Selenium is an organic chemical which is derived from plant materials, water, and soil. It has many health benefits, such as balancing your hormones, boosting hair health, protecting against antibodies, reducing the signs of premature aging, preventing cancer, reducing inflammation, maximizing thyroid function, boost the strength of the immune system and it has the ability to protect against certain heart diseases.
Lobsters, crabs, tuna, animal kidneys, eggs, fish, meat, mushrooms, nuts, and cereals are one of the best sources of selenium.
Brazil nuts are the richest source of selenium which is found. If you have selenium toxicity, then this can also be dangerous as you have a selenium deficiency. This is a reason why you should be careful about how much selenium you consume.
7 Important health benefits of selenium:
Contents
Dandruff and hair health
It is believed that selenium is a good mineral that can help you to reduce hair loss and excessively dry scalp, which results in dandruff. But there should be a lot more studies in the future to prove this health benefit.
Heart health
Selenium works as a blood thinner which means that it will reduce your chances of blood clots. Also, it is shown that selenium can reduce the amount of low-density cholesterol, which builds up as plaque on your blood vessels and arteries. Plaque can lead to strokes, heart attacks, and atherosclerosis, so this is a reason why you should add selenium to your diet.
Kashin-Beck disease
Kashin-Beck disease is a heart condition that affects a wide swath of the population in countries that have low selenium content. This condition is characterized by the death of cartilage cells and retardation of growth which often leads to osteoarthritis at a young age. Symptoms of this condition are lack of flexibility, stiffness, joint pain, and low range of motion, basically crippling those with severe cases. Selenium deficiency is not the only cause of this condition, but it is one of the biggest causes of it.
Thyroid health
The thyroid gland is one of the most important glands in our endocrine system. There are many studies in which is shown that selenium plays a big role in the normal function of this gland. Also, selenium regulates the amount of thyroid hormone which is produced within your body. Thyroid gland produces the T3 hormone, which can control the function and rate of your metabolism. If you do not have selenium in your body, then your body cannot produce T3, which can be catastrophic to your body.
Anti-inflammatory qualities
Selenium can boost your immune system. Also, it can protect your body from wearing down and feeling old than your actual age. Also, this element can reduce the oxidative stress which often occurs around your bones and joints that is resulting in inflammation and many inflammatory diseases such as weakness, associated pain, eczema, lupus, psoriasis, gout, and rheumatoid arthritis. When you reduce these kinds of inflammations, then your body will be healthy and strong for years.
Antibodies and immune system health
There are many studies which are shown that selenium can stimulate antibodies. They are elements of our immune system. They can see out and destroy protozoan, fungal, bacterial, and viral foreign bodies that will result in infections and diseases. This element can help you to stimulate the antibodies after you have received a vaccination for one of the mentioned diseases. Your body can fight against them, which means that your body will stay healthy and safe for a long period.
Cancer prevention
There are many studies in which is shown that selenium is a part of many cellular processes. This also includes the body’s response to cancerous activity. There are some studies in which is shown that if you have normal intake amount of selenium, then this help you to decrease your chances of getting cancer such as lung, colorectal and prostate cancer.
Selenium is one of the most important elements in apoptosis, which is automatic cell death. This process is for the cancerous cells, and it is not harming the healthy cells in your body. Selenium can also boost DNA repair in cancerous cells, and it will prevent the further formation of these cells.
