Sulfur Rich Foods: USDA Methionine and Cystine Values

Sulfur rich foods in USDA data are mostly protein foods. USDA SR Legacy has a field for total sulfur but no food values in it, and a 2007 review by Nimni and colleagues states that dietary sulfur is derived almost exclusively from proteins. Ranked by the two sulfur amino acids USDA reports, methionine plus cystine, 3 ounces of roasted chicken breast list 1.07 grams and 3 ounces of cooked bluefin tuna 1.03 grams in USDA data; the leading plant entries are a cup of boiled mature soybeans at 0.85 grams and 3 tablespoons of hulled hemp seeds at 0.48 grams. Garlic, onions and the cabbage family carry other sulfur compounds that reviews and an NIH fact sheet describe, so they appear in a separate table.

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Sulfur rich foods ranked by methionine and cystine in USDA data

USDA SR Legacy reports the second sulfur amino acid as cystine; its separate cysteine field has no food values. Servings are USDA SR Legacy portions, or 3 ounces (85 grams) for meat and fish. USDA totals are computed from values per 100 grams before rounding, so a total can differ slightly from the sum of the two rounded columns, and the last column gives the USDA total per 100 grams.

In USDA data, meat, poultry and fish fill nine of the ten highest rows, and boiled mature soybeans are seventh. In USDA data, hulled hemp seed and Brazil nuts have the two highest values per 100 grams in the table. Our guides to turkey, pork, halibut, chicken thighs, ground beef, cod, salmon, cottage cheese, soybeans, edamame, Greek yogurt, Brazil nuts, black beans, lentils, chickpeas, eggs, parmesan, tofu, oats, quinoa and chia seeds cover the entries in depth.

Foods high in sulfur and the amino acids behind them

The 2007 review by Nimni and colleagues describes sulfur as the most abundant mineral element in the body after calcium and phosphorus, and notes that only 2 of the 20 amino acids normally present in proteins contain it. The review explains that methionine cannot be made by the body and has to be supplied by the diet, while cysteine is made in the body but its synthesis requires a steady supply of sulfur. The review puts the sulfur amino acid share of proteins at between 3% and 6%, and says a very small percentage of dietary sulfur comes as inorganic sulfates and other organic sulfur compounds in foods such as garlic, onion and broccoli.

The same review notes that cysteine and methionine are not stored in the body. The review’s authors also estimated sulfur amino acid intakes in small groups of volunteers and wrote that they could not draw any solid conclusions from those estimates, so this article does not use them.

Garlic and onions: alliin and allicin

A 2014 review of allicin in the journal Molecules (Borlinghaus and colleagues) explains that allicin, a sulfur-containing compound, is responsible for the typical smell and taste of freshly cut or crushed garlic. The review describes allicin as a thiosulfinate that forms only after the plant tissue is damaged, when the enzyme alliinase acts on its precursor, alliin. The review notes that alliin is found in garlic and ramsons, while onion does not make alliin but its isomer isoalliin, and that garlic, leek, onion and chives belong to the Allium genus along with well over 700 other species. The review also describes allicin as highly reactive and of low thermal stability.

The cabbage family and glucosinolates

An NIH fact sheet describes vegetables of the Brassica genus, among them arugula, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, radishes and watercress, and says they contain glucosinolates, sulfur-containing chemicals responsible for their pungent aroma and bitter flavor. The fact sheet names sulforaphane as one of the isothiocyanates formed when glucosinolates break down; our list of foods high in sulforaphane covers that compound.

A 2018 review by Oliviero and colleagues explains that the enzyme myrosinase, present in the plants and in bacteria of the human gut, breaks glucosinolates down, and that in intact plant cells myrosinase is physically separated from glucosinolates, so processing, cooking and chewing all strongly affect the reaction. The review reports leaching losses of 25% to 75% during boiling, citing an earlier review, very little leaching during steaming, and complete glucosinolate degradation in white cabbage after 7 days of fermentation.

Allium and Brassica vegetables in USDA amino-acid data

For comparison, USDA lists 1.26 grams of methionine plus cystine per 100 grams of roasted chicken breast. These vegetables are on this page for compounds that have no USDA field, not for their amino acids.

Food first: what this list does not cover

This list is about food. It gives no intake target: FDA has set no Daily Value for these compounds (21 CFR 101.9), and USDA publishes content data, so the gram figures are not a target for any reader. The list makes no health promises. Our guide to sulfur burps covers the digestive side of the topic, our high protein foods list ranks many of the same foods by protein, and our sibling list of foods high in potassium and magnesium uses the same USDA method. Ask a healthcare provider about your own needs, especially if you take medicines or have a health condition.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a health condition. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Last reviewed October 2026.

Related guides: Foods High in Potassium and Magnesium: USDA Values per Serving, Sulfur Burps: Causes, Ozempic Burps and When to Worry, Garlic Benefits, Nutrition and Raw vs Cooked Garlic, Cruciferous Vegetables List: The Mustard Family and USDA Data.