Hey viewers!
You probably have not heard a lot about Selenium and we don’t blame you.
It has been a fairly overlooked mineral in terms of its importance for your body.
And it is only in the past 20 years that our understanding of the significance of Selenium
in the nutrition of humans has grown.
It is a trace mineral that plays a fundamental part in your health.
Mostly, it is found in your kidneys, liver, pancreas, spleen and the lymph nodes so a
large range of bodily functions can be affected by the levels of selenium you ingest.
Understandably, a deficiency of this mineral can be bad for you.
So it is very important for you to recognize the signs of Selenium Deficiency and in today’s
video, we will tell you what these signs are.
From Muscle weakness, fatigue, hair loss, infertility to a weakened immune system, we
are talking about all that and more, so keep watching till the end if you want to find
out all of them.
Before we start, let us tell you what exactly is Selenium?
Selenium is a trace mineral and you need it in much smaller quantities than many other
minerals.
It is involved in many processes throughout your body, but you cannot make this trace
element yourselves.
This means you need to get enough selenium through your diets or supplements every day.
Many of its health benefits are brought about by proteins containing selenium, called selenoprotein.
So, how much Selenium do you really need?
Adults don’t need a lot of selenium, but you do need some in order to keep major systems
in your body functioning the way they should.
The recommended daily allowance for adults over the age of 14 is 55 micrograms daily,
though this number jumps to 60 micrograms for pregnant women and 70 mcg for breastfeeding
women.
How Can You Diagnose Selenium Deficiency?
Diagnosing selenium deficiency can be challenging.
That’s not only because some of the symptoms are nonspecific but also due to the fact that
there isn’t a test for serum selenium that’s universally available.
What your healthcare professional may do is test your levels of glutathione peroxidase,
which requires selenium to function.
Ok, now that you know what Selenium actually is, let’s talk about the signs of its deficiency.
Foggy Mental State: Mental fog can happen if your selenium intake dips low enough to
cause deficiency.
This symptom is also nonspecific but may help your healthcare provider diagnose you when
considered in combination with other symptoms.
One study did find that low selenium levels were associated with poorer function on cognitive
tests by older adults, though the researchers say that more research is needed.
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Muscle Weakness: When you think of muscles, you may think of your skeletal muscles specifically
and forget about your cardiac muscles.
Skeletal muscle disorders that cause weakness, pain, and fatigue have been reported in patients
with low selenium levels.
But selenium deficiency is also known to affect your heart muscles, as it does in the case
of Keshan disease.
But muscle weakness can also happen with patients receiving parenteral nutrition when they’re
fed nutrition through an IV, bypassing the digestive system entirely.
This is because liquid nutrition tends to be low in this micronutrient.
Unwanted Weight Gain: When you experience unwanted weight gain, you’ll want to get
to the root cause.
Your thyroid’s thirst for selenium may play a role, and fixing that inadequacy can help
your thyroid get back online.
Although you may first want to look at your diet when you are gaining weight, and then
consider testing selenium levels down the line.
You May Be At A Higher Risk For Certain Cancers: You’re probably up for doing whatever you
can to prevent cancer, and maintaining optimum levels of selenium may reshuffle the deck
in your favor.
Researchers analyzed observational studies to look at the link between selenium and cancer.
They found a 31 percent lower risk of cancer associated with higher selenium exposure,
particularly with stomach, bladder, and prostate cancer.
But other trials failed to show a benefit from selenium.
Without concrete evidence, the authors conclude that supplements probably aren’t the answer.
Instead, focus on the foods you can eat that will provide a range of health benefits, including
selenium-rich foods like asparagus, broccoli, and mushrooms.
Hair Loss or Changes To Hair Quality and Texture: Are you experiencing slight changes to your
hair?
Perhaps your hair isn't growing as much as it once was, you are losing more when you
wash your hair or comb your hair or your hair isn't quite as luxurious as it once was meaning
it is losing its shine or luster.
All of these symptoms may be related to your micronutrient status including selenium levels.
Although all hair loss may not be caused by Selenium deficiency and if traditional hair
regrowth therapies have not worked for you then it may be time to look into selenium
deficiency.
Replacing low Selenium levels has been shown to improve hair growth and nail growth.
It's unclear if these changes are related to Selenium's effects on thyroid function
or other direct effects on hair follicles and nail beds, however, there is an association
with selenium deficiency and changes in both hair and nails.
Another very important point worth mentioning is that selenium deficiency rarely tends to
appear by itself and is often accompanied by other nutrient deficiencies.
This is important because other micronutrients such as iron, zinc, biotin, and selenium are
all required for proper hair growth.
Thyroid Dysfunction: Probably one of the most profound effects of selenium deficiency is
the effect that it has on your thyroid.
Selenium deficiency has been shown to directly impair thyroid hormone production from the
thyroid gland.
It may be entirely possible that the symptoms of selenium deficiency may actually be mediated
through their effects on your thyroid.
If you experience any of the symptoms of selenium deficiency it would also be prudent to evaluate
thyroid function in your body with a complete thyroid lab panel.
Weakened Immune System: Does it feel like you get every cold, virus or bug that you
come into contact with?
A weakened immune system from Selenium Deficiency may be the culprit.
Selenium, through its effects as an antioxidant, is required for optimal immune function in
your body.
Beyond its direct effects on inflammation, selenium is also a critical part of a family
of enzymes that help your body produce antioxidants.
Supplementing your body with Selenium has been shown to improve immune function in certain
individuals.
It may be through its incorporation into these enzymes that selenium supplementation helps
promote immune function.
In addition, it has been shown that supplementing with selenium daily for 3 months may help
patients who have the autoimmune disease Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
Slow Wound Healing: Got a cut or bruise that just doesn't heal as quickly as it should?
Maybe you're not getting enough selenium.
Part of the benefit of selenium being an antioxidant is that it helps cell tissue repair.
When wounds don’t heal, or heal very slowly, it's worth examining your selenium status
as research suggests that selenium may help wounds heal faster.
Chronic Cold Or Flu: Selenium supports your immune system and contributes to your body's
natural defenses against cold, flu, and other immune compromised conditions.
Hypothyroidism, a condition that can be influenced by selenium deficiency, negatively interferes
with the immune system’s response to invading germs.
The immune system also requires cells to communicate with each other when dealing with germs and
bacteria.
Selenium, as an antioxidant, supports this communication.
Reproductive Problems: Deficiencies in Selenium can not only cause issues with infertility
but also problems during gestation if a woman is able to get pregnant.
There’s a correlation between selenium levels and fertility, but low levels in the early
stages of pregnancy are also associated with miscarriage, low birth weight, and damage
to the immune and nervous systems of the fetus.
Fatigue: Another common selenium deficiency symptom is fatigue.
This may be due to the fact that poor selenium levels slow down your thyroid.
Although you may want to knock out the obvious lifestyle factors before looking at selenium.
That may be ensuring that your diet has adequate levels of carbohydrates, protein, and fat,
looking for a vitamin D deficiency, or analyzing iron levels.
How Can You Treat Selenium Deficiency?
The first-line treatment for selenium deficiency is to try to eat more foods that are high
in selenium.
Selenium-rich foods include Brazil nuts, yellowfin tuna, rice, beans and whole-wheat bread.
When foods high in selenium aren’t an option, selenium supplements can also help.
Many multivitamins contain selenium, but you can also find it as a standalone product.
Selenium supplements usually come in the form of either selenomethionine or selenite.
Selenomethionine tends to be easier for your body to absorb, so it may be a better option
for more severe deficiency cases.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn’t monitor the purity or quality of supplements
like they do for drugs.
Talk to your doctor before you begin taking a selenium supplement.
Make sure you don’t overdo your Selenium intake as it can lead to Selenosis, or selenium
toxicity.
Signs of too much selenium include a garlic-like odor on your breath and a metallic taste in
your mouth.
This is dangerous and can cause side effects such as hair loss, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting.
Did you know anything about Selenium Deficiency before this video?
Have you ever had this deficiency?
Let us know in the comments section below!