Selenium Supplements

Selenium is a trace mineral and component found in various proteins that make up the cells in your body. Selenium is mainly stored in the muscles, but the thyroid has the highest concentration of selenium cells.

What is Selenium for?

Selenium boosts your body’s ability to fight free radicals. Sources of selenium can be found in certain foods or through selenium supplements. Selenium has been shown to repair DNA, which can potentially reduce the chance of getting certain cancers.

Selenium Benefits for the Body

Liver toxin removal is enhanced when selenium is involved. Selenium has been linked to better skin and can benefit eczema patients and improve hair condition. Taking selenium daily may result in the following health benefits:

Mental Faculties may Improve

Selenium has been linked in numerous Alzheimer’s studies, where selenium deficiency is shown to cause increased memory loss in Alzheimer’s patients. Further studies show that selenium acts as an antioxidant and can improve memory in Alzheimer’s patients.

Asthma Symptoms may Abate

Studies have shown that a diet rich in selenium has improved the air intake of chronic asthma patients. Asthma inflames the airways in the lungs, and selenium has anti-inflammatory properties. Some studies have indicated that having asthma patients take selenium supplements has improved their lungs’ health. Starting selenium supplements at a young age could inhibit asthma symptoms from developing into adulthood.

Immune Boosting Benefits

Selenium is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiviral. Several studies have shown that taking selenium supplements aids in the prevention and treatment of severe viral infections, like influenza, polio and HIV. HIV patients who took regular selenium supplements showed that the HIV progression did not advance as fast as those with lower selenium levels. While fighting free radicals in the body, selenium can extend life expectancy, too.

Healthy Thyroid Functions

The thyroid gland has the highest concentration of selenium in the human body, which indicates that selenium deficiency would have the highest impact on the thyroid and its functions. Healthy levels of selenium in the thyroid can prevent hyperthyroidism, thyroid cancer and postpartum thyroid problems.

Increased Heart Functions

Cardiovascular disease has been linked to selenium deficiency. Selenium supplements have been shown to reduce rates of coronary events, like heart attacks. A study in 2009 showed that those patients with lower selenium levels were most likely to die from heart disease.

Sources of Selenium

Selenium is found in foods or supplements. The best source of selenium is a balanced diet rich in seafood, iron-rich meats, like liver and kidneys, grains, eggs and yeast. It’s usually more convenient to buy supplements than scouring the nutritional lists of products and doing the maths to ensure you get your required daily dose. Mr Vitamins stocks a range of selenium supplements that can be conveniently delivered to your door. Selenium can be taken in tablet or capsule form or as a liquid.

Recommended Daily Dose of Selenium

The recommended daily dose for adults 19 and older, as set out by the World Health Organisation, is 55 micrograms of selenium daily. Pregnant or lactating women need 70 micrograms of selenium daily. Selenium overdoses are very rare. If you are taking a selenium supplement, you should not be at risk as long as you adhere to the prescribed dose. Consuming high doses could result in selenium toxicity. Selenium toxicity can result in hair loss, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, facial flushing, tremors and muscle soreness. If you suspect that the selenium supplement you are taking is causing these symptoms, it is recommended that you seek medical attention immediately. People living in a first-world country with a generally well-rounded diet get their selenium from the fresh produce they eat, as well as the grains and cereals that have selenium added in the manufacturing process. They are at low risk for selenium deficiency and can take a selenium tablet to boost their levels. Those living in third-world countries, with a primarily plant-based diet, are at higher risk of developing a selenium deficiency. HIV+ patients and kidney disease patients undergoing dialysis are also at an increased risk of developing a selenium deficiency. Symptoms include muscle weakness, hair loss, infertility, chronic fatigue and impaired immunity.

In Summary

Selenium is essential for your body to function to its best potential. Taking a selenium supplement while young and healthy gives your body time to build up immunity to the elements you are exposed to. Immunity-boosting selenium supplements are a must if you are maintaining a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle or if you have food allergies that prevent you from eating selenium-rich foods, such as a nut allergy, gluten sensitivity or a shellfish allergy.