Selenium Minerals Information - Facts, benefits, deficiency disease of Selenium

Vitamin E and Selenium are synergestic. This means that the two together are stronger than the sum of the equal parts. Both vitamin E and Selenium are antioxidants, preventing or at least slowing down aging and hardening of tissues through oxidation. Selenium is one of the most important micronutrients to include in a longevity minded health regimen and is frequently cited by antiaging specialists as an antioxidant that should be included on a life extension checklist. Selenium also helps to recycle iron from red blood cells. When a red blood cell dies, the iron from that cell bonds to a protein, and forms ferritin. Selenium plays a vital role in regulating the effects of thyroid hormone on fat metabolism.

Males appear to have a greater need for Selenium. Almost half their's body's supply concentrates in the testicles and portions of the seminal ducts adjacent to the prostate gland. Also, Selenium is lost in the semen.

No official dietary allowance has been set for this mineral, but the general dosage is between 50 and 100 mcg.

Selenium Benefits and Uses

• Aid in keeping youthful elasticityin tissues
• alleviate hot flashes and menopausal distress
• Selenium is a great help to the immune system. It aids in the protection of macrophages, which are large white blood cells who eat viruses, bacteria, and other foreign elements.
• Selenium is involved with the production of thyroid hormone.
• Selenium help in treatment and prevention of dandruff
• Some studies indicate that selenium can be useful in the treatment of acne, while other research indicates that it may be useful in repairing chromosome damage.
• possibly neutralize certain carcinogens and provide protection from some cancers

Selenium food Sources

Wheat germ, bran, tunafish, onions, tomatoes.

Selenium Deficiency Disease

Researchers have found three debilitating diseases that are directly related to serious selenium deficiency. These include Myxedematous Endemic Cretinism, Keshan Disease, and Kashin-Beck Disease.