What is the role of selenium in the body?

Table of Contents:

1. what is the role of selenium in the body?

2. the daily requirement of selenium

3. selenium for the thyroid gland

4. taking selenium in the form of food 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. selenium for the thyroid gland

Most people know that the thyroid gland cannot function properly without iodine. What is less well known is that the same is true for the trace mineral selenium. Without selenium, the human thyroid would not function properly. If you look at the entire body, you will notice that the thyroid gland is the organ richest in selenium. Only in cooperation with selenium can the thyroid hormone thyroxine (T4) be converted into the active form triiodothyronine (T3). Thyroid hormones are important for metabolic processes, blood pressure and heart rate. Furthermore, it promotes the growth of skin and hair.

4. taking selenium in the form of food supplements

Selenium should normally be absorbed daily by the body. The best way, of course, is through a healthy and balanced diet. However, many people find it very difficult to cover their complete vitamin requirements. In this case, selenium should be taken in addition in order to avoid a selenium deficiency. Selenium is commercially available in the form of dietary supplements. It is offered in the form of selenium capsules and selenium tablets. Both forms are easy to use and enter the circulation quickly. However, selenium tablets are sold in pharmacies, which in many cases contain artificial additives or are manufactured overseas. Selenium capsules often contain only the active ingredient in a vegetable cellulose shell and can therefore be produced without fillers. Selenium capsules or selenium tablets should be taken with sufficient liquid (for example water or juice). It does not matter whether selenium is taken before or after a meal. However, if you have a sensitive stomach and cannot take selenium tablets or selenium capsules on an empty stomach, you should eat something beforehand and take the supplements afterwards. In general, it should always be ensured that the product was produced in Germany in order to guarantee a consistently high preparation quality. 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: What is the role of selenium in the body?

Selenium performs many tasks in the human body. One of the most important tasks is the maintenance of the thyroid gland. In addition, selenium improves performance and strengthens the immune system. To ensure that you always have a sufficient supply of selenium, you should take in the trace element daily through a healthy and balanced diet. To counteract a selenium deficiency, supplementation of selenium in the form of dietary supplements helps.

Further sources:

• The role of selenium in thyroid gland pathophysiology.
• Review - Selenium - Its metabolism and relation to exercise
• Acute human toxicity and mortality after selenium ingestion: A review
• Selenium fortification of infant formulas: does selenium form matter?
• Selenium biomineralization for biotechnological applications