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MINERALS OVERVIEW
The trace mineral selenium makes its way into our bodies because it is contained in certain foods. Over time, it becomes part of nearly every cell, with particularly high concentrations in the kidneys, liver, pancreas, spleen, and testes.
Selenium's principal function is to inhibit the oxidation of lipids (fats) as a component of the enzyme glutathione peroxidase. It is a vital antioxidant, especially when combined with vitamin E. It protects the immune system by preventing the formation of free radicals, which can damage the body.
MoonDragon's Health Information: Nutrition Basics - Antioxidants Index
It plays a vital role in regulating the effects of thyroid hormone on fat metabolism.
It has also been found to function as a preventive against the formation of certain types of tumors. One study found that men who took 200 mcg of selenium daily over a 10 year period had roughly half the risk of developing lung, prostate, and colorectal cancer as compared with men who did not.
Selenium and vitamin E act synergistically to aid in the production of antibodies and to help maintain a healthy heart and liver. This trace element is needed for pancreatic function and tissue elasticity. When combined with vitamin E and zinc, it may also provide relief from an enlarged prostate. Selenium supplementation has been found to protect the liver in people with alcoholic cirrhosis. Studies conducted at the University of Miami indicate that taking supplemental selenium may enhance the survival of people with AIDS by increasing both red and white blood cell counts. It has shown promise in the treatment of arthritis, cardiovascular disease, male infertility, cataracts, AIDS, and high blood pressure. Selenium is incorporated into over 25 proteins, called selenoproteins, that play pivotal roles in a number of bodily activities, from activating thyroid hormones to regenerating vitamin C.
Selenium deficiency has been linked to cancer and heart disease. It has also been associated with exhaustion, growth impairment, high cholesterol levels, infections, liver impairment, pancreatic insufficiency, and sterility. There is some thought that selenium deficiency might be linked to a host of viral outbreaks, from new strains of influenza to Ebola, wrought by the rapidly mutating virus's interaction with selenium-deficient hosts in places like Africa and China where there is little or no selenium in the soil.
Symptoms of excessively high selenium levels can include arthritis, brittle nails, garlicky breath odor, gastrointestinal disorders, hair loss, irritability, liver and kidney impairment, a metallic taste in the mouth, pallor, skin eruptions, and yellowish skin.
Only over the past two decades have scientists begun to understand just what a vital role selenium plays in numerous biological functions. Perhaps its most crucial job is to prevent disease.
SOURCES
Selenium can be found in meat and grains, depending on the selenium content of the soil where the food is raised. Because New Zealand soils are low in selenium, cattle and sheep raised there have suffered a breakdown of muscle tissue, including the heart muscle. However, human intake of selenium there is adequate because of imported Australian wheat. The soil of much American farm land is low in selenium, resulting in selenium-deficient produce.
Selenium can be found in Brazil nuts (the only truly concentrated natural source). The most concentrated food source for selenium is the Brazil nut; a single one contains 120 mcg, (which is about twice the RDA). Seafood in general, as well as poultry, such as chicken, and meat, are also good sources. So are grains, especially oats and brown rice. Other sources of selenium can be found in brewer's yeast, broccoli, dairy products, dulse, garlic, kelp, liver, molasses, onions, salmon, torula yeast, tuna, vegetables, and wheat germ.
Herbs that contain selenium include alfalfa, burdock root, catnip, cayenne, chamomile, chickweed, fennel seed, fenugreek, garlic, ginseng, hawthorn berry, hops, horsetail, lemon grass, milk thistle, nettle, oat straw, parsley, peppermint, red raspberry leaf, rose hips, sarsaparilla, uva ursi, yarrow, and yellow dock.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Selenium has many tasks to perform in the body. It helps to boost the immune system and fight off infection, providing a general increase in the body's defense against dangerous bacteria, viruses, and cancer cells. On a basic cellular level, every cell in the body needs a particular hormone from the thyroid gland that selenium helps to convert to an active form.
Perhaps the most famed use of selenium in supplement form is as an antioxidant; it helps to mop up dangerous molecules known as free radicals that can damage and alter healthy cells. It has also been recommended for staving off the effects of aging. In many cases there's relatively weak evidence for these uses. But not all.
SPECIFIC CONDITIONS SELENIUM MAY HELP
Prevent cancer. Test-tube studies indicate that in addition to fostering healthy cell growth and division, selenium discourages the formation of tumors.
When researchers at Cornell University and the University of Arizona pooled results from 5-year studies designed to assess the effects of selenium supplements (200 mcg daily), they came up with some startling findings: Compared with the rest of the population, participants had 63% fewer prostate cancers, 58% fewer colorectal tumors, and 46% fewer lung cancers. Overall, their death rate from cancer was 39% lower than the average.
Earlier studies had found that in people already diagnosed with cancer, those whose selenium levels were lowest developed more subsequent tumors than those whose selenium levels were highest. Individuals with low selenium levels also had a greater likelihood of cancer recurrence, were at higher risk of having the cancer spread to new organs, and generally survived shorter periods of time.
Protect against heart attack and stroke. Selenium may decrease the "stickiness" of the blood, lessening its tendency to clot and thus reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke. In addition, the mineral may encourage healthy heart function by increasing the proportion of HDL ("good") cholesterol to LDL ("bad") cholesterol. People who have already had a heart attack or a stroke, or who smoke, appear to benefit the most from selenium.
Guard against cataracts and macular degeneration. Selenium may help prevent the two most common causes of impaired vision and blindness in older Americans - cataracts and macular degeneration - by providing antioxidant actions that fight free radicals. It's these free radicals, after all, that often damage the eye's lens (the site of cataracts) and the macula at the center of the eye's retina (the site of macular degeneration).
Promote healing of cold sores and shingles. When the herpes virus erupts from a dormant state in the body, painful cold sores and shingles may appear. Selenium, an immune-system booster, may help suppress this kind of eruption. Interestingly, findings published in Agriculture Research indicate that mice with low levels of selenium or vitamin E were particularly prone to herpes virus outbreaks.
Fight inflammation associated with lupus. Selenium's antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions may be enhanced when combined with vitamin E. For people with lupus, an inflammatory autoimmune disease, this nutrient duo may foster healing of the skin and help protect the heart, blood vessels, skin, joints, and other parts of the body prone to inflammation. Along the same lines, the selenium/vitamin E combination may benefit people with other types of inflammatory disorders too, such as psoriasis, eczema, and rheumatoid arthritis.
DOSAGE INFORMATION
The RDA for selenium is 55 mcg for women and 70 mcg for men. Most adults readily obtain this amount through their regular diet, and it's rare that people living in an industrialized country become deficient in this important trace mineral. Taking up to 200 mcg of selenium per day is considered safe for most people. This is half the maximum allowable dose.
Selenium may be most effective when taken in combination with at least 400 IU vitamin E daily.
For general antioxidant benefits, consider a high-potency antioxidant blend containing selenium along with vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, grape seed and green tea extracts, alpha-lipoic acid, coenzyme Q-10, and N-acetylcysteine (NAC).
If You Get Too Little: Symptoms of selenium deficiency include muscle weakness and fatigue. Poor selenium intake over time may even increase the risk for cancer, immune-system problems, heart disease, and various inflammatory conditions (especially skin-related ones).
If You Get Too Much: While many foods are rich in selenium - it's found in grain, meats, seafood, and poultry - you're unlikely to ingest too much of this trace mineral from your diet.
Taking selenium in concentrated supplement form is a little different, however. Toxic reactions are a risk if you get an overdose. In one case, people who mistakenly took nearly 500 times the RDA for selenium - from bottles of 30 mg selenium pills that were erroneously labeled as 200 mcg pills - suffered hair loss, nausea, vomiting, and fingernail changes. Other signs of potential toxicity include depression, anxiety, and a garlicky odor emanating from the breath and perspiration.
For preventing the effects of aging and protecting against cancer: Take 400 mcg a day.
For guarding against cataracts and macular degeneration: Take 200 to 400 mcg a day.
For cold sores and shingles: During flare-ups, take 600 mcg a day. Don't take more than this amount, and do not continue for more than a few days.
Ailments Dosage Ache Aging Cancer Cancer Prevention Cataracts Cold Sores Hair Problems Lupus Macular Degeneration
GENERAL INTERACTION
There are no known drug or nutrient interactions associated with selenium.
CAUTIONS
Symptoms of selenosis (excessively high selenium level) can include arthritis, brittle nails, garlicky breath odor, gastrointestinal disorders, hair loss, irritability, liver and kidney impairment, a metallic taste in the mouth, pallor, skin eruptions, tooth loss, and yellowish skin.
Unless your health care provider prescribes it, do not take more than 400 mcg daily. One ounce of Brazil nuts can contain as much as 544 mcg of selenium. If you take supplemental selenium, do not consume Brazil nuts. If you are pregnant, you should NOT take more than 40 mcg of supplemental selenium daily, nor should you consume Brazil nuts.
Because of the risk of toxic levels building up in your system, avoid taking high doses, 900 mcg or more at one time, or 600 mcg daily for an extended period of time. Be sure to also take into account the amount of selenium you're getting from foods.
SELENIUM SUPPLEMENTS & PRODUCTS
Selenium Ionic Mineral Supplement, Fully Absorbable, 50 +/- ppm, 16 fl. oz.
WaterOz Ionic Selenium is pure liquid Selenium supplement. Selenium promotes normal body growth, enhances fertility, encourages tissue elasticity and is a potent antioxidant that naturally reduces the retention of toxic metals in the body. Selenium is crucial for the proper functioning of the heart muscle and there is evidence that it can help the body fight cancer.
Selenium, 100% natural, 200 mcg, 100 Caps
Selenium is an essential component of glutathione, the body's most potent natural antioxidant system. It is a popular choice in many antioxidant regimens.
Selenium Supplement, Yeast Free, NOW Foods, 200 mcg, 180 Caps
Selenium is an essential trace mineral in the human body. NOW Foods Selenium Supplement is an important part of antioxidant enzymes that protect cells against the effects of free radicals that are produced during normal oxygen metabolism.
Pygeum Extract, Standardized, Nature's Way, 100 mg, 60 Softgels
Nature's Way Pygeum extract is a specialized formula designed to promote prostate health. This unique combination contains a leading European Pygeum extract (Pygeum africanum) combined with synergistic nutrients in a base of Pumpkin seed oil. It also contains 100 mcg selenium.
Energy Drink, Ola Loa Vitamin Energy Supplement Powder Drink Mix, Orange Repair, 30 Packets
Ola Loa is the most extensive vitamin and mineral supplement available in a great tasting effervescent energy drink.
I AIDE Yew Formula, 410 mg, 60 Caps
I-Aide is ideal as a daily food supplement for excellent immune support as well as for promoting the rebuilding, enhancing and stimulating of immune function during periods of compromised immune strength.
Multi-Vitamin Without Iron, Nature's Way, 100 Caps
The vitamins and minerals in this Multi Vitamin without Iron play many important roles in the body: antioxidants to protect fats, cells and DNA, coenzyme precursors for energy production and metabolism, and cofactors for hormones and enzymes which regulate body processes.
Antioxidant Formula Supplement, All Natural, Nature's Way, 100 Tabs
Nature's Way Antioxidant Formula Antioxidant Supplement is 100% natural.
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