All About Selenium

Answer 1

Selenium is an essential trace mineral that is gaining more awareness for health benefits due to its antioxidant activity. Thankfully, it is one mineral that most Americans get enough of in their daily diets.

Plant foodsare the major dietary sources of selenium in most countries, including the Unites States. Those particularly rich in the mineral include Brazil nuts – which have 780% of the RDI – wheat products such as pastas and breads, corn, soybeans, mushrooms, and rice. Some animal products, especially those that eat grains like cows (beef) and chickens, can be very rich in selenium. Fish (cod, snapper and halibut), shellfish, and eggs are also good food sources.

The Institute of Medicine has set the recommended dietary intake (RDI) at 55 micrograms per day for both male and female adults over the age of 14. Women who are pregnant or lactating need slightly more – 60 mcg and 70 mcg, respectively.

Deficiency of selenium is pretty rare, but those at risk include patients with severe gastrointestinal problems such s Crohn’s disease or people who have had part of their stomach surgically removed, as in the case of patients who have had gastric bypass. People with iodine deficiency, another rare condition in the US, may also benefit from selenium supplementation.

In the body, selenium is incorporated into proteins necessary for the creation of antioxidant enzymes. These “selenoproteins” help prevent cellular damage from free radicals, natural by-products of oxygen metabolism that may contribute to the development of some chronic diseases such as cancer and Heart disease. Selenoproteins are also essential components for a healthy immune system.

Selenium may affect cancer risk not only through its antioxidant activity, but some research finds that it may also prevent or slow tumor growth. Observational studies have found that the incidence of lung, colorectal, and prostate cancers are lower among people with higher intake of selenium.

The mineral benefits heart disease risk by helping to slightly lower cholesterol levels. Johns Hopkins researchers found that patients taking 100 and 200 microgram supplements had a average drop in total cholesterol of 8.5 mg/dL and 9.7 mg/dL respectively compared with taking a placebo. Those taking higher doses (300) did not realize the same benefits, and supplements this much above the RDI are not recommended by medical experts at this time.

Excess selenium may also negatively affect blood sugar. A recent study in which women took 200 mcg per day found that they experienced a slight, but statistically insignificant, increased risk of type 2 Diabetes.

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