
In my mind, I keep coming back to the question of heart health and the role that selenium supplements play in heart health. That may surprise many of you because we tend to think of selenium supplements primarily for the prevention of cancer and for the prevention of thyroid disorders and for protection against the toxic effects of heavy metals like mercury and cadmium. We know that our immune system needs adequate intakes of selenium if it is to function optimally. That’s correct, isn’t it?
Selenium supplements and good heart health
But, what about the relationship between selenium intakes and status and heart health? Writing in the medical journal, The Lancet, Professor Margaret P. Rayman, University of Surrey, in Guildford, United Kingdom, has listed and documented the following ways that adequate selenium status and optimal levels of selenoproteins can potentially benefit the heart [Rayman 2012]: