{"id":2937,"date":"2022-12-30T08:29:34","date_gmt":"2022-12-30T08:29:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seleniumfacts.com\/?p=2937"},"modified":"2022-12-01T08:52:09","modified_gmt":"2022-12-01T08:52:09","slug":"thyroid-disorders-and-selenium-supplementation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seleniumfacts.com\/index.php\/thyroid-disorders-and-selenium-supplementation","title":{"rendered":"Thyroid Disorders and Selenium Supplementation"},"content":{"rendered":"
Thyroid disorders.<\/h5>\n

Many clinicians treating autoimmune thyroid diseases are using selenium supplementation as one treatment modality even though, in the official guidelines, selenium supplementation is recommended only in the treatment of mild Graves orbitopathy [Winther 2020].<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Thyroid
The thyroid gland is the butterfly-shaped organ in the front part of the neck. Thyroid hormones regulate body temperature, heart rate, and weight gain or loss. Autoimmune thyroid disorders occur when immune system cells attack thyroid gland cells. Autoimmune thyroid disorders cause overproduction of thyroid hormones (hyperthyroidism) and underproduction of thyroid hormones (hypothyroidism). Graves\u2019 disease is the most common autoimmune hyperthyroidism. Hashimoto\u2019s thyroiditis is the most common autoimmune hypothyroidism.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Some clinicians consider supplementation with selenium to be a pharmaceutical action that should be taken only with thyroid disorder patients with well-defined symptoms in order to alleviate the symptoms, to improve the course of the disease, or to provide a cure. Typically, in such cases, the selenium treatment is conducted for short periods, and the health benefits and side effects are evaluated and weighed [Schomburg 2020].<\/strong><\/p>\n

Other clinicians consider supplementation with selenium in a more holistic way and use selenium supplementation as a way to correct a nutritional deficiency of selenium, which is associated with thyroid disorders [Schomburg 2020].<\/strong><\/p>\n

Selenium and Thyroid Health<\/h5>\n

Of all the tissue in the body, the thyroid gland tissue has the highest selenium concentration per gram. Selenium is incorporated into selenoproteins, including the glutathione peroxidases, thioredoxin reductases, and iodothyronine deiodinases, which are important for antioxidant protection, for the reduction of DNA damage, and for optimal hormone metabolism. Selenium deficiency can cause a decline in selenoenzyme activity and can eventually lead to the impaired bio-synthesis of thyroid hormones [Fan 2014].<\/p>\n

Prof. Lutz Schomburg (Charit\u00e9 Berlin) has summarized what we know about selenium status and thyroid disorders<\/em><\/strong><\/a> [Schomburg 2020]:<\/p>\n