycle overload
When the sulfur pathways are overloaded or impaired, sulfur-containing compounds can accumulate or fail to convert properly. This can lead to a buildup of intermediates like:
- Sulfite (toxic if not converted to sulfate)
- Thiosulfate
- Hydrogen sulfide gas (H₂S) in the gut
Common causes or contributors:
- Genetic variants (e.g., CBS upregulation, SUOX deficiency)
- High sulfur diet (garlic, onions, cruciferous veggies, eggs, MSM, NAC)
- Excess sulfur supplements (glutathione, cysteine, taurine, etc.)
- Gut dysbiosis with sulfur-reducing bacteria
- Heavy metal burden or blocked detox pathways
Symptoms of sulfur cycle overload
When sulfur builds up as sulfite or hydrogen sulfide, people may experience:
- Localized pain and inflammation that comes on suddenly without a known cause
- Headaches or migraines after sulfur foods
- Fatigue or “wired but tired” feeling
- Brain fog or irritability
- Itchy skin or hives
- Sinus pressure or congestion
- Sensitivity to supplements (e.g., NAC, MSM, glutathione)
- Rotten-egg odor in gas or stool (due to H₂S)
- Trouble tolerating Epsom salt baths or sulfur-based medications
How to manage sulfur cycle overload
Management typically focuses on balancing intake and improving conversion:
- Reduce sulfur load temporarily by limiting high-sulfur foods (garlic, onions, eggs, brassicas, etc.) See below for a list of high-sulfur foods. You can search my blog for low-sulfur recipes!
- Support sulfite → sulfate conversion. A key nutrient that helps sulfite oxidase (SUOX) is molybdenum. I take Biotics Research Mo-Zyme.
- Support detox pathways by getting adequate hydration, binders, and liver support
- Balance the gut microbiome. Reduce overgrowth of sulfur-reducing bacteria with tips from this post. You can also search for Supergut recipes on my blog.
- Reintroduce sulfur slowly once pathways stabilize
Top Food Sources of Sulfur
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Kale
- Cauliflower
- Bok choy
- Garlic
- Onions
- Shallots
- Leeks
- Chives
- Eggs (especially the yolk)
- Meat (beef, pork, chicken)
- Fish and shellfish (especially tuna, salmon, shrimp)
- Dairy (cheese, milk, yogurt)
- Lentils
- Chickpeas
- Soybeans
- Peanuts
- Almonds
- Eggs (again—they’re especially rich in cysteine and methionine)
- Spirulina and seaweed (sulfur-rich compounds and minerals)
- Mushrooms (some, like shiitake, contain sulfur compounds)
- Fruits like rhubarb and sour cherries
The link between sulfur dysregulation and histamine
Because histamine and gut health are so closely linked, histamine-producing bacteria are an important factor in MCAS.
Sulfur metabolism impairment can be a significant contributor to histamine intolerance, and a unique connection exists between sulfur dysfunction and histamine intolerance.
“Histamine and sulfur sensitivity appear to be closely linked, but in some cases, excess sulfur and sulfur metabolism impairment may lead to histamine sensitivity.” – source
Because the symptoms of sulfur and histamine intolerance overlap they are easily confused. An inability to properly process sulfur is linked to a downstream inability to efficiently regulate histamine.
The bucket theory
The bucket theory simplifies understanding symptom reactions with MCAS. Imagine your body as an empty bucket you don’t want to overflow. Reactions to various stimuli fill the histamine bucket at different rates, forming the total histamine level (how full your bucket is). More histamine means more symptoms. By managing triggers, reducing exposures, and taking medications and supplements, you can control your bucket’s level.
Know your typical symptom progression
Understanding your symptom progression during a flare is key to developing your rescue plan. This post discusses how to recognize symptom progression so you can be prepared to address them.
Get my free ebook, symptom log, and meal plan!
Want a tool to easily track your symptoms?
Check out these circadian health tools!
I’m an affiliate with Bon Charge, a company that makes tools for circadian health, and you can receive 15% off your order with my coupon code BETSYL.
Bon Charge offers tools such as yellow– and red-tone blue-blocking glasses, red light therapy devices, PEMF mats, infrared saunas, and EMF-blocking products.
Sign up for the SSP!
I’ve found the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) to be the most helpful bottom-up healing strategy if your nervous system has been overloaded with toxic exposures, including mold or non-native EMFs, chronic infections, concussions, stress, or trauma. The SSP is a passive listening therapy that helps heal nervous system dysregulation. Many people with MCAS and other chronic conditions have nervous system dysregulation stemming from infections, toxic exposures, concussions, and trauma. The SSP is an easy-to-use app that lets you listen to specially filtered music for 30 minutes each day as part of a 5-hour cycle. Studies show the SSP has a profound effect on mental health and chronic conditions. Here’s a short podcast describing the Safe and Sound Protocol.
You can sign up for the SSP here!
Heal your mind!
While the SSP is a bottom-up, somatic therapy for healing the nervous system, the Sacred Self-Healing Method I offer is a top-down nervous system-healing modality that focuses on cognition, attention, perception, and emotion, using the mind’s higher functions. The SSP and the Sacred Self-Healing Method complement each other and together produce lasting results. Here’s a short podcast on my self-healing practice.
I provide one-on-one in-person and remote chronic illness and caregiver coaching, as well as Sacred Self-Healing Sessions based on the Sacred Self-Healing Method, a proven, novel co-creative healing modality detailed in my Books.
Order my books!
Here’s a short podcast highlighting my five books.
My latest book, Living In The Light: Healing with Forgiveness, Sound, and Light, is all about the tools that have been most helpful for me to heal: forgiveness, sound, through nervous system retraining using the Safe and Sound Protocol, and light, through entraining my circadian rhythm with the energy of the sun. Living In The Light is available here!
Rocks and Roots chronicles my solo backpacking journey on the Superior Hiking Trail and my efforts to overcome nervous system dysregulation, gut dysbiosis, and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome symptoms to complete the 328-mile hike successfully.
The Sacred Self-Healing Method ebook is available here and in most ebook retailers!
The Sacred Self-Healing Workbook is available for purchase here!
Betsy’s first book, Sacred Self-Healing: Finding Peace Through Forgiveness, is available here
Companion Recordings
The companion audio recordings of chants, guided meditations, and sound healing demonstrations that accompany the Sacred Self-Healing Method are available for free on my YouTube channel here
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Disclaimer
The preceding material does not constitute medical advice. This information is for information purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, cure, or treatment.
