Selenium is a mineral found naturally in soil and water and has recently gained attention in the scientific community for its potential role in helping the human body strengthen its coronavirus defenses. According to a new study published last month in the journal Nutrition, researchers observed that selenium deficiency is indeed a common factor among people who have received COVID-19 compared to “healthy controls.”
In addition, Chinese researchers have recently speculated in a new study that a potential reason why a single province in the country experienced extremely low levels of infection (only six COVID-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants) is that the province is also home to the world’s richest selenium deposition, and “human selenium levels can contribute to antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immune effects in COVID-19. “(Selenium levels are obviously so high among residents that many experience side effects that include hair loss.)
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Regardless of the link between selenium and the coronavirus, there is plenty of evidence linking selenium to your weight, your metabolism (it helps your thyroid to function properly, the gland that regulates your metabolism), your cancer defense and your overall health.
“Selenoproteins, where selenium is present as selenocysteine, play an important role in many bodily functions, such as antioxidant defense and the formation of thyroid hormones,” says a 2013 study published in the journal. Molecules. “Certain selenoprotein metabolites play a role in cancer prevention. In the immune system, selenium stimulates antibody formation and activity in helper T cells, cytotoxic T cells and Natural Killer (NK) cells.”
According to Mayo Clinic, selenium is found largely in “shellfish, liver, lean red meat and grains grown in selenium-rich soils.” National Institutes of Health (NIH) says that selenium-rich foods include oysters, halibut, yellowfin tuna, eggs, Brazil nuts, sardines, sunflower seeds, chicken breast and shiitake mushrooms. The recommended dietary supplement for selenium is 55 mcg per day for anyone over 14 years of age. “Selenium deficiency is very rare in the United States and Canada,” notes YOU H.
Still, side effects range from selenium deficiency ranging from muscle weakness to fatigue, hair loss to mental fog, infertility (in both sexes) to an immune system that does not have full force. Studies show Getting enough selenium is important for women who are pregnant.
If you fear that you are not getting enough selenium – and you may experience weight gain – you should seek help from a doctor. But science indicates that you may want to consider a selenium supplement. According to a 2020 study of 37 overweight or obese people published in International Journal of EndocrinologyThe participants who took a selenium supplement (240 mcg) along with a strict diet lost more weight overall than those who simply participated in the strict diet. Other studies has shown that taking a selenium supplement has helped people who want to improve their thyroid function.
The “safe upper limit” for daily selenium dosing, people say Healthline, is 400-mcg per day. Among them most recommended harness supplement for 2021 is Bluebonnet Selenium, den Klaire Labs Seleno Met, Pure Enclosures Selenomethionineand NOW Foodselen.
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