Top 5 Common Food Sources of Thiosulfinates
Looking to get more thiosulfinates in your diet? Look no further! My team and I have crunched the numbers and did all the math to determine the top 5 common food sources of this unique phytonutrient, per serving. Getting enough thiosulfinates as part of a healthy balanced diet is important since a large collection of studies show that getting nutrients from dietary supplements or multivitamins doesn’t improve health outcomes compared to getting nutrients from foods!
| Rank | Food | Nutrivore Score | Serving Size (Raw) | Thiosulfinates (mg/serving) | % Recommended Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Garlic Powder | 5529 | 1 tbsp | 206.3 | 1720 |
| 2 | Garlic | 5622 | 1 tbsp | 81.4 | 678 |
| 3 | Shallots | 740 | 1 cup | 75.3 | 628 |
| 4 | Leeks (Bulb and Lower Leaf-Portion) | 1128 | 1 cup | 47.7 | 397 |
| 5 | Welsh Onions | 1704 | 1 cup | 32.5 | 271 |
Want to know more about this important nutrient including biological activities of thiosulfinates, how much we need, and even more awesome thiosulfinate rich foods? Keep reading to learn all there is to know!
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What Are Thiosulfinates and What Do They Do?
Thiosulfinates are a type of plant organosulfur compound (aka sulfur-containing compound) responsible for the distinctive pungent flavor of alliums (or the onion family), with the other important class of organosulfur compounds being glucosinolates found in cruciferous vegetables. Interestingly, thiosulfinates aren’t formed until the vegetable is damaged, for example sliced, crushed or chewed. This is because their precursors—antioxidant and immune-modulating S-alk(en)yl-L-cysteine sulfoxides (like alliin, the dominant sulfoxide in garlic; methiin, found in garlic, onions, leeks, and shallots; propiin found in shallots; and isoalliinin, the dominant sulfoxide found in onions and shallots)—reside in storage cells whereas the lyase enzyme alliinase (which is quite heat stable) that metabolizes sulfoxides is found in bundle sheath cells. When the cell membranes are damaged, alliinase and sulfoxides mix, forming a variety of thiosulfinates.
Thiosulfinates provide diverse beneficial effects, including powerful anticancer properties as well as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic, and antimicrobial activity. In general, thiosulfinates exert their effects by modulating important enzymes (like the cytochrome P450 superfamily and glutathione S-transferases) that help detoxify carcinogens and prevent DNA adducts from forming. Learn more about thiosulfinates here.
How Much Thiosulfinates Do We Need?
Currently there are no official guidelines for thiosulfinate intake requirements but we have set a recommended target of 12 mg for adults based on Team Nutrivore’s review of the scientific literature, established with the aim of providing improvements for overall health and reduction in chronic disease risk.
Nutrient Daily Values
Nutrition requirements and recommended nutrient intake for infants, children, adolescents, adults, mature adults, and pregnant and lactating individuals.
More Food Sources of Thiosulfinates
Thiosulfinates are only found in allium (aka onion family) vegetables, with garlic being the richest source. Onions, leeks, shallots, chives, and scallions also contain significant amounts. Wondering what to do if you don’t like eating this family of veggies or can’t have them due to an allergy or other health concern, check out this post for food swap suggestions.
Best Food Sources of Thiosfulfinates
The following foods are the best sources of thiosulfinates, containing at 6 mg per serving.
Good Food Sources of Thiosulfinates
The following foods are excellent or good sources of thiosulfinates, containing at least 1.2 mg per serving.
Top 5 Common Food Sources
If you’re looking for top 5 common food sources of other important nutrients check out these posts!
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