Tag: Health benefits

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Selenium and Good Health

Selenium is an essential trace element for good health. If we are to survive and reproduce, we need some selenium in our diets. Not much but some. The reason is that our bodies cannot synthesize the selenium we need. Many of us live in a region of the world with low selenium content in the soil and in the regionally grown food products. Accordingly, it is difficult for us to get enough selenium in our diet.

Selenium researcher Dr. Jan Alexander
Dr. Jan Alexander (M.D., Ph.D.) is co-author on several KiSel-10 studies and co-author of the selenium scoping review for the 2023 Nordic Nutrition Recommendations.

For example, Alexander et al point out that mainland Europe and Scandinavia are regions with a low intake of selenium. North America, by contrast, is a region with much higher selenium intake. There is considerable variation in the selenium content of locally cultivated food products around the world. Consequently, daily selenium intake varies considerably. Depending upon the region we live in, we may be at risk of sub-optimal selenium intakes or selenium deficiency [Alexander 2024]. read more

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Selenium Health Benefits

Selenium is an essential trace element. For our bodies and our immune systems to function well, we need adequate intakes of selenium. Our bodies cannot produce selenium. We need to get it in our diets [Cleveland Clinic 2023].

Selenium properties
Selenium is a trace element that is essential to human health. It has key physiological roles in antioxidant defense, immune function, protection against heavy metal toxicity, reproductive health, and thyroid hormone metabolism.

Who might need a selenium supplement? The answer depends where one lives. It depends upon how selenium-rich or selenium-poor the soil and the foodstuffs are in the local region. In much of North America, for example, the inhabitants generally do not need a selenium supplement. The reason: the soil and the food grown in the soil in much of North America provide adequate amounts of selenium [Cleveland Clinic 2023].

Conversely, there is a greater likelihood that people living in much of Europe and in some Middle Eastern countries will need a selenium supplement. In a systematic review, Stoffaneller & Morse documented widespread sub-optimal selenium intake and status throughout Europe, the UK, and the Middle East [Stoffaneller & Morse 2015]. read more

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ChatGPT Answers Selenium Health Benefits Question

How does ChatGPT answer the question: what are the health benefits of selenium supplementation in Europe? Earlier this month, we posed that question to the free version of ChatGPT. We focused on Europe because the selenium intakes in the United States are generally much higher than the selenium intakes in many parts of Europe [Alehagen 2022].

ChatGPT and selenium supplementation
ChatGPT links selenium supplementation to antioxidant protection, cancer prevention, heart health, immune function, and thyroid function. Important to talk with a health professional about selenium intakes and the need for selenium supplementation.

First, ChatGPT explained that selenium is an essential trace element. It plays an important role in physiological processes in the body. It is a necessary component in selenoproteins. These selenoproteins have antioxidant properties. They help regulate immune system function, thyroid function, and DNA synthesis.

Next, ChatGPT reminded that excessive intake of selenium can lead to toxicity. Selenium supplementation should be undertaken under the guidance of a healthcare professional. Note that the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023 and the European Food Safety Authority both set the tolerable upper intake level at 255 mcg/day [Blomhoff 2023; EFSA 2023]. read more