Tag: Deficiency

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Selenium and Pregnancy

Maternal selenium status declines sharply during pregnancy. In selenium-poor regions of the world, the mother’s normal everyday intake of selenium is not adequate to meet the additional needs of the fetus. In such circumstances, maternal selenium status can reach critically low levels. Meanwhile, selenium supplementation has shown positive effects on the immune system, especially in pregnancy [Schomburg 2021].

Pregnant woman needs extra selenium
Biomarkers of selenium status decline in pregnancy and can reach critically low concentrations. Sufficiently high selenium status is important for an adequate immune response during pregnancy. Furthermore, selenium deficiency in pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of autoimmune disease, e.g., postpartum thyroid disorder.

In a letter to the Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, Mücke et al urge that doctors pay extra attention to the selenium status of patients in stressful situations, e.g., pregnancy, chronic or acute illness, or convalescence. They note that there is a clear risk of selenium deficiency during pregnancy. Also after giving birth, new mothers living in selenium-poor regions will likely need selenium supplementation. They will likely need extra selenium to cope with the challenging post-partum conditions [Mücke 2021; Schomburg 2021]. read more

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Correcting Selenium Deficiency in Thyroid Disorders

Selenium supplementation. There seem to be two different approaches. One approach regards selenium supplementation as a direct pharmaceutical treatment. For example, it is considered a form of medication administered to thyroid disorder patients. Alone or together with thyroid disorder medication, the selenium supplementation is intended to 1) alleviate symptoms, 2) slow the progression of the disorder, and 3) perhaps provide a cure [Schomburg 2019].

Selenium researcher Urban Alehagen
Data from the Swedish KiSel-10 study show that combined daily selenium and Coenzyme Q10 supplementation has a beneficial effect on thyroid hormones and quality of life. outcomes.

A second approach to selenium supplementation does not regard the administration of selenium as a pharmaceutical intervention. Rather, the second approach considers selenium supplementation to be a nutritional intervention designed to address and correct a deficiency condition. This approach recognizes that both sub-optimal selenium status and selenium deficiency limit the body’s expression of vital selenoproteins. These selenoproteins are needed to minimize health risks and to alleviate disease symptoms. Supplemental selenium can be necessary to enable the full endogenous expression of selenoproteins [Schomburg 2019]. read more

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Selenium Supplementation for Vegetarians and Vegans

Vegetarians and vegans, do they get enough selenium in their diets? It is an important question because the number of vegetarians around the world is growing for ethical and environmental reasons. How do we measure selenium status in various groups of people?

Vineyard in Germany with selenium-poor soil
The arable land in much of Europe contains a sub-optimal content of selenium, meaning that the plants grown there are also poor in selenium. Pictured: A vineyard in Germany.

Selenium is an essential trace element. Essential means that we have to get it from our food or from supplements. The human body does not synthesize selenium. What the body does synthesize is the selenoproteins, of which selenium in the amino acid selenocysteine is a key active component.

Particularly in much of Europe and the Middle East, the soil and the plants have relatively poor selenium content. In many countries, the farm animals are supplemented with selenium to improve their nutritional intakes and their health and to avoid selenium deficiency syndromes. read more

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Selenium Exposure Studies

Selenium exposure in the diet and in supplements: in this review article, we summarize the key outcomes of the best selenium exposure studies.

Optimal Selenium Intake and Status

In his review of the available research literature, Professor Urban Alehagen, Linköping University, Sweden, concluded that a daily intake of 100–150 mcg of selenium per day is required.

This is the intake level that enables an optimal expression of the important selenoprotein P that transports selenium from the liver to peripheral tissues [Alehagen 2022].  For other selenoproteins to be optimized, i.e., to be fully expressed, Prof. Alehagen argues that selenium status of approximately 120 mcg/L when measured in red blood cells is necessary [Alehagen 2022]. read more