Allium and cruciferous vegetables are an excellent addition to any strategy to promote joint, muscle, bone, and tendon health. Allium and cruciferous vegetables are a rich source of organo sulfur compounds. Organo sulfur compounds are a subclass of organic substances that contain sulfur and have been utilized for thousands of years to remedy human disease and more recently as life-saving antibiotics, such as penicillin and cephalosporins.
As sulfur is essential for life, nature is teeming with organo sulfur compounds. These compounds are found in a wide variety of locations, including interstellar space, deep within the ocean, and inside hot volcanoes. They can be found in the bodies of all living things in the form of some amino acids, coenzymes, hormones, and vitamins.
Musculoskeletal Health Benefits of Organo Sulfur Compounds
Chronic diseases of bone, muscle, tendon, and joint, at least in part, share a common destructive pathway governed by excessive inflammation and oxidative stress. While the exact manner in which organo sulfur substances promote musculoskeletal well-being is unknown, the likely mechanism is its reduction of chronic oxidative stress and inflammation.
Antioxidant Properties
Organo sulfur compounds possess impressive antioxidant attributes. Scientific data indicates that organo sulfur compounds display a variety of antioxidant properties:
- Direct quenching of high-energy, destructive free radicals.
- Boosting the potency of glutathione and glutathione disulfide reductase. Glutathione is the body’s bulwark against oxygen free radicals, oxidized fat, and heavy metal toxins.
- Enhancing superoxide dismutase activity, the body’s best defense against super dangerous oxygen molecules called superoxide anions.
Anti-inflammatory Effects
Organo sulfur derivatives provide a multi-pronged defense against chronic inflammation. Research has demonstrated that organo sulfur compounds:
- Thwart Nuclear Factor-kB (NF-kB) pathway activation. NF-kB directs the activation of sequences of DNA that magnify inflammation.
- Suppress the activity of Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha and IL-1B, two master signaling molecules that orchestrate chronic inflammation.
- Decrease the synthesis of COX-2 enzyme. COX-2 enzymes produce substances called prostaglandins that cause pain and swelling.
- Reduce production of matrix metalloproteinases, substances that break down healthy tissue.
Selected Evidence
1. Organo Sulfur Compounds Support Joint Health
Population twin studies from England identified a potential protective effect of allium vegetables against osteoarthritis. When examining pairs of twins with near-identical genetics, the twin that consumed allium vegetables on a regular basis had a significantly lower likelihood of developing osteoarthritis (Skinner et al., 2010).
2. Organo Sulfur Compounds Support Bone Health
Researchers in China exposed mouse bone-resorbing cells called osteoclasts to a garlic extract high in allium. The investigators concluded that the extract reduced the production of bone-resorbing cells by reducing the cells’ exposure to free radicals and oxidative stress. Excessive bone resorption is the cardinal cause of osteoporosis (Chen et al., 2016).
3. Organo Sulfur Compound Supports Muscle Health
Chinese investigators administered sulforaphane to mice and assessed its effect on muscle inflammation. The researchers found that sulforaphane reduced muscle inflammation by reducing the influx of immune cells into muscle tissue and decreasing the production of inflammation-promoting cytokines (Sun et al., 2015).
How to Properly Prepare These Vegetables in Order to Preserve Their Compounds?
- Broccoli: The best way is to steam it. Studies found that steaming provides sulforaphane that is 3 times more bioavailable compared to heavy cooking.
- Onions and Garlic: The best way to consume these allyl sulfur compounds is raw. Chopping up some onion and garlic and mixing them into your salad will give you most of the benefits.
- Cabbage: You can get more bioavailable organo sulfur compounds from cabbage if you lightly steam it. Cooking at high heat in the microwave destroys many of these beneficial compounds. Chop it to your desired consistency, let it sit for a few minutes, and then steam for four to five minutes. If you use the microwave, use the low or medium setting.
- Cauliflower: Cut into small florets and let sit for ten minutes to allow the myrosinase enzyme to make glucosinolates more available. Then, steam or bake them. One recipe suggestion: bake florets of cauliflower mixed with curry powder, turmeric, cayenne, salt, and olive oil.
- Brussels Sprouts: Quarter and steam for 5 minutes, then remove from the steamer and toss with olive oil or butter.
Precautions
Organo sulfur compounds from natural foods are generally well tolerated. High intake may cause mild gastrointestinal symptoms, as well as breath and body odor. High-dose supplementation may enhance anti-coagulation effects of blood thinners and decrease the bioavailability of HIV protease inhibitors. Any consideration of supplementation should be discussed with a qualified health professional familiar with your unique medical history.
References
- Amagase, H. (2006). Clarifying the real bioactive constituents of garlic. The Journal of Nutrition, 136(3 Suppl), 716S-725S. https://doi.org/…
- Blumenthal, M. (2005). Herb sales down 7.4 percent in mainstream market. HerbalGram: American Botanical Council, 63.
- Block, E. (1985). The chemistry of garlic and onions. Scientific American, 252(3), 114-119. https://doi.org/…
- Budoff, M. J., Takasu, J., Flores, F. R., & et al. (2004). Inhibiting progression of coronary calcification using aged garlic extract in patients receiving statin therapy: A preliminary study. Preventive Medicine, 39(5), 985-991. https://doi.org/…
- Chen, J., Sun, L., & Zhang, Y. (2016). Alliin attenuated RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis by scavenging reactive oxygen species through inhibiting Nox1. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 17(9), E1516. https://doi.org/…
- Cheng-Cao, S., Zou, Q.-Y., & Li, Z. (2015). Sulforaphane attenuates muscle inflammation in dystrophin-deficient mdx mice via NF-κB signaling pathway.
- Skinner, H., Lewis, J. R., & Hart, D. J. (2010). Protective effect of allium vegetables against osteoarthritis in a population-based study. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 11(280).
