Selenium

Basic Information about Selenium

The body does not need too much selenium to be healthy; however, it does require at least a small amount in order to achieve health. When selenium enters the body it will be incorporated into proteins and create selenoproteins. These selenoproteins are antioxidant enzymes.

Antioxidants have been found to be very important to the overall health of the human body. Through the course of the body’s natural processes it will create free radical. Free radicals are created naturally in the body through the process of oxygen metabolism. Researchers have found that these free radical molecules can contribute to chronic diseases—such as heart disease and cancer (both disease which affect millions of Americans every year, and kill thousands).

There are things which a person can do to raise and lower the number of free radical molecules they have in their body. A person can raise the number of free radicals in their body in many ways, but most studies show that as a person ages the number of free radicals they have in their body will also rise. Even if a person is in great physical shape the number of free radicals in their body can actually be higher than someone who doesn’t exercise (research has linked a connection between weight lifting, muscle creation, and an increase in free radicals in the body).

Just as there are ways for a person to increase the number of free radicals, there are also ways for a person to decrease the number of free radicals they have in their body. Antioxidants serve to eliminate free radicals in the body. Antioxidants will either eliminate the actual free radical, or it strengthens cells and prevents the damage which free radicals cause. This should lower a person’s chances of developing some long term chronic diseases.

Selenium also plays a role in the regulation of the thyroid function, and a role in the health of the immune system.

Food Sources of Selenium

The majority of selenium comes from plant sources. What is interesting is that the levels of selenium will vary depending on where the plants are actually grown. Research shows that plants will be high in selenium, if the soil is also rich in selenium. Areas where the soil is ultra rich with selenium have a much higher levels of selenium in the body. There are areas in the world with extremely low amounts of selenium in the soil, and those areas all have much higher amounts of selenium deficiency.

There are sources of selenium in meats and seafood. Animals which eat plants high in selenium will have high amounts of selenium. The highest source of selenium is Brazil nuts; however, Brazil nuts are so high that it is recommended that people limit the amounts of nuts they consume.

Here is a list of foods which are high in Selenium: Brazil nuts, tuna, beef, spaghetti, cod, turkey, beef chuck, chicken breast, noodles, macaroni, egg, cottage cheese, oatmeal, white rice, brown rice, whole wheat bread, walnuts, white bread, and cheddar cheese.

Health Benefits of Selenium

There is research which indicates that increased levels of selenium can help lower the symptoms of chronic arthritis. Surveys have shown that those with rheumatoid arthritis have lower levels of selenium in their blood. It is thought that an increase in selenium would increase the antioxidants in the blood, and therefore reduce the number of free radicals which are damaging the tissue of the body. Researchers indicate that the connection at this time between selenium and arthritis is preliminary and will need for research to establish if there is a stronger connection or not between the two.

Selenium is an antioxidant, and will help to eliminate the number of free radicals in the body. For this reason selenium has been found to help those people suffering from chronic heart disease. Free radicals have been shown to increase the low density lipoproteins (LDL or bad cholesterol) in the body. Antioxidants have been shown to help the body to deal with the destroying free radicals in the body. Researchers are hopeful that selenium will prove to help prevent coronary heart disease; however, there is no strong evidence at this point which indicates that selenium can be used as a treatment against, or in the prevention of, coronary heart disease.

Selenium has also been indicated as a possible cancer prevention mineral. In some studies it has been found that those individual with higher amounts of selenium in their bodies have a lower death rate of lung, colorectal, and prostate cancers. It is thought that selenium may help in the prevention and treatment of cancer in two ways: first acting as a strong antioxidant and helping to prevent damage from free radical molecules, and second it has been found that selenium may slow the growth of cancerous tumors. Like many of the finding involving vitamins and minerals researchers are asking for more time to establish a stronger link between selenium and cancer treatment and prevention.

How to Get Enough Selenium

It is important for the health of the body to get enough selenium. There is also health concerns involved with a person getting too much selenium in their diet. For this reason it is important for a person to find a healthy source of selenium to supplement their diet.

Even through proper dieting it may be difficult for a person to get enough selenium in their diet. This may simply be a circumstance of the region in which they live. A good daily multivitamin may provide a person with the selenium their body needs. A good daily multivitamin will provide a person with just the right amount of selenium for their body type. When looking for a good multivitamin a person should try to find one which is gender specific.

Most vitamins and minerals are needed in different quantity depending on a person’s gender. A gender specific vitamin is designed to provide a person with the exact amounts their body needs in order to have a higher probability of health.