Selenium and thyroid

Selenium and thyroid!

Selenium is a trace element essential for the wellbeing of our organism because it is involved in many vital processes. Selenium is present in organic form (as seleniometionine and seleniocistein) and inorganic (as selenite).

In nature instead, selenium is present in rocks and in the ground, on which then plants grow and feed the animals we eat.

With regards to the human body, selenium is essential for the synthesis of some proteins (selenioprotein cells), of which 25 have been identified.

Selenium enters the human body via the food supply, it is absorbed in the small intestine and eliminated through the urine (50-60%), the respiratory process and faeces.

Selenium and thyroid

Selenium is therefore important for good health, since it plays important biological functions:

• Has a powerful antioxidant effect, playing a protective role in respect of the cells against the attack of the free radicals, thereby counteracting the effects of oxidative stress.
•  In synergy with Vitamin E prevents cellular aging.
•  Preserves the fabrics from degeneration and keeps the skin elastic and young.
•  Stimulates the immune system
• Has an anti-inflammatory function
•  Together with vitamin C, it protects the organism from infections, especially aches and seasonal flu viruses.
• Protects from the risk of cardiocirculatory disorders and other diseases related to aging such as arthritis, arteriosclerosis, etc.
•  It is useful for the prevention of some forms of tumors, in particular prostate (this is because the selenioprotein are directly involved in the production of testosterone).
• It is essential for the proper functioning of the thyroid.

Selenium and thyroid are closely connected and in fact it performs a protective function against this gland, in addition to be directly involved in the transformation of the prohormone T4 to T3. Selenium is also important for the proper functioning of the central nervous system.  It also contrasts the deleterious action of certain heavy metals (such as mercury and cadmium) that could intoxicate the organism. Selenium can also be useful in the detoxification against smoking, alcohol and drugs.

Excess or lack of Selenium, what are the causes?
Let us begin by saying that the daily requirement of Selenium is 50-55 micrograms for adults, which increases in the case of women during pregnancy and breast feeding to 65-75 micrograms.  For children the demand is less on the basis of age (10 mcg up to six months, 20 mcg until the first year, 20 mcg 1-6 years, 30 mcg 7-10 years, 40 mcg 11-14 years).

In normal conditions i.e. good health and following a varied, balanced diet there should not be any risk of lack of Selenium, a deficiency of this mineral can occur if you suffer from metabolic disorders such as hypothyroidism; or in subjects who have suffered major intestine damage with the impairment of its function, or elderly people that exceed 90 years and in populations living in the geographical areas in which the soil is poor in selenium (subject to serious illnesses such as Keshan-Beck illness or Keshan disease).

A lack of selenium may also be due to strong psychophysical stress that also cause a deficiency of vitamin E.

What happens if there is a lack of selenium in our body?

The lack of selenium,makes our body more vulnerable to various problems linked to the lack of other trace elements or vitamins such as:

• An Iodine deficiency at the level of the thyroid
• Muscle weakness,
• Lowering of the immune defenses,
• Increase of the inflammatory processes,
• Disorders of the thyroid,
•  Premature aging,
•  Skin problems,
•  Memory loss,
• Atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases.

In the event of a lack of selenium it is required to assume specific supplements, naturally taken under medical supervision. On the other hand, if you exaggerate with supplements or even if you exaggerate with foods containing selenium this causes an excess of this mineral that generates a pathological condition defined as Selenosis.

Selenium can therefore cause damage even if it is in excessive amounts, overcoming the maximum threshold of 300 micrograms per day in fact it can determine various symptoms ranging from gastrointestinal disorders, such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, halitosis, but also cutaneous lesions such as; hair loss, fragile nails that have white spots leading up to more severe neurological consequences such as drowsiness, irritability, mental confusion, convulsions and even damage to the nervous system.

Foods containing selenium

So which are the foods that contain selenium?
Selenium is mainly found in foods of animal origin.  The following are rich in selenium; meat (liver and kidneys), fillet of beef, lamb and poultry, Fish of large size (such as tuna and salmon), but also Sardines, Sole, Herring, Hake and Cod.

Moreover particularly also molluscs (especially oysters, mussels and clams) and crustaceans (shrimps) are rich in Selenium. It is found also in eggs (in the yolk), as well as in milk and its derivatives, in particular in cheeses (especially Parmesan, Ricotta and Provolone cheese), while in yogurt it is found in minor amounts.

In foods of vegetable origin, the concentration of selenium is smaller than that in those of animal origin and it mainly depends upon the amount present in the soil in which they were grown.

Amongst the foods that contain selenium we find Brazil nuts and cashew nuts that are among the “plant” foods richest in selenium (respectively 19 and 12 mcg/100 grams).  There are also mustard seeds , cereals, especially rice (wholegrain that contains 15 times more Selenium than refined), barley, wheat, kamut and corn, it is better to choose them organic. Even bran, wheat germ and yeast contain a good amount of Selenium. Selenium is also found in legumes, in particular beans, lentils and chickpeas (dried ones shall contain more than canned ones).

Amongst the foods that contain selenium we also find: mushrooms, onions, garlic, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, radish, celery, tomatoes (Better if Mature) and potatoes. In minor amounts, selenium is found also in carrots, fennel and zucchini.

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