Table of Contents:

1. causes of a selenium deficiency

2. the daily requirement of selenium

3. who is susceptible to a selenium deficiency?

4. selenium in the form of dietary supplements

5. conclusion

2. the daily requirement of selenium

Men need more selenium than women. According to the German Nutrition Society (DGE), an adult man should take in 70 micrograms of selenium a day. For women it is 60 micrograms. Breastfeeding mothers have a higher requirement in order to supply their child with sufficient selenium through their breast milk. Here the recommended amount is 75 micrograms of selenium. Children under the age of 10 should take about 30 micrograms of selenium a day. For children between 10 and 15 years of age, the daily requirement is already 50 micrograms of selenium. However, these recommended values do not apply to people with an increased selenium requirement due to illness. In general, one should keep in mind that age, weight and size always play a significant role.

3. who is susceptible to a selenium deficiency?

Usually, a deficiency of selenium can be quickly corrected by a selenium-rich and balanced diet. In most cases, a selenium deficiency is caused by an unbalanced diet that is low in selenium. People with kidney weakness, cystic fibrosis or chronic inflammatory bowel diseases are susceptible to a selenium deficiency. On the one hand, certain diseases do not allow enough selenium to be absorbed, while in other diseases a large part of the selenium absorbed is very quickly excreted again through the urinary tract.

4. selenium in the form of food supplements

If you want to increase a selenium level that is too low with a dietary supplement, you should definitely pay attention to the form of the active ingredient and its origin. Selenium capsules are particularly suitable for increasing selenium levels. They are very well tolerated and are utilized by the body to a high degree. The preparation should also not contain any chemical additives such as microcrystalline cellulose. If you buy a preparation from Germany, you can be sure that the product has also been produced safely and is of high quality.

5. conclusion: causes of a selenium deficiency

The most common cause of a selenium deficiency is an unbalanced diet. Nowadays, due to long working hours, many people no longer manage to eat a balanced diet every day and more often turn to convenience foods. These are not only low in vitamins, but also unhealthy in the long run. A healthy lifestyle and a selenium-rich diet can counteract a selenium deficiency. In case of a selenium deficiency, the supplementation of selenium in food supplements helps. You can choose between selenium capsules and selenium tablets. Both forms are easy to use and get into the circulation quickly.

Further reading:

• Management of Iron-Deficiency Anemia in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• Management of Iron Deficiency Anemia
• The role of selenium in thyroid gland pathophysiology
• Selenium Analysis and Speciation in Dietary Supplements Based on Next-Generation Selenium Ingredients
• A Summary of New Findings on the Biological Effects of Selenium in Selected Animal Species-A Critical Review

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