If you are sensitive to sulfur in diet but more specifically – thiols, then listen up. I’ve been searching for the answer for years and finally have a strong theory based on science and my own observations.
Candida overgrowth can be stealthy and immensely debilitating. Just like heavy metals it can wreak havoc on our immune systems and detox capabilities. One of the mechanisms behind many symptoms is excess ammonia and depleted glutathione. That is because Candida overgrowth can produce significant amounts of ammonia as a metabolic byproduct, especially when it ferments sugars and overtax our detox systems.
How is excess ammonia production from candida related to thiol sensitivity?
Excess ammonia production from Candida overgrowth can be related to thiol sensitivity due to the following biochemical interactions:
1. Ammonia Production and Detoxification: The body detoxifies ammonia primarily in the liver through the urea cycle, converting it to urea for excretion. However, if there’s too much ammonia, or if liver function is compromised, excess ammonia can build up in the body.
2. Glutathione Depletion: Detoxifying ammonia can deplete glutathione, a crucial antioxidant in the body. Glutathione contains sulfur in its structure and is essential for detoxifying harmful substances, including heavy metals. When glutathione levels drop, the body may have difficulty processing sulfur-containing compounds, including thiols.
3. Thiol Sensitivity: When the body’s ability to detoxify sulfur compounds is impaired due to glutathione depletion or a compromised detoxification system, individuals may become sensitive to thiols. This sensitivity can manifest as symptoms like brain fog, fatigue, and digestive issues, which are often exacerbated by sulfur-rich foods or supplements, but you already know this.
4. Cumulative Toxic Burden: The combination of excess ammonia and reduced detoxification capacity can increase the overall total toxic burden on the body. This burden might trigger or worsen thiol sensitivity because the body is already struggling to manage and excrete various toxins.
So this is extremely interesting because before I used to hear these theories that thiol sensitivity happens due to some mysterious “blocked” pathways. But it is much more likely that this happens due to our overwhelmed livers working overtime and running out of soap to washes the dishes. Now, how does this happens, exactly?
What does glutathione have to do with sulfur metabolism?
1. Composition: Glutathione is a tripeptide composed of three amino acids: glutamine, cysteine, and glycine. Cysteine contains a thiol (-SH) group, which is a sulfur-containing functional group. This thiol group is central to glutathione’s ability to act as an antioxidant and a detoxifying agent.
2. Detoxification of Sulfur Compounds: The body generates and metabolizes various sulfur-containing compounds, such as cysteine, homocysteine, and sulfites. Glutathione is involved in detoxifying these compounds. For example, it helps neutralize harmful free radicals and reactive oxygen species that can be produced during sulfur metabolism.
3. Sulfate Conjugation: Sulfate is a byproduct of sulfur metabolism and is used in the body to detoxify substances via a process called sulfate conjugation. Glutathione helps to convert toxic sulfite (SO₃²⁻) to the less harmful sulfate (SO₄²⁻) form, which can be excreted safely from the body. This process is essential for maintaining the proper balance of sulfur-containing compounds.
4. Regulating Thiol Levels: Glutathione also helps regulate the levels of thiols (sulfur-containing compounds with -SH groups) in the body. By maintaining a healthy balance of reduced (active) and oxidized (inactive) thiols, glutathione ensures that sulfur metabolism proceeds efficiently and that toxic intermediates are detoxified.
5. Methylation: Sulfur metabolism is closely linked with methylation, a process critical for many bodily functions. Glutathione indirectly supports methylation by maintaining a balance between homocysteine and methionine, two important amino acids in the sulfur metabolism pathway. An imbalance in this pathway can lead to the accumulation of harmful sulfur metabolites and depletion of glutathione.
How is glutathione depleted from candida overgrowth?
For years I’ve been following the advice on “boosting” glutathione but lately I had to wind back and look into the major sources that demand heavy metabolic processes. I used to think it was mercury but now I believe that Candida is number one on the radar. This is simply due to the fact that candida is able to pump out so many endo-toxins on daily basis. I mean way more than circulating mercury levels.
My latest experiences show that when I reduce sugars and mop up ammonia with binders there’s almost immediate relief. This is a HUGE discovery for me.
Last notes if you are just getting started:
Candida is very likely only a layer of your overall health issues and may not be the root cause. It could be most symptomatic but not the main culprit. Your immune system should keep a check on it but it doesn’t. WHY? This is the real question.
In my case I believe it was mercury. That is because mercury is immunotoxic. It suppresses the immune system by disrupting the normal function of immune cells such as lymphocytes, neutrophils, and macrophages. This weakens the body’s defense against infections, including those caused by Candida. Mercury can also disrupt the balance of gut microbiota by inhibitin the beneficial bacteria and allowing opportunistic organisms, like Candida, to proliferate. Mercury can also induce dysbiosis that leads to gut inflammation, damaging the gut lining and increasing intestinal permeability (leaky gut). This further exacerbates the imbalance of gut flora, creating a favorable environment for Candida overgrowth. Mercury exposure can also promote biofilm formation, making it harder to eliminate Candida.
KEY NOTE: Reinforcement of Toxicity: The toxins produced by Candida and the inflammation they cause can interfere with the body’s ability to detoxify mercury and other toxins, creating a vicious cycle where both mercury toxicity and Candida overgrowth reinforce each other. Now this is nasty. This is exactly why some go at it for years without any relief! This takes a lot of skill and patience.
