Selenium

Selenium is the most important mineral for the immune system to function at its optimal level; indeed without adequate selenium in your body, your immune system will remain vulnerable to attack. It’s amazing to think that despite the profound importance of selenium to a strong immune system, many people remain deficient in this life enhancing mineral. Yes selenium deficiency is common in people of all age groups from the very young to the very old.

The above consequences seem very serious; indeed most people get a shock that something as simple as selenium can be associated with such a diverse and significant range of common health problems. Let me assure you that medical doctors don’t learn this at medical school !

But it’s not really that surprising if you understand how selenium works in the body and how it can even protect the deepest part of your body’s cells – the nucleus which contains the genes (DNA).

Selenium is an essential trace mineral that is of fundamental importance to good health. It is a powerful antioxidant and it enhances the antioxidant effects of vitamin E and zinc. Selenium is a great protector and detoxifier – this is because it is required for the production of glutathione peroxidase, an enzyme necessary for detoxification and protection of the body against free radical damage. Free radicals are capable of causing damage to cell membranes, the DNA inside cells; they speed up the ageing process and increase the risk of cancer and heart disease. Selenium helps to minimise this damage. Exposure to environmental toxins increases your requirement for selenium. Smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol lowers your body’s reserves of selenium.

Selenium can protect your health in three significant ways:

Research has proven that selenium is vital for healthy immune system function. A selenium deficiency suppresses your immune system and makes you more prone to infections, especially viral infections. Viruses replicate more easily in selenium deficient people. For this reason selenium is sometimes called the “viral birth control pill”. Selenium enhances the function of your white blood cells.

Studies have shown that elderly people who are given a selenium supplement show improved lymphocyte action; lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell. In people with HIV/AIDS, selenium levels have been found to decline as the disease progresses. Selenium supplementation may improve survival in these people. Individuals who are deficient in selenium are more prone to developing allergic conditions such as asthma and autoimmune disease. One study done on 24 asthmatics and lasting 14 weeks showed that people who received selenium supplements experienced a significant improvement in asthma symptoms compared to people not taking selenium. Selenium supplementation also helps autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and Hashimoto’s disease.

Selenium has been found to reduce the risk of several types of cancer. Laboratory experiments, clinical trials and epidemiological data have all proven selenium’s role in cancer prevention. Selenium has been shown to stimulate apoptosis (cell death) in tumour cells, and a low selenium status predicts a poorer outcome in those with certain cancers. Geographic studies have shown that people who live in areas with selenium deficient soils and have a low selenium intake have higher cancer mortality rates. A key cancer study conducted over 7 years found that selenium treatment was associated with reductions in total cancer mortality and in the incidences of lung, colorectal and prostate cancers. Research has shown that men consuming the most dietary selenium develop 65% fewer cases of advanced prostate cancer than men with the lowest selenium intake. Laboratory studies also indicate the potentially beneficial role of selenium in the management of breast cancer.

Encouragingly, for cancer patients who are receiving chemotherapy, selenium supplementation can reduce the side-effects of these drugs. After 2-3 months of supplementation, the frequencies of hair-loss, nausea, abdominal pain, weakness and appetite loss are significantly lower than in those who do not receive selenium treatment.

Selenium is required for the production, activation and metabolism of thyroid hormone.

Selenium is required by the enzyme that converts T4 thyroid hormone into its active form, T3. If you are deficient in selenium you will not be able to manufacture sufficient T3 and you may experience the symptoms of an under active thyroid gland, such as fatigue, easy weight gain, depression and scalp hair loss.

A selenium deficiency can contribute to the development of autoimmune thyroid disease, such as Hashimoto’s disease, Graves’ disease and post partum thyroiditis. Selenium has an anti inflammatory effect and can inhibit the production of antibodies against the thyroid gland in autoimmune thyroid disease.

The selenium content of food is directly related to how much selenium was in the soil where the food was grown. Many areas of the world have selenium deficient soils, including most of Australia and New Zealand. Normally selenium is found in organ meats, seafood, Brazil nuts, whole grains, brewer’s yeast, garlic, kelp, molasses, onions and medicinal mushrooms (reishi and shitake). However, because selenium levels in the soil are unreliable, it is virtually impossible to obtain enough selenium through diet alone.

Selenium supplements come in organic and inorganic form. Organic supplements are in the form selenomethionine; inorganic selenium comes as selenite and sodium selenite. Selenomethionine is better absorbed by the body with reports of up to twice the bio-availability of selenium as selenite. Check out our website for more information on our "Selenomune Designer Energy Capsules" formulation.

Generally speaking selenium is very safe, as it is an essential nutrient for all animals; however just because it’s good for you, this does not mean the more you take the better off you will be. Like all nutrients we do not want or need to overdose and if you overdose on selenium, you can get side effects.

Brittle hair & nails, gastro-intestinal upset, skin rashes, fatigue and irritability.

The toxic dose is considered to be over 800mcg daily for several months – there is no reason to take these huge amounts and generally speaking overdose comes from industrial pollution.

The organic form of selenium (selenomethionine) is more easily used by the body and the inorganic form (selenite) is more likely to cause side effects if you overdose on it.

A beneficial and safe daily dose of selenium in adults is 100mcg daily and for children see the table below –

Recommended Dietary Intake for Selenium

Tolerable Upper Intake Level for Selenium

Some people will need to take more than 100mcg daily to get the best results, and many of the studies done on selenium used a daily dose of 200mcg to achieve good outcomes. If you are going to take more than 100mcg daily, do this under the supervision of your health care practitioner.

If you are an adult, you may need to take 200mcg daily for several months to build up your body’s stores to optimal levels and then reduce to a maintenance dose of 50 to 100mcg daily

The Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) sets the tolerable upper level for selenium at 400mcg daily in adults – this upper limit includes selenium obtained from food, which averages around 100mcg/day for adults in the USA, as well as from supplements.  At this stage there is insufficient data to estimate average selenium intake in Australians, however studies done in New Zealand show intakes as low as 28mcg/day. New Zealand and Australian soils are similarly selenium deficient. [generate shop,product]99913,2009[/generate]