Contribution of sulfurous mineral waters to dietary sulfur intake and metabolism

Sulfur is a non-metal macroelement with critical importance for the human body integrity and homeostasis. Sulfur-containing biomolecules exert important functions in redox balance maintenance, enzyme functionality, DNA methylation and repair, modification of extracellular matrix components, and xenobiotic metabolism. Many studies related to the sulfur utilization and metabolism are focused on foods rich in organosulfur compounds that are associated with health benefits. It is believed that sulfur-containing mineral water also could have beneficial effects on the human health, but this knowledge is currently based on empirical data. It could be suggested that the intake of sulfurous mineral waters as a part of the everyday diet would have measurable effects on the human metabolism.