Why is selenium useful?

A huge number of useful drugs enriched with trace elements, including selenium, appear on the market. Nutritionists all over the world agree that it has the strongest immunostimulating properties, helps to get rid of free radicals, is a natural carcinostatic agent that has a beneficial effect on the body as a whole. But you need to take it with caution. What are the benefits and harms of selenium?

What is selenium and what is it for

The benefits of selenium lie in the powerful support of enzymes - glutathione peroxidases. They play a key role in detoxifying vital organs. Thanks to this beneficial property of the element, the body is cleansed, general well-being improves, the skin becomes elastic and smooth, and protective mechanisms are activated that provide protection against oxidative stress. This is the name of the property of cells to oxidize, in which they are damaged or completely die. Selenium benefits five of the eight known glutathione peroxidases. However, misuse of micronutrient drugs can harm a person.

The thyroid gland is responsible for the production of hormones and their properties in the body. Beneficial selenium-containing enzymes can help convert T4 hormones to active T3 hormones when taken with food.

The benefits of the properties of selenium for the thyroid gland are reflected in the body immediately: immunity to various diseases increases, hormonal levels are leveled.

The beneficial properties of selenium

Selenium is no less important element than vitamins A, C and E. Their properties bring invaluable benefits to the human body, improving well-being. However, useful selenium-containing compounds have an undeniable advantage over common vitamins, since scientists have been able to prove that they release free radicals much more actively, harm bacteria, cleaning cells.

The properties of selenium are more pronounced than that of vitamins, flavonoids, coenzymes. All of them, even when used together, cannot replace selenium-containing products. It is part of the most important beneficial enzyme that neutralizes the most dangerous and harmful cells that enter the human body.

Beneficial features:

• regulation of the thyroid gland;
• normalization of the work of more than two hundred enzymes and hormones;
• slowing down the aging process of the skin;
• activation of the defense system, antioxidant properties;
• improving general well-being;
• increased synthesis of useful coenzyme Q-10;
• beneficial effect on the work of the heart, joints and bones;
• increasing efficiency in the treatment of ENT diseases, cardiopathies;
• protection against mercury, arsenic, cadmium and other heavy metals that cause significant harm to the body;
• strengthening the reproductive system of both men and women.

Thus, the properties of useful selenium affect all cells, systems, organs of a person, therefore it is important to pay sufficient attention to its content in dietary supplements and products. The constant intake of selenium-containing drugs leads to an improvement in well-being, strengthening of all systems and longevity.

The benefits of selenium for a woman's body

The female body is most sensitive to a lack of trace elements, so it is important to monitor your well-being and be attentive to yourself.

• Selenium directly affects hormones, which has a beneficial effect on women's health.
• Continuous use of selenium in adulthood helps to delay the onset of menopause.
• Acting at the cellular level, it allows a woman to remain attractive for a long time. The beneficial properties of selenium for hair, nails and skin are irreplaceable.
• Women who take selenium-containing products are less likely to suffer from gynecological diseases, tolerate pregnancy more easily and recover from childbirth. Modern medicine recommends taking a useful trace element when planning pregnancy for both parents.

Is selenium possible for pregnant and lactating women

Pregnant and lactating women are considered the most vulnerable to various colds due to micronutrient deficiencies. To avoid feeling unwell, weakening of internal organs, the consequences of carrying and feeding a baby, to reduce harm to the body, it is necessary to constantly maintain immunity. This can be easily done using the beneficial properties of selenium-containing preparations.

After the birth of a child, dull hair, falling teeth, diseases of the joints and spine become common. To avoid this, it is worth assessing the benefits of selenium properties in advance. Its intake with food will help get rid of the worst enemies of the young mother, who cause irreparable harm to the body:

• lack of sleep;
• constant fatigue;
• decreased immunity.

Signs of a lack of selenium are expressed by depression, persistent headaches, depression, and decreased immunity. Noticing these symptoms, it is necessary to adjust the diet and add healthy selenium-containing foods to the diet.

Why selenium is good for men

In addition to the general list of beneficial properties of selenium, it is worth noting its effect on men, especially on testosterone levels. At normal levels, the hormone increases a man's ability to conceive a child. To benefit from selenium, it is prescribed along with zinc.

Selenium deficiency results in

• to a decrease in the amount of semen;
• to slow down and reduce the activity of spermatozoa, their deformation.

It is especially useful for men whose work is associated with hard work that harms the body.

What foods contain selenium

Selenium deficiency can be avoided by eating healthy, nutritious foods and consuming plant-based foods. Fast food and quick snacks, which harm all vital organs, have become common for most urban residents, hence the need to saturate the body with useful microelements. If you adjust your diet by adding selenium-containing plant products to it, you can satisfy all the basic needs of organs and systems.

• The richest in the amount of selenium and the preservation of its properties is seaweed. Its specific taste is justified by its benefits. By adding seaweed to the main dish twice a week, you can completely cover the body's need for useful selenium.
• Nuts compete with sea greens, among which nutritionists highlight cashews, almonds, hazelnuts and Brazil nuts, which fully preserve the beneficial properties of selenium.

• Cereals and cereals are the basis of proper nutrition. Selenium is necessary for children, so porridge is one of the first complementary foods. In addition to supplying the body with useful microelements, they have a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract, which leads to an increase in the cleansing properties of selenium.
  Important! Nutritionists have proven the beneficial properties of corn, wheat, oatmeal and millet.
• Vegetarians and vegans alike include a wide variety of legumes in their diets, which have many beneficial properties. These foods are an ideal substitute for protein-rich animal foods and contain enough beneficial selenium to keep you active and healthy. It is found in high concentration in beans, lentils, peas.

Plant foods are an ideal source of micronutrients. Therefore, it is necessary to consume healthy fruits and vegetables every day. Of particular benefit are non-thermally processed foods that retain the maximum of their healing properties. Salads, smoothies, and simply sliced ​​fresh herbs will become irreplaceable allies in the fight for health and excellent well-being.

Selenium preparations

Modern pharmacology allows you to take care of the health of those who cannot eat a balanced diet. This problem is often associated not only with the quality and lack of food, but also with increased stress, harmful working conditions. The properties of domestic dietary supplements come to the rescue, the benefits of which are undeniable:

• Brewer's yeast;
• milk thistle oil with selenium;
• marine calcium with selenium.

Particular attention should be paid to the properties of dietary supplements Selen-Aktiv. This useful drug, developed by our compatriots, is aimed at replenishing selenium deficiency. Recommended as a prevention of hormonal disruptions during pregnancy. Allowed for children from 12 years old.

In the event that an integrated approach to saturation of the body with all useful substances is needed, it is better to choose multivitamin complexes:

• Alphabet. The drug is recommended for a vulnerable part of the population: pregnant women, children, adolescents and the elderly. The beneficial properties of the probiotics and dietary fiber that make up the composition help to resist colds, fill the deficit of sunlight. Recommended to be taken three times a day.
• Complivit. The most common remedy for the prevention of deficiency of vitamins A, E and C. Their properties are necessary to improve the absorption of selenium. A useful vitamin and mineral complex is recommended for frequent colds, patients with cardiovascular problems, as a prevention of diabetes, improvement of vision, support of pregnancy. Taking Complivit provides 70 mcg of sodium selenite, which is the daily norm for an adult, and certainly benefits everyone who uses it.

Daily intake of selenium

There is a generally accepted RDA for selenium based on age and weight:

The daily rate increases with pregnancy and breastfeeding.

The benefits will be obtained only with the correct use of the element, exceeding the norm often harms the body.

Symptoms of a lack of selenium in the body

Selenium is one of the many micronutrients that support the body, so it can be difficult to determine its deficiency. Harm to the environment, pollution of soil and water becomes the cause of selenium deficiency even in rural areas, where, it would seem, there is an abundance of useful products with a high content of vitamins.

Deficiency symptoms:

• sudden deterioration in performance;
• poorly healing wounds;
• frequent colds;
• poor tolerance of harmful gases;
• deterioration in coordination and / or vision;
• weakening of sexual functions.

Noticing such changes, you need to try to adjust your diet, add more healthy selenium-containing plant products for the season. If after a while the condition does not stabilize, then it is better to consult a specialist.

How to identify a selenium deficiency

To identify a lack of useful selenium, you need to monitor your health, know the strengths and weaknesses of the body, as well as the signs listed above. To confirm or disprove guesses, you need to contact a therapist who will give you a referral for tests. The main route of excretion of selenium is with urine, the result will be ready in a few days.

Why selenium overdose is dangerous

An excess of selenium is not beneficial, but, on the contrary, is harmful to the body. When the norm is exceeded, a useful trace element tends to turn into a strong poison. This is possible when taking vitamin complexes without measure, longer than the recommended course and without consulting a doctor. Even a small daily overdose can be harmful to health:

• hair begins to fall out;
• peeling skin;
• teeth crumbling;
• exfoliate nails.

The problem of diagnosing an excess of selenium is the ambiguity of symptoms. The fact is that such signs occur with various disorders of the immune system, internal diseases, deficiency of certain vitamins, and simply as a consequence of harm to urban ecology.

With prolonged intoxication, irreversible consequences occur: a violation of the mental state, difficulty in the functioning of the thyroid gland and hormonal disorders.

The video will tell you more about the consequences of a lack and an overabundance of selenium, its benefits and harms:

Interaction with other drugs and supplements

Vitamin E is an ideal ally for the assimilation of useful selenium-containing preparations. Thanks to it, the properties of the trace element are enhanced.

But sugar and sugary foods interfere with the absorption of selenium, harm its proper absorption.

Neutralizes the intake of the substance and reduces the properties of selenium, the constant use of paracetamol and phenacetin.

Conclusion

The benefits and harms of selenium have been proven in the writings of nutritionists. A useful trace element is present mainly in plant foods, so selenium-containing foods should form the basis of the diet. Thanks to the properties of selenium, it is possible to maintain the functioning of the thyroid gland, the respiratory system, the integrity of muscle and bone tissues. Patients who take the substance on a regular basis report a decrease in asthma symptoms, a surge of energy and an improvement in overall well-being. But it is necessary to saturate the body with a useful trace element with caution so that the treatment does not turn into harm.