GreenBlue said...
Razzle- I have also heard that those with CBS mutations should be careful taking epsom salt baths due to the sulfur issue. I am Homozygous for one of the CBS mutations but don't think/seem to have an issue with the baths. Do you have any more info about the issue? One doc says stop the baths, and another says it's should be fine. Having trouble figuring out what the heck to do.
Well, it depends. If the mutations are activated, then one should be careful. If no other evidence of sulfur sensitivity exists, then the Epsom salts should be fine (start foot-soaks slowly, with a low dose of Epsom salts, and only soak for a short amount of time, just in case there are issues that aren't known).
I should also point out that there are several CBS genes, and some mutations are more significant for sulfur sensitivity than others. I happen to have the worst one as a homozygous mutation (lucky me, ha ha), but others with a different CBS mutation may be just fine with Epsom salts.
Chemistry: Epsom salts are a combination of water, sulfur (sulfate) and magnesium. Because the sulfur is the less harmful sulfate rather than the sulfite that causes more trouble, most do fine with the Epsom salts, even if they do have CBS or SUOX mutations.
However, because the Epsom salts may mobilize toxins (which may include things that are processed by the same CBS/SUOX enzyme pathways), this may be the source of the problem those with the mutations have, and not the actual sulfate itself.
Also, one can be sensitive to sulfates without being sensitive to sulfites or having CBS or SUOX mutations. This isn't usually a problem with Epsom salts specifically, it is usually more of a problem with the sulfates in skin care & hair products (e.g., sodium lauryl sulfate, etc. - these are known skin irritants).
For more info on methylation genomics, see:
www.dramyyasko.com/resources/autism-pathways-to-recovery/www.heartfixer.com/AMRI-Nutrigenomics.htm