Selenium
Selenium is a trace element and is required in small amounts for maintenance of health. As an essential component of enzymes, it acts as an antioxidant and catalyzes the production of active thyroid hormones.
Selenium is a trace element and is required in small amounts for maintenance of health. As an essential component of enzymes, it acts as an antioxidant and catalyzes the production of active thyroid hormones.
It is
also required in the maintenance of optimal immune functions.
Food rich in selenium:
Brazil nuts, Red meat, Liver, Chicken, Eggs, Fish (cod, tuna, shellfish, sardines, halibut), Mushrooms, Sunflower seeds, Wheat germ, Bread, fortified.
Deficiency Symptoms:
Memory lapses / sluggish memory and difficulty concentrating, Lowered
immunity (increased susceptibility to infections), Hair fall, Discoloration of
skin and nails, Tiredness and fatigue, Infertility / recurrent miscarriage, Poor
wound healing
Treatment:
Selenium deficiency can be corrected by selenium supplementation, which is available in combination as multivitamin / multimineral formulations, or by itself in the form of selenomethionine or as sodium selenite or sodium selenate. Importantly, the bio-availability of selenomethionine is much higher (~90%) than the selenite or selenate forms.
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